A slogan is used in

Scottish heraldry Heraldry in Scotland, while broadly similar to that practised in England and elsewhere in western Europe, has its own distinctive features. Its heraldic executive is separate from that of the rest of the United Kingdom. Executive The Scottish h ...

as a

heraldic motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organization. Mot ...

or a secondary motto. It usually appears above the crest on a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

, though sometimes it appears as a secondary motto beneath the

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...

. The word ''slogan'' dates from 1513. It is a variant of the earlier ''slogorn'', which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic ''sluagh-ghairm'' (''sluagh'' "army", "host" + ''gairm'' "cry"). In other regions it is called a war-cry.

Mottoes and heraldry

There are several possible origins for mottoes used in heraldry, and slogans may have originated from battle cries or war cries. There are several notable heraldic mottoes which are thought to originate from a war cries. For example, the

Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, also referred to as the royal arms, are the arms of dominion of the British monarch, currently Charles III. They are used by the Government of the United Kingdom and by other The Crown, Crown instit ...

contains the motto ("God and my right") which has been thought to originated as a war cry, as has the motto which appeared on the former French coat of arms. Several mottoes found in Irish heraldry, which end in ''a boo'', are also thought to have originated as war cries. Examples of such Irish mottoes are of the Fitzgerald earls of Leinster; and of the Fitzgerald

earls of Desmond Earl of Desmond ( meaning Earl of South Munster) is a title of nobility created by the English monarch in the peerage of Ireland. The title has been created four times. It was first awarded in 1329 to Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond, Maur ...

. Not all slogans are based on war cries. Many slogans pertaining to

Scottish clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard ci ...

s have been registered relatively recently at the

Court of the Lord Lyon The Court of the Lord Lyon, or Lyon Court, is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All ...

. Sometimes slogans are merely a name, such as ''A HOME A HOME A HOME'' of the

Homes A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

, others refer to a rallying point for the clan, like of the Campbells, some slogans refer to a prominent clansman like the Maclean ("Another for Hector"). In at least one case, a

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

is used as a slogan, as in ''St Bennet and Set On'' of the Setons. The arms of Grant use two slogans (or mottoes): , which appears above the crest; and ''STANDFAST'', which appears beneath on a scroll beneath the shield. Sometimes a clan chief's slogan appears on his crest badge and in consequence on the crest badges worn by his clan members. In some cases the chief's slogan also appears on his

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object ...

Mottoes and heraldry

Slogans

Notes

Citations

References