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by Carole R. Bishop, OL278
Where would a Scottish Clan be without its motto? It is as important to family unity as it is to heraldry. Mottoes did not appear until after the 14th century, though. War cries are much older, but few have survived the passage of time. War Cries By its nature and intended purpose, the war cry is usually short, feudal and easy to hear when shouted. As its name suggests, clansmen yelled their war cry to bolster their courage and esprit de corps as they charged up the hill and into the fray. It also helped them recognize each other in the dark of night or in the confusion of combat. Many other cultures, such as the Crusaders, early Native Americans and Zulu warriors, used a battle cry to rally their troops and scare the enemy. In Scotland, the war cry is known as a slogan from the Gaelic words sluagh-ghairm [sluagh = army or people + ghairm = a call or proclamation], later shortened to “slughorn.” Scottish war cries were often the surname repeated, the name of the laird, a religious invocation, an encouraging word or a threat meant to invoke fear. A war cry could be the name of the chief’s land holdings or a geographic feature from the clan’s area, such as “Craig Elachie!” from a large rock in Clan Grant territory, or “Sgurr Uaran!” from the name of the tallest peak, Sgurr Fhuaran, in the Five Sisters of Kintail range where Clan MacRae is located. Other war cries are: “Cuimhnich bas alpein!” (Remember the death of Alpin!) for Clan MacKinnon; and “Chlanna nan con, thigibh a so’s gheibh sibh feoil!” (Sons of the hounds, come here and get flesh!) for Clan Cameron. Mottos When the need for feudal war cries decreased, many clans adopted a new saying for clan solidarity. The origin of some mottoes could have been the clan’s war cry; however, most clans today have no proof of their original, medieval war cry. The motto (Italian for “word”) was often a personal choice designed to express some particular quality, intention or event. It could refer to the person’s bravery, loyalty or philosophy of life. It could quote the Bible or be relatively long. Junior sons starting a cadet family of their own often adopted a variant of the original clan motto. For example, the original Clan Cunningham motto is “Over Fork Over,” which is reminiscent of an alleged event where an early Cunningham sheltered King Malcolm III by covering him with hay. A branch known as Cunningham of Craigends uses “So Fork Forward.” Ironically, many Scottish clan mottoes are in French, Latin or English. Clan Sutherland’s motto is “Sans peur,” French for “without fear.” The motto of Clan Colquhoun |
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is “Si je puis,” French for “If I can.” Clan Douglas’ motto is “Jamais arrière,” for “Never behind.” Some Latin mottoes are: “Clarior hinc honos” (“Brighter, hence the honor”) for Clan Buchanan; “Sola virtus nobilitat,” (“Virtue alone enobles”) for Clan Henderson; and “Sapienter si sincere” (“Wisely if sincerely”) for Clan Davidson. Clan Munro’s motto is “Dread God.” Clan MacFarlane’s motto is “This I’ll Defend.” Clan Grant’s motto is “Stand Fast.” War Cries and Mottoes in Heraldry In Scottish heraldry the motto is registered as an integral part of a chief’s Coat of Arms. It cannot be altered without re-matriculation or re-registering with the Court of the Lord Lyon. Most coats of arms have a single motto, normally placed on a scroll above the crested helmet. (The crest is the figure-- often an animal-- placed above the helmet.) Some chiefs of large clans or houses also have a slogan or war cry, which is usually found above the crest, and then the motto is placed below the shield. Upon the chief’s death, his eldest son reverts from his differenced arms to his father’s armorial bearings, while the junior sons keep their modified arms and their own mottoes. by Carole R. Bishop, OL278 
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