Slogan (heraldry)


A slogan is used in Scottish heraldry as a heraldic motto or a secondary motto. It usually appears above the crest on a coat of arms, though sometimes it appears as a secondary motto beneath the shield. The word slogan dates from 1513. It is a variant of the earlier slogorn, which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm.

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 contains the motto DIEU ET MON DROIT which has been thought to originated as a war cry, as has the motto Montjoie Saint Denis! 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 Crom a Boo of the Fitzgerald earls of Leinster; and SHANET A BOO of the Fitzgerald earls of Desmond.
Not all slogans are based on war cries. Many slogans pertaining to Scottish clan chiefs have been registered relatively recently at the Court of the Lord Lyon. Sometimes slogans are merely a name, such as A HOME A HOME A HOME of the Homes, others refer to a rallying point for the clan, like CRUACHAN of the Campbells, some slogans refer to a prominent clansman like the Maclean Fear eile airson Eachuinn. In at least one case, a patron saint is used as a slogan, as in St Bennet and Set On of the Setons. The arms of Grant use two slogans : CRAIG ELACHAIDH, 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, guidon and pinsel.

Slogans

Clan or titleSloganNotes
AnstrutherCASTLE DREEL-
ArthurEISD O EISD Appears in the second compartment of the current chief's Arms.
BarclayTOWIE BARCLAY-
BorthwickA BORTHWICK
BruceFUIMUSLatin: "We have been".
BuchananClar InnisAn island in Loch Lomond.
BuchanAUCHMACOYRefers to the clan seat in Auchmacoy.
CameronChlanna nan con thigibh a' so 's gheibh sibh feòil
CampbellCRUACHANPreviously thought to refer to Ben Cruachan near Loch Awe. The slogan actually refers to a farm on the west coast of Loch Awe, opposite Innischonnell Castle.
ColquhounCNOC EALACHAINRefers to a mountain near Rossdhu, former seat of the chiefs of the clan.
CranstounCOREHOUSERefers to the clan seat in Corehouse.
DonnachaidhGARG 'N UAIR DHUISGEAR
DrummondGANG WARILY-
FarquharsonCÀRN NA CUIMHNE
ForbesLònachA mountain in Strathdon.
ForsythINSTAURATOR RUINAELatin: "A repairer of ruin"
FraserA' Mhor-fhaiche
FraserCaistel DhùmCastle Downie.
GordonAN GORDONACH
GrantCRAIG ELACHAIDH
GregorARD-COILLE
GriersonLAG-
HannaySORBIE-
HayTHE HAY-
HendersonFORDELL-
Highlanders in generalAlbanich!-
JohnstoneLOCHWOOD-
KeithA KEITH-
KerrSero Sed SerioLatin: Late but in earnest
KincaidA KINCAID-
King of ScotlandSt. Andrew!-
LamontARDLAMONT-
LennoxTHE LENNOX-
LeslieBALLINBREICH-
LumsdenA LUMSDEN-
MacdonaldFRAOCH EILEAN The slogan appears on a compartment in the current chief's Arms. The slogan refers to an island in the Sound of Islay.
Macdonald of ClanranaldDH' AINDEOIN CO THEIREADH E The slogan appears on a compartment in the current chief's Arms.
Macdonell of GlengarryCRAGAN AN FHITHICH The slogan appears in an Escroll over the Arms of the current chief.
MacDonald of KeppochDIA 'S NAOMH AINDREA The slogan appears as a second motto in a lower Escroll on the current chief's Arms.
MacDougallBuaidh no Bàs
MacfarlaneLoch Slòigh
MacgillivrayDunmaghlasThe name of the chief's castle.
MackayBRATACH BAN MHIC AOIDH
MackenzieTulach Ard
MackinnonCuimhnich bàs Ailpein
MackintoshLOCH MÒIGHLoch Moy, a loch near the seat of the clan chiefs.
MacLarenCreag an Tuirc
MacleanBàs no Beatha
MacleanFear eile airson Eachuinn
MacLennanDruim nan deur
MacMillanCHNAP
MacnabBOVAINThe old Macnab duthus.
MacnaghtenFrechelanA castle on Loch Awe.
MacNeilBuaidh no Bàs
MacphersonCREAG AN DHUIBH Located near Cluny.
MacquarrieAn t-Arm breac dearg
MacraeSgurr UaranA mountain in Kintail near Loch Duich. It is one of the "Five Sisters of Kintail".
MathesonAcha 'n dà thernaidh
MenziesGeal is Dearg a suas
MorrisonDUN EISTEINDùn Èistean, sometimes Anglicised as "Hugh's Castle". The slogan appears on the chief's Arms.
MunroCASTEAL FÓLAIS NA THEINE
MurrayFurth fortune and fill the fetters
Stewart of AppinCreag-an-Sgairbh A rock in Appin.
SutherlandCeann na Drochaide BigeA bridge at Dunrobin.

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