You might have seen something called a Coat of Arms before. Another
phrase for coats of arms is Heraldic Achievements. In many places,
there is a coat of arms for whole families. But this is not true in Scotland.
A coat of arms stands for just one person there. This is because knights
used to have their arms on their shields. That way, even when they had their
armor on, you could tell who they were.
In the Highlands, men did not wear armor. But they did wear something
to show their clan. They wore a plant badge in their bonnets, or hats. Each
clan wore a piece of a plant that stood for their clan.
Today, men wear what is called a Clansman's Crest Badge on their
bonnets. It is the crest, or the top of the coat of arms, of their clan
Chief, or the head of their branch of the family who has his own coat of
arms.. It is inside a round strap that has a buckle on the bottom. The strap
has the motto of the Chief on it. The buckle shows that it is not your crest,
but someone else's. Our Chief, and other people with coats of arms, wears
a crest badge without the buckle, which shows that it is his crest.
Here are some of the symbols of Clan Campbell.
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Bog Myrtle This is the plant that was worn by members
of Clan Campbell in their bonnets. It is bog myrtle, a plant that grows
in marshy places. |
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Coat of Arms This is the coat of arms, or heraldic achievement,
of our Chief, Mac Cailein Mor, the Duke of Argyll. The boar's head on top
of the helmet is the crest. The Chief's motto is Ne Obliviscaris,
which is Latin for Forget Not.
Look at the shield. The sections divided into eight pieces of gold
and black are called a gyronny. If you see a gyronny in a Scottish
coat of arms, you know that person is a Campbell.
There are over two hundred Campbell coats of arms!
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Here are the crest badges of the four main houses of Clan Campbell
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- Campbell Crest Badge This is the crest badge of
the main house of Clan Campbell, headed by Mac Cailein Mor. Notice the boar's
head crest, and the Chief's motto on the strap.
- All Campbells may wear this badge. But people
who know that they come from one of the younger houses of Clan Campbell
may wear that badge also.
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- Campbell of Loudoun Crest Badge This is the
crest badge of the first of the younger houses of Clan Campbell, the Campbells
of Loudoun. It is a double headed eagle with the motto, I Bide My Time
.
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- Campbell of Breadalbane Crest Badge This is
the crest badge of the Campbells of Breadalbane, also called the Glen Orchy
Campbells. It is a boar's head with the motto, Follow Me.
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- Campbell of Cawdor Crest Badge This is the
crest badge of the Campbells of Cawdor. It is a swan with a crown, with
the motto, Be Mindful.
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There is one other Campbell symbol that is important to know
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- Arms of the International Federation of Clan Campbell
Societies Do you remember the gyronny? Can you see how it was
used at the left? There are Clan Campbell Societies in the United Kingdom,
North America, Australia and New Zealand. Our Chief has registered these
arms for use by Society members. That means that, if your family are members
of one of the Societies, you can wear this as your own!
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Buttons just for you!
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- Clan Campbell Kids On the Web Official Member
Button Here is something just for you! If you want to show your
pride in your clan, copy the button on the left. Then display it on your
computer for everyone to see.
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Clan Campbell Society, North America, Button
Does your family have a membership in the CCS, NA? If so, download
the button for your computer or web site.
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