Heraldry, “the practice of devising, blazoning, and granting armorial insignia and of tracing and recording genealogies”[1], is an exciting practice. Many people who have an ancestral heritage aligned to a clan community may be aware of their clan’s crest or coat of arms.
In my family, we have several surnames of Scottish, Irish, and English heritage, confirmed through genealogical research, DNA testing, and ethnicity analysis. One name, McNeil, has a rich history as described on their global clan website, https://www.clanmacneilglobal.org/who-we-are/history/. The site has a heraldry page, with crests and coats of arms, along with the blazoning (act of describing a coat of arms in correct heraldic language) for them.
The correct blazoning for the MacNeil of Barra coat of arms is:
Upper Left: Lion Rampant (mimicking the Royal Standard of the King of Scotland)
Upper Right: Castle in the water (symbolizing Kisimul Castle in Castlebay)
Lower Left: 3-masted ship (Representing either the seafaring nature of the clan or the migration of the clan from the Ulster, Ireland to Barra, Scotland
Lower Right: Red Hand of Ulster surrounded by nine shackles
representing Niall of the Nine Hostages
Surrounding the Coat of Arms:
Crest: a Rock (same as on the clan badge)
Chapeau: Red velvet cap lined with ermine, symbolic of a Baron
Helm: Height of the Helmet is determined by rank
Mantle: Fabric surrounding the Arms
Supporters: Two lions rampant
Compartment: The base of the Arms, made of Dryas flowers (the clan badge)
The motto across the top, “Vincere Vel Mori” translates to “To Conquer or Die”; or “Victory or Death”. More details on this clan can be found in various places: Electric Scotland, Wikipedia and shopping sites like ScotClans and House of Names.
What is this language of blazoning? How do you learn it so the descriptions above make more sense? How do you find more about clans? Check below! If you encounter difficulties, I’m happy to talk through the conversations and offer advice. You can fill out the Contact Me! form or email me directly at shapingyourfamilytree@gmail.com.
Helpful resources:
Electric Scotland. Scottish and Irish Clans & Families. https://electricscotland.com/webclans/.
The Court of Lord Lyon: Scotland’s Heraldic Authority. Blazoning a Coat of Arms, by Bruce Durie. https://courtofthelordlyon.scot/blazoning.htm.
The Court of Lord Lyon: Scotland’s Heraldic Authority. A Short Course in Heraldry. https://courtofthelordlyon.scot/education.htm.
UK’s https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/ their online exhibitions https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/about-us/online-exhibitions and their FAQ’s https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/resources/faqs.
The Heraldry Society. https://www.theheraldrysociety.com/articles/the-arms-of-ireland-medieval-and-modern/.
Fox-Davies’ A complete guide to heraldry. (Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles. (1909) A complete guide to heraldry. London: T.C. and E.C. Jack. http://www.archive.org/details/completeguidetoh00foxduoft.
[1] Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Heraldry. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heraldry.
Image. Wikipedia: Clan MacNeil. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacNeil.