The national symbols of Scotland
The Flag
The coat of arms
The anthem
The costume
The floral symbol
Alongside tartan, the thistle is perhaps the most identifiable symbols of all things Scottish, but how did a beautiful but common weed become the national symbol of such a proud race of people?
The thistle may only be a humble weed, but it is the emblem of the Scottish nation. The prickly-leaved, pink or purple-flowered ‘Scotch’ thistle is, along with tartan, perhaps the most identifiable symbol of all things Scottish. But how did the thistle earn its place in the heart of the Scots?
In truth, no-one knows, but legend has it that a sleeping party of Scots warriors were saved from ambush by an invading Norse army when one of the attackers trod on a thistle with his bare feet. His cries raised the alarm, the roused Scots duly defeated the invaders, and the thistle was adopted as the symbol of Scotland. Unfortunately, there is no historical evidence for this, but Scots, like other nations, love a good story.
The Flag of Scotland, (Scottish Gaelic: Bratach na h-Alba, Scots: Banner o Scotland), also known as St Andrew's Cross or theSaltire, is the national flag of Scotland. As the national flag, the Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, is the correct flag for all individuals and corporate bodies to fly in order to demonstrate both their loyalty and Scottish nationality. It is also, where possible, flown from Scottish Government buildings every day from 8am until sunset, with certain exceptions.
According to legend, the Christian apostle and martyr Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, was crucified on an X-shaped crossat Patras, (Patrae), in Achaea. Use of the familiar iconography of his martyrdom, showing the apostle bound to an X-shaped cross, first appears in the Kingdom of Scotland in 1180 during the reign of William I. It was again depicted on seals used during the late 13th century, including on one used by the Guardians of Scotland, dated 1286.
Using a simplified symbol which does not depict St. Andrew's image, the saltire or crux decussata, (from the Latin crux, 'cross', anddecussis, 'having the shape of the Roman numeral X'), began in the late 14th century. In June 1285, the Parliament of Scotlanddecreed that Scottish soldiers serving in France would wear a white Saint Andrew's Cross, both in front and behind, for identification.
The earliest reference to the Saint Andrew's Cross as a flag is found in the Vienna Book of Hours, circa 1503, in which a white saltire is depicted with a red background. In the case of Scotland, use of a blue background for the Saint Andrew's Cross is said to date from at least the 15th century, with the first certain illustration of a flag depicting such appearing in Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount's Register of Scottish Arms, circa 1542.
The legend surrounding Scotland's association with the Saint Andrew's Cross was related by Walter Bower and George Buchanan, who claimed that the flag originated in a 9th-century battle, where Óengus II led a combined force of Picts and Scots to victory over the Angles, led by Æthelstan. Supposedly, a miraculous white saltire appeared in the blue sky and Óengus' troops were roused to victory by the omen. Consisting of a blue background over which is placed a white representation of an X-shaped cross, the Saltire is one of Scotland's most recognisable symbols
The Royal coat of arms of Scotland was the official coat of arms of the Kingdom of Scotland until the Acts of Unionin 1707. The blazon of the arms began to undergo significant changes following the Union of the Crowns in 1603, and eventually became the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom used in Scotland.
The modern Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom used in Scotland show the red lion rampant in the first and fourth quadrant of the shield, with three striding lions with their heads turned forward (in heraldic language, passant guardant) in the second quadrant to represent England. The third quadrant features the harp of Ireland. The left (or sinister) unicorn is replaced by the Imperially-crowned golden lion of England, who supports a lance displaying the flag of England. The flag of Scotland replaces the banner of the arms supported by the right (or dexter) unicorn in the original version. The Scots motto In Defensappears as it does in the original arms, as does the motto of the Order of the Thistle.
The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is taken from the shield of the coat of arms, and is flown when the monarch is in residence at Balmoral Castle or Holyrood Palace, on the monarch's car on official travels, and on the royal aircraft when it is grounded. It may also be flown on any building, public or private, while the monarch is visiting it, if the owner or proprietor requests. This banner is also flown outside the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh when the when the monarch is in attendance.
The Royal coat of arms of Canada is closely modeled on those of the United Kingdom, with distinct Canadian imagery replacing British symbols. The Canadian arms feature the Scottish unicorn; the chain around its neck is broken, symbolizing his resistance to oppression. The Royal arms of Nova Scotia also feature the Scottish unicorn.
"The ancient dress wore by the women is called arisad, is a white plaid, having a few small stripes of black, blue and red; it reached from the neck to the heels, and was tied before on the breast with a buckle of silver or brass, according to the quality of the person. I have seen some of the former of an hundred marks value; it was broad as any ordinary pewter plate, the whole curiously engraven with various animals.
Tartan was not always the pattern worn on the arisaid. Often the cloth was plain or striped, and it seems to have varied by region and by clan. The kertch (in Gaelic - breid caol) was a head dress worn by married women in some regions, while unmarried women often wore a snood, which was a ribbon wrapped about the head which allowed the hair to flow more freely.
Traditional Scottish clothing is characterised by the appearance of tartan or ‘plaid’ patterns in some form. Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Originally it was made from woven cloth, but now additional materials are also used.
Until the middle of the 19th century, highland tartans were associated with regions or districts, rather than by any specific clan or family. This was due to the fact that the designs were produced by local weavers, with a limited range of local dyes and for local tastes.
Male Scottish dress includes a kilt or ‘trews’, sporrans and gillie brogues.
The kilt is a knee-length ‘skirt’ with pleats at the rear. It was first worn in the 16th century, by men and boys in the Scottish Highlands. It is typically made from one piece of fabric that is wrapped around and fastened at the side.
Since the 19th century, it has been associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic – and more specifically Gaelic – heritage further afield.
Today, the Scottish kilt is most frequently worn on formal occasions or at Highland games and sports events. It has, however, all been adapted for more mainstream fashion, and can be seen on catwalks across the globe, worn by Scottish and non-Scottish fans alike.
The sporran is made of leather or fur, and serves as a wallet and container for any other necessary personal items, as the traditional Scottish kilt does not have pockets.
In medieval times, it would have been attached to the belt. Today, it generally hangs just below the belt buckle on a chain, but can be turned around the waist, to let it hang on the hip in a more casual and convenient position.
Gillie brogues are traditional thick-soled shoes, with no tongues and long laces. The laces are secured by wrapping them around the ankles then tied. The shoes deliberately lack tongues, so the wearer’s feet can dry more quickly in typically damp Scottish weather.
The Gillie brogue is named after the Gillie, the traditional Scottish gamekeeper and outdoorsman.
A constituent nation of the United Kingdom, Scotland lacks an official, legislated “national song”; in fact there are several songs in use as “national songs” of Scotland. The one most often considered as the unofficial national anthem (and most often presented as Scotland’s anthem at sporting matches) is “Flower of Scotland”, written by Roy Williamson in 1965 for the popular folk group The Corries. It was first used in a sporting match in 1974 by the Scottish national rugby team in 1974, sung by the team. When the British “God Save the Queen” was sung before a rugby match in 1988 to represent Scotland, and was met by derision from the crowd, “Flower of Scotland” was adopted as Scotland’s pregame anthem. “Flower of Scotland”, however, has not been adopted in any official basis as the Scottish anthem.
Other popular “national songs” of Scotland have sometimes used as “unofficial national anthems”, the most common being “Scotland the Brave” (a traditional melody (sheet music) with lyrics writted by Cliff Hanley in 1950). “Scotland the Brave” was used as the Scottish anthem at the Commonwealth Games until 2010 (when it was replaced by “Flower of Scotland”) and is most commonly heard on the bagpipe, the Scottish national instrument.
When the Scottish Parliament was opened in 1997, another “national song” (“A Man’s A Man for A’ That” by national poet Robert Burns) was used, which isn’t usually presented as a Scottish anthem. The choice of this song may have been to duck the controversy of choosing one of the previously mentioned “national songs” as an official regional anthem, or by using “God Save the Queen” (the anthem of the United Kingdom, of which Scotland is a part).
Scotland the Brave
