So in this post we're going to learn about some of the symbols of Clan Ramsay. Through these symbols we can see themes that are reflected in the lives of those who are connected to the Ramsay name. In fact we can see some of the Clan's genealogy in one of the first symbols of the Ramsay clan. The Germanic Black Eagle.
The Heraldic meaning behind the Eagle is courage, strength and immortality, with ties to ancient Greece, Rome, Germany, and Christianity. Now in the case of the Ramsay's the Black Eagle is an indicator of Norman and Germanic ties. Again Simon Ramsay, the first Ramsay of Dalhousie, was one of the Norman invaders that came with David the 1st. Now what exactly this mean? Well the Black Eagle was often used on war banners being a symbol of strength and courage, which was a common theme throughout the history of the Clan Ramsay, which is rich in military history.
From its metaphoric conception the Ramsay Clan has been involved in warfare in some sense, whether as the foot soldier, or as the general.
Now what other symbols are associated with the Ramsay Clan? Well there ore quite a few more. We can actually look at the clan badge for the next two. We see two images here in the picture.
The Clan Motto, which from its original Latin means "Pray and Work". This phrase was actually commonly used by benedictine monks, who after the tradition of St. Benedict, the founder of monasticism, prayed and worked. The second symbol is the unicorn. And no the unicorn was not real at any point in history. Or was it? Anyway, in heraldry the unicorn is actually a representation of the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary. The unicorn is a symbol of purity and virtue, legend has it that if one wanted to capture a unicorn they would need a young virgin who would appeal to the unicorn's own purity and draw it out. Now in the sense of prayer and work, well this is quite frankly the family motto, which if the meaning is known it gains relevance and therefore influences members of said family. So just think of back in the day when Latin was much more common, while you might not know as much as the priest,I bet you knew your own family motto, and that inevitably influences your actions. And as far as the unicorn goes it belies a devotion to Mary, which would not have been uncommon when heraldry was at its height of relevance. Now you might be thinking that's it, but wait there's more! A post concerning symbolism pertaining to a Scottish clan is incomplete without referencing tartan colors.
The idea behind tartan is that by the number of colors and stripes that make it up the higher ranking the family is, and by the colors you're supposed to identify their family. Now if you look at the tartan to the left you'll see the Clan Tartan, which is made up of Red, Black and White threads. In heraldry these colors have their own unique meanings. In order of importance we'll go through these. Red, symbolizes military strength. Red has always been associated with war and power, which considering that historically warfare was the family profession this being the primary color of the family tartan is fitting. Next is Black. In heraldry black symbolizes constancy and grief. And again considering the family profession, both are relevant. Finally we reach white as the last color of the family tartan. Heraldry considers white to be a symbol peace and sincerity. In some ways this could be considered a contradiction to the historic family tradition, but I think that's quite fitting actually. After all who would love peace more than a warrior?
Now the for the last of the Clan Ramsay symbols is the Blue Harebell. The blue Harebell is supposed to symbolize humility because of it's drooping petals and blue coloring. This could also be a symbol grief which would be common historically for any family that had such a prominent military presence. Now as an added fun fact Blue Harebells, or simply Bluebells as she called them were my great-grandmothers favorite flower, and she was an Owens!
Now after going over all of these symbols and their given meanings, it ultimately means nothing if I give them no relevance. In my case I do give these aspects of my heritage meaning. These meanings help shape who I am, they influence me, they give direction, but only because I allow it. So look into your own family symbols, see what they reveal to you. It might just surprise you.