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These Acts establish how one
can acquire arms, matriculate arms and establish penalties for misuse of
arms in Scotland. It should be noted that in Scotland, a coat of arms
belongs to a single individual at a time and there is no such thing as a
"Family" coat of arms or crest. If a person uses the arms of someone else
in Scotland, he or she is usurping those arms and the Procurator Fiscal of
Lyon Court can prosecute the offender in court. And it is the Procurator
Fiscal who goes after the culprit – not the owner of the arms.
Outside the jurisdiction of the Lord Lyon, it is in the worst possible
taste to pretend that someone else’s Scottish arms are your own, although
many people do not realize that this is the case. The best modern analogy
is identity theft. Arms were the symbol of a person’s identity back in the
days when most people were illiterate; likewise, they had an important use
on the battlefield (Who’s my ally in this fight? Oh, I see his banner!)
and at great gatherings. To use someone else’s Arms was a great insult and
downright dangerous, and the reaction was at least as strong as anyone
would feel now if his identity was stolen by hackers.
The basic or undifferenced arms and crest are the property of the Chief of
the clan or name. The Scottish system of armorial differencing
distinguishes the arms of various individuals, and identifies the Chief,
Chieftains, and cadets of each organized name. Although a coat of arms
belongs to a single individual and is the mark identifying that
individual, most coats of arms for persons of the same surname will bear
some resemblance to the arms of the Chief. A trained eye will recognize
how individuals are related by observing their arms.
Although the Scottish system of heraldry reaches back to the Middle Ages,
it is possible to obtain authentic new Scottish arms, as well as to
establish the right to use the arms of an ancestor. Members of our society
can tell you how a person may obtain Scottish arms of his or her own, and
can even help you to do so. Every member of the Society of Scottish
Armigers has been recognized by the Court of the Lord Lyon in Scotland and
has “Ensigns Armorial” (i.e., a coat of arms) recorded in the Public
Register. Each member is eager, willing and qualified to speak at events
on a variety of topics involving Scottish heraldry, customs and
traditions.
You can obtain more information about armigers living in your area and how
to arrange for their attendance at your event by contacting the Society of
Scottish Armigers. |
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