I'm not a history major or anything, but I like to read a lot, and you should know your history, right? I used to date a girl who is now a history teacher as well!

The badge, well the top one is our (Ferguson familly) full coat of arms (as approved by the Lord Lyon of Scotland, King of Arms) the bottom is our clan badge.

The design on the sheild, three boars' heads or, on a blazon azure, with a buckle argent .

The blue background is said to symbolise loyalty and determination, the boar's head heraldic device also shows stubbornness and steadfastness and the buckle is similar, holding fast.

The Badge (also visible above the coat of arms) is a honey bee on a thistle ("all proper" to use the heraldic term). this is meant to tie in with the motto "Dulcius Ex Asperis" - "Sweeter through difficulty or struggle" (or "the harder the struggle, the sweeter the victory"). The honey from the thistle is sweeter than other honey, but because of the spikes it is much harder for the bee to get at the nectar, the motto implies that the honey tastes sweeter because its harder to get. Kind of like a rose being such a magnificent flower because it has thorns as well, not in spite of them.

As most of you will know the thistle is also Sctoland's national flower.

So, that's the Fergusons analysed!

Oh, Ferguson trivia, it was a "Son of Fergus" who first used the St Andrew's Cross or Saltire as a standard. According to legend, just before a major battle he prayed for an omen of succes, where upon he saw white cross against the blue sky. He took this to be a sign from God and went on to resoundingly win the battle, after which he adopted the mark as his personal standard for some time before it eventually became the national flag.

That is also why the flag in its proper colours is a very light "sky" blue, not the much darker blue you normally see these days. the darker blue is correct for the union jack.


[This message has been edited by dferg (edited 19 November 1999).]