St Kilda Kilts & Scottish Gifts

The Brodies are one of the most enduring laridly families of Scotland, with an impressive castle not far from Inverness. Here in their crest we have a bunch of arrows being held firmly by a hand. There’s usually three arrows shown, although the blazon just says a ‘bunch’, so it’s not clear if there’s any significance to the precise number. The mid-twentieth centiry Carrick version of the crest, below, has five arrows for example. This crest is similar to the Cameron one (which always has _precisely _five arrows), and probably has a similar meaning (underlined here by the motto) of the importance of individuals joining together for a purpose – ‘unite’. The arrows will also be a nod to aristocratic hunting, the implications being that the lands of Brodie are plentiful. 

It is not quite clear when this crest came into use, although it was registed by Alexander Brodie of Brodie after he was apointed Lord Lyon in 1727. An armorial panel on Brodie Castle of 1602 featuring a full coat of arms does not show a crest on its helm. The crest was certainly in use by 1725, when it was recorded in Nisbet’s System of Heraldry. Archery as a sport saw a resurgence in Scotland in the second half of the seventeenth century, so it may be the arrows reflected this renewed passion. 

There does not seem to be any historical note of whether unite is informed by a particular historical incident, or just a generally evergreen piece of good advice. Alexander Brodie of Brodie was a politician during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in the mid-seventeenth century, and was summoned by Oliver Cromwell in 1651 to negotiate a Union between England and Scotland, although Brodie resisted getting too close to Cromwell. It may be unite has the symbolism of the Union of Scotland and England (and Ireland if we think of specifically three arrows), although this theory may be a stretch.

The old Carrick version of the Brodie Crest, which features five arrows.

MKP 20 August 2020