Tartan and Heraldry
This Tartan and Heraldry section is the work of Dr Richard S. Hannah, Professor, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1 - Dr Hannah is an active supporter of the Hanna, Hannah, Hannay Clan
In early times our Celtic ancestors in Galloway, along with those in the Highlands, Ireland, and Celtic kingdoms of Cumbria, in all probability wore something in the nature of a kilt and went barelegged. This resembled the "Breachen-faile" or belted plaid and was probably in some locally woven tweed. The design would not at this period represent any form of tartan sett that we should know today and the dress would bear little resemblance to the highland dress of today.
From the 10th century onwards the people of the Lowlands tended to move from their Celtic traditions towards the more accepted English dress. By the fifteenth century the lairds of the Lowlands and Galloway were adopting the more sophisticated forms of dress of their French allies. However, by the end of the sixteenth century, Lowland lairds were wearing forms of tartan. Certainly there were Lowland families, notably the Kennedys, Homes and Leslies who have ancient tartans. The Highland lairds adopted a form of dress for riding, the trews of tartan material. (The Macquarie Dictionary defines "trews" as close fitting tartan trousers, worn especially by certain Lowlands Scottish Regiments). Lowland gentlemen seem to have followed the fashion particularly if they were attached to the Jacobite cause. At this time it is doubtful if any specific family tartan existed. It should be remembered that until recently the setts have never been formally recorded and in ancient times the variations were great.
By background both the lordships of Galloway and the A'Hannas are Celtic, and it is an interesting fact that it is in Galloway and Carrick that many of the first references in charters to clans appear. In the reign of David II we have a number of charters of the office of "Capitaneus de Clan MacGowin, 1343; Clan of Clainconnan, 1344; Clan of Kenelman, 1344; Clan of Muntercasduff."
In the time of Robert the Bruce, the Galloway clans, the MacDowalls, McCullochs, McClellans, McKies and Alhannas all supported King John Baliol, who was the representative of the old Celtic lords of Galloway through his mother, the Lady Devorguila, daughter of Alan of Galloway, last Prince of Galloway. It is possible therefore that a form of tartan was worn in Galloway in early times. In MacKenzie's History of Galloway, page 337, there is the following description of the dress of Gallovidians in early 18th century:
"The men wore kelts, or waulked plaiding coats, made of a mixture of black and white wool, in its natural state, which gave the cloth a mottled appearance. Their hose were formed of pieces of white plaiding sewed together. Their bonnets or woolen caps, which they procured from Kilmarnock, were black or blue."
It is interesting to note that the family tartan is basically a black and white base with blue and yellow lines, although one version includes a red line. Due to the fact that the Earls of Galloway have been historically Stewarts, and the clan Hannah comes from that region, we have the right to wear the Stewart tartan if we so wish.
Arms is the general term applied to the whole armorial device, and is technically called an "Achievement". These consists of the following main parts:
Sorbie: Argent three bucks' heads couped azure, collared or with a bell pendent gules.
There are special types for Royalty, Peers, Knights and Baronets, Feudal Barons, Esquires, Gentlemen.
Originally with the cloth hanging down from the helmet. Its useful purpose was to insulate the Knight from the heat of the sun on his armour. The Mantling was of the principal colours of the Family. Sorbie: Argent silver and azure (blue).
A skein of silk covers the join between the Crest and the Mantling, and consists of six alternative twists of the livery of the family Sorbie: Argent and azure.
Sorbie: A cross crosslet fitched (pointed) arising out of a crescent sable (black), is of Crusader origin derived from the plume and the reinforcing ridge of the helmet. The Ridging was cut into shapes.
Sorbie: Per Ardua ad Alta - Through Difficulties to the Highest Places.
Only granted to Peers, Knights Grand Cross, Heirs male and female of the minor Barons of Scotland, and Chiefs of Old Families and Clans.
Sometime at the beginning of organized heraldry the head of the family took part in one of the Crusades to the Holy Land. In some of the crests of the Crusaders we see the Saracen's crescent placed at the side of the coat of arms. Not so the crest of the Hannahs. The crescent in our crest is placed under the cross crosslet indicating that Knights Templar in the third Crusade defeated the Saracen. This Crest represents the third crusade and there is a tradition that a Hannah was at Acre with Richard Coeur de Lion in that Crusade.
Writing about 1700, the Herald Nisbet gives the Motto and Crest a Crusader origin. The Book of Galloway states: "A family which has dealt many blows in time of war from Flodden Field to the Gates of Rhodes, and for some such service bore heraldic device of a crescent and a fitched cross."
The use of plant badges has been common in Scotland among the Celtic Clans. Besides the Thistle of Scotland most families are linked to a plant. The Hannahs have primarily regarded their Badge as the Cross/Crosslet and Crescent (the crest of our Laird). However, there are a number of sources that support a tradition that the Periwinkle is the Plant Badge of our Clan. (The Macquarie Dictionary defines "Periwinkle" as any plant of the genus Vinca or the related genus Catharanthus, Blue Periwinkle or Pink Periwinkle). The colour from the Blue Perwinkle flower probably explains the blue on our Crest and the blue in our Tartan.