The Single Eagle Feather

**Spartan Tartan** · 12th August 13, 02:03 AM

...so legal issues aside, COULD someone who merits a single feather wear it with their clan badge or would the wear it with their armiger's badge?

**Father Bill** · 12th August 13, 05:03 AM

I dunno, folks... but any feather I might ever wear would immediately identify me as... a turkey! I'd be identified as a bird of "pray."

**JohntheBiker** · 12th August 13, 06:22 AM

Originally Posted by Spartan Tartan

...so legal issues aside, COULD someone who merits a single feather wear it with their clan badge or would the wear it with their armiger's badge?

As I understand it, being an armiger does not automatically make you an armiger of a particular clan. Consequently, you ought not to wear a single feather with your clan badge, even if you are an armiger, unless the niceties have been worked out with the clan chief and the Lord Lyon.

**MacCathmhaoil** · 12th August 13, 06:23 AM

Those who have a grant of arms are proud of the achievement and/or those of our ancestors and the history associated with them that they would not consider wearing a feather on any but their own crest. As to the actual wearing of feathers many do as Alex have done and have them added to or cast with their crests, some do wear actual feathers although many now are dyed turkey feathers to avoid any legal issues.

**auld argonian** · 12th August 13, 06:53 AM

Originally Posted by Hawk

Let me add just a tidbit of info here in reference wearing one here in the "states".
Unless you are an Indigenous Tribal person and have the right to have with you or use a Eagle Feather in the practice of your tribal religion/traditions, you can be fined ($10,000 plus) and even jailed for possessing one. So, simply, unless you are in the above category, don't even consider it. On the other hand, if you have a representation of a eagle feather ( ie, artificial/faux ) that's up to whatever cultural rules that apply to you otherwise ( ie, Scottish, Wales, French, Australian, or whatever...).

Just my 2 cents as a traditional native man.....

Hawk

While out on a hike last week we found a feather on the ground that may have been an eagle feather. Jokes all around about the legal penalties just for picking it up! My daughter mentioned that even for Tribal Members the DFW policies are stringent and take a very long time to complete....like months and possibly years.

Best

AA

**Harold Cannon** · 12th August 13, 07:27 AM

To answer your question yes you could wear a feather with a clansman crest badge. I will post a scan I have from the Lyon office that covers this subject this evening when I get home.

As to legal feathers.... You can get custom colored eagle feathers from www.realleagalfeathers.com.

They use feathers from birds that are not protected and custom hand color them. I own four of their feathers and they are great.

As to the reason for using real feathers, they make you easy to see so that in battle leaders could be found or in a crowded event you can be seen.

**creagdhubh** · 12th August 13, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by Harold Cannon

To answer your question yes you could wear a feather with a clansman crest badge. I will post a scan I have from the Lyon office that covers this subject this evening when I get home.

As to legal feathers.... You can get custom colored eagle feathers from www.realleagalfeathers.com.

They use feathers from birds that are not protected and custom hand color them. I own four of their feathers and they are great.

Quite right, Harold. However, I would also recommend that only an armiger wear a single eagle feather, whether it is an actual, tall feather, or the smaller, silver version already cast with the armiger's circlet (bonnet badge), is a matter of personal preference.

http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/242.html

According to The Court of the Lord Lyon:

"Armigers

A person who has registered his or her own coat of Arms and Crest, or inherited these according to the Laws of Arms in Scotland from an ancestor who had recorded them in the Lyon Register, may wear their own Crest as a badge:

• either on its Wreath, Crest Coronet or Chapeau,
• or, as is more usual, within a plain circlet inscribed with his Motto.

An armiger may also choose to wear instead the Crest badge of his Chief if the armiger is a clansman. An armiger is entitled to one silver eagle's feather behind the plain circlet, and if he is also a Peer he may add his appropriate coronet of rank on top of the circlet."

The Clan Macpherson Association actually has quite a few armigers among its ranks, to include my good friend, Sandy Macpherson of Edinburgh. Despite being a Scottish Armiger, thus having his own crest, he chooses to wear a vintage (well, not so vintage when he first acquired the badge in new condition when he was a young man!) Macpherson clansman's badge with his tall eagle feather tucked behind. See below right:

Even Clan Macpherson Chieftains, such as the late Euan Macpherson of Glentruim, wore his eagle feathers (two in this case, since Glentruim was a Chieftain of a leading cadet branch of the Clan Macpherson - his son, Lachlan has now taken on his late father's mantle) with a Macpherson clansman's badge instead of his own crest, which could have been in the form of a plain circlet, a circlet with two silver eagle feathers, or just his crest and wreath.

Cheers,