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Clan MacLeod of Lewis (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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MacLeod of Lewis

Gaelic Name: MacLeòid

Clan Crest: The sun in splendor, Proper

Clan Motto: Luceo non uro (I shine not burn)

Origin of Name: Son of Leod, from the Norse ljot, ugly

Clan Badge:Red whortleberry

Lands: Lewis

Clan Chief: Torquil MacLeod of the Lewes

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MacLeod of Lewis Clan History

The MacLeods claim descent from Leod, the younger son of Olaf the Black, one of Man's last Norse kings. Leod married the daughter of Skye's Norse steward, bringing the family to Dunvegan. The clan then split into two branches: the MacLeods of Skye and the MacLeods of Lewis, known as the "Siol Torquil." Torquil, a son of Leod, was the ancestor of this branch.

Torquil MacLeod received a charter from David II in the fourteenth century for the barony of Assynt in Sutherland. This estate, along with other land acquisitions, provided the Siol Torquil with the power to rival their cousins, the Siol Tormod. They had long contested the clan's chiefship on these grounds.

The MacLeods of Lewis were a bold branch of the clan who supported Donald Dubh MacDonald's rebellion for Lordship of the Isles. When his attempt failed, the MacLeods' estates were forfeited and would not be restored for another five years.

The Siol Torquil were involved in a series of feuds with neighboring clans and members of their own clan in the sixteenth century. The main line of the Lewis MacLeods, however, became extinct in the early seventeenth century, and the chiefship of this branch passed to the MacLeods of Raasay.

Finally, the MacLeods of Lewis were forced to accept their cousins' ascendancy at Dunvegan.

MacLeod of Lewis Places & People

People of Clan MacLeod

Roderick MacLeod died in 1626.

He was the 15th clan chief and an important cultural figure of his time, known as Ruaraidh Mor. Patrick Mor MacCrimmon composed the famous "Rory Mor's Lament" about him.

Norman MacLeod was born in 1780.

He was a mesmerizing preacher who founded religious communities in Nova Scotia, Australia, and New Zealand. He had devoted parishioners who followed him all over the world.

Norman MacLeod (1783-1862).

He was a Gaelic writer who published the anthology "Carald nan Gaidheal," which was once found in every home in the Highlands of Scotland. Dr. George MacLeod (b.1895) became the Leader of the Iona Community in 1937, whose mission is to restore the buildings of Scotland's most sacred site in order to fulfill the prophecy that "Iona will be as it was" before the end of the world.

MacLeod of Lewis Tartans

Ancient MacLeod of Lewis

Lewis Modern's MacLeod

MacLeod of Lewis Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan MacLeod of Lewis Crest

Description of the Crest: The sun in all its glory, Proper

Coats of Arms for MacLeod of Lewis

A word about Coats of Arms:

A coat of arms is granted to an individual under Scottish heraldic law (with the exception of civic or corporate arms). A 'family coat of arms' does not exist. With the exceptions noted above, the arms depicted below are personal arms. Only the person who has been granted these weapons has the right to use them.