Fairy Flag of Clan MacLeod

The Fairy Flag of the MacLeods is without exception the most interesting of all the clan banners, both from its age and from the traditions connected with it. It is now of small dimensions, possibly through the ravages of time, and, also, through the ravages of relic-hunting visitors, who frequently repaid courtesies and privileges by acts of vandalism. There are several traditions as to the origin of this flag, and we are indebted to MacLeod of MacLeod for the following, ” At a remote period, when an heir was born to the chief, the nurse left the child sleeping while she went down stairs to join in the festivities which were taking place to celebrate the birth of the young chief. His father sent her to bring the child to show to the clansmen assembled. She found the infant wrapped in the Fairy Flag, and when she had brought it down into the hall a chorus of fairy voices was heard singing the song of the banner, which said it was a fairy gift which would save the clan in three great dangers. The second tradition relates that one of the chiefs married a fairy and that she was only permitted to live with her mortal husband for a time, when she returned to fairyland she gave the flag to the chief as a farewell gift. It is said that Fairy Bridge, about three miles from Dunvegan, is the place where the farewell took place. The flag has twice averted a great calamity. On the first occasion the MacDonalds landed with a great force at Waternish, burnt the church at Trunipan, putting the worshippers to the sword, except one woman, who escaped with the news. The chief mustered all the men he could gather on short notice, but they were insufficient to stem the tide of invasion. He resolved, therefore, to wave the famous flag. The MacDonalds were seized with a panic, imagining they saw large reinforcements coming to MacLeod’s assistance, fled to their boats, and were cut in pieces. The bodies of the slain were placed alongside a dyke, which was then thrown down on the top of them. The battle has been called the battle of the wall. The second occasion on which it was waved was when a cattle plague was destroying the herds of the clan, and its power stayed the pestilence, but the circumstances which accompanied its being brought out the third or last time are far and away the most remarkable, partaking rather of the nature of history  than of tradition.