In my defens God me defend facts for kids
"In my defens God me defend" is an old Scottish motto. It means "In my defense, God defend me." This special phrase is found on the royal coat of arms for Scotland. It is also on the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom when it is used in Scotland. Sometimes, you will see a shorter version like "in defens" or "in defence." In Scotland, this motto is usually placed above the crest on a coat of arms.
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History of the Scottish Motto
The motto "In my defens God me defend" has been used for a very long time. It was first adopted during the time of the Stewart dynasty, a famous Scottish royal family. We know for sure it was used by the reign of King James IV (1488–1513).
At first, this was the only motto connected to Scotland's royal arms. You can see a shorter version, "In my defens," on the royal arms of King James IV. There's even an old embroidered wall hanging with these arms at Stirling Castle.
Later, in 1542, a shorter form "in defens" appeared in a book of Scottish arms by Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount. This shows how the motto changed slightly over time.
An Old Scottish Prayer
The motto is also part of an old Scottish prayer. Many versions of this prayer start with the line "In my defens God me defend." One example is:
In my defence God me defend
And bring my soul to ane good end
When I am sick and like to die
Father of Heaven have mercy on me.
Another version of the phrase, "Be my defens God me defend forever more," was carved on old Scottish knives called Ballock knives. One such knife from 1624 is now in a museum in Chicago.
Scotland's Second Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit
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During the reign of King Charles II (1660–1685), another motto was added to the royal arms used in Scotland. This new motto was in Latin: Nemo me impune lacessit. It means "No one provokes me with impunity" or "No one attacks me unpunished."
This Latin motto belongs to the Order of the Thistle. The Order of the Thistle is Scotland's highest chivalric order, a special group of knights and ladies. This motto appears on a blue scroll on the coat of arms. Before this, only the collar of the Order of the Thistle was shown on the arms.
Why Two Mottos?
King Charles II added Nemo me impune lacessit to make the Scottish royal arms similar to his royal arms used in England. The English royal arms had two mottos: "Dieu et mon droit" (French for "God and my right") and "Honi soit qui mal y pense" (Old French for "Shame on him who thinks evil of it"), which is the motto of the Order of the Garter.
From then on, the royal arms used in Scotland and England both had two mottos. They included the motto of the kingdom itself and the motto of its main chivalric order.
Understanding the Mottos
Sometimes, people get confused about which motto is the main one for Scotland. In English heraldry (the study of coats of arms), the motto is usually placed below the shield. Because Nemo me impune lacessit is often seen below the shield in some versions, some people think it's the main motto.
However, in Scottish heraldry, the motto is traditionally placed above the crest. This means that "In my defens God me defend" is truly the original and main motto of Scotland's royal arms.
Where You Can See the Motto Today
The shorter version of the motto, "In defens," is still used today. You can find it not only on the royal arms but also on the logos of some important Scottish organizations. For example, it's on the logo of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the General Register Office for Scotland.
