Amy MacMartin? A mini-story of clans and foxes
Should I change my last name to MacMartin? Yesterday, I came across a fox sticker and stuck it on my laptop (because I am a sticker freak). Last night, we watched Rick Steves shows on Scotland and that got me musing about my Scottish-Irish heritage and Martin name.
Martin derives from Mars and connotes warriors. The Martins of Scotland were, of course, MacMartin or McMartin, known for their strength, speed, and cunning — very foxy. We were a subset of the grand Cameron clan and claimed much of western Scotland and the islands of the Hebrides, plus the mystical Iona — divine feminine Earth worship center and home of the goddess Brigid who became St Bridgett. I am thrilled about that, and Jo Wharton would’ve been, too.
The MacMartin geographical focus was Kilmartin Glen, which has the greatest concentration of Scottish prehistoric stone monuments and historical sites — over 800 in a six-square-mile area. I have been fascinated with circle and stone sites since a young girl.All this delights me immensely! But nothing more so than the MacMartin clan iconography being focused on foxes!
“Sliochd nan sionnach – Clann Mhartainn” Race of the foxes – Clan Martin
After losing their land and population in the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, ending with the terrible Battle of Culloden, many migrated to Ireland and then on to the US, where they dropped the Mac.
