Familypedia
Advertisement
Gillean of the Battle Axe
Residence Gylen Castle
Other names Gilleain na Tuaighe
Successor Malise mac Gilleain, son
Children Malise mac Gilleain
Bristi mac Gilleain
Gillebride mac Gilleain
Parents Rath

Gillean of the Battle Axe, or Gilleain na Tuaighe in Scottish Gaelic, (flourished 1250's) is the eponymous ancestor of Clan Maclean and Clan Maclaine of Lochbuie. He is considered the 1st Clan Maclean Chief.

Biography[]

Gilleain flourished around the year 1250. He was known as Gilleain na Tuaighe, from his carrying, as his ordinary weapon and constant companion, a battle axe. He was a man of mark and distinction. The following anecdote is related of him, which probably accounts for the origin of the Maclean crest, which consists of a battle-ax between a laurel and cypress branch, and is still used on the coat of-arms:[1]

He was on one occasion engaged, with other lovers of the chase, in a stag-hunt on the mountain of Bein 'tsheata, and having wandered from the rest of the party in pursuit of game, the mountain became suddenly covered with a heavy mist, and he lost his way. For three days he wandered about, unable to recover his route, and on the fourth, exhausted by fatigue, he entered a cranberry bush, where, fixing the handle of his battle axe in the earth, he laid himself down. On the evening of the same day his friends discovered the head of the battle-ax above the bush, and found its owner, with his arms round the handle, stretched, in a state of insensibility, on the ground.[1]

Gillean of the Battle Axe had three sons:[1]

References[]

Persondata
NAME Maclean, Gilleain na Tuaighe
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION
DATE OF BIRTH
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Gillean of the Battle Axe. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
Advertisement