The Legend of the Thistle

The thistle is the symbol of our organization because it is the symbol of Scotland. But why was this thorny flower (some might even call it a weed) chosen as the symbol of a tenacious people? It is at least partially because of an incident that occurred many years ago when the Scottish army was fending off Viking invaders on a regular basis.

It is said that one night a group of Scottish fighting men was fast asleep in a field encampment. A raiding party of Vikings was sneaking up on them, barefoot, as was the custom. As they approached in the darkness, they trod upon the wild thistles. The thorns dug deep into the soles of their feet. Unable to control their afflicted surprise, the invaders cried out in pain, rousing the sleeping Scots. The Scottish soldiers leapt to their feet, grabbing their swords, and quickly vanquished their foes.

Thus it was that the thistle became the emblem of Scotland, bearing the motto "Nemo me impune lacessit" meaning "No-one provokes me with impunity" or as we loosely translate it: "If you tread on us we will give you pain."