What did the Camerons look like?

[lauren]

Hi
I'm new and this is my very first post. I don't know if I can consider myself a Cameron since it's so far back in my family tree (5 generations I think). I know I'm a direct descendant of Lochiel though!
Anyway I was just wondering if anyone knows what the Camerons looked like? Just out of interest really - I've never read anything saying what they looked like apart from that they were ferocious!

[SherbrookeJacobite]

The Cameron's were large, hairy, and muscular, with shaggy manes of hair and eyes that burned like fiery coals above bushy moustaches. Thick powerful furry legs and enormous feet. That is an accurate description of the women. As for the men ...

Just kidding (I hope!)

Our archives give us a romantic, and contemorary view of some of the leaders of our Clan - in " The Grameid by James Philip of Almerieclose
1691"
"...The Cameron chief himself, mounted on a grey horse,
shines in a tri-coloured tunic trimmed all round with gold lace.
A helmet covers his head, to his side is girt a double-edged brand,
blood-red plumes float on his crest. A cuirass of leather,
harder than adamant, girds his breast,
and on his left arm hangs his shield.
His tartan hose are gartered round his calf, mail
covers his shoulders,and a brazen plate his back.
All his trampings are rigid with solid brass,
and throw back to the clouds the reflected light.
His very look, so fierce, might fright the boldest foe.
His savage glance, and the swarthy hue of his Spanish
countenance, his flashing eyes, his beard and moustache
curled as the moon's horn, or the handle of the tongs, might
terrify the bands of half-human Sycambrians....

...Here, too, is MacMartin rising high above his whole line.
His dark locks hand around his face and cover his cheeks,
and his dark eyes shine like the start, while
his neck rivals the white flowers.
His father and a great force of dependants accompany him,
and an illustrious company of his brethren in
their ranks surround him on every side.
He himself in variegated array advances with lofty mien.
The garter ribbons hanging at his leg were dyed with Corycian saffron,
and with the tint of the Tyrian shell, as was his plaid.
The crest of his helmet glows with floating plumes,
and the trappings of his mounted powder-horn gleam in shining brass.
But his sister had embroidered his tunic with red gold,
and a double line of purple went round his terrible shoulders.
Mighty of limb, mighty in strength, he could uproot the old ash-tree,
or with his teeth alone tear away the hard iron.
Whenever he turns his head and neck his arms rattle,
and the hollow rocks seem to moan, and as he
treads the plain the earth groans under his weight...."

[lauren]

Wow that's so interesting! Thanks for the warm welcome guys. It's so cool to talk to people from all over the world when I'm sitting in my lounge in tiny new zealand!

[ianjonefan]

Regarding the name Cameron . This what I've found out. In Norse (viking invasion of Scotland )
Camshron ( Galiic ) crooked nose
Cameron (Spainish ) shrimp
Isn't it amazing how one word can have gifferent meanings ?

[lauren]

That's funny! I'm not sure which is worse to have as a last name...Crooked nose or shrimp...

[gaelgal]

Welcome back, John in Canada! How I have missed your informative input and your quirky sense of humor! Glad to have you back. And hey, I don't think I recognize any Cameron women like the ones you were describing.

Welcome, Lauren, to the board! New Zealand, huh? One of my co-workers is a Kiwi. Lovely lassie.

[lauren]

Hi Gaelgal Nice to "meet" you!

Just to confuse the issue, I live in New Zealand with my mum but I was actually born in Australia. My father's australian and my Camerons are on his side
So i'm an australian cameron living in new zealand...Just thought I'd point that out in case people think I'm having an identity crisis for posting on the Australian boards!

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Glad you're here Lauren.

Thanks for the welcome back Gaelgal -it's nice to be missed - and I will try to once again be a regular visitor and contributor. I am very pleased that we have a couple of prolific posters who are keeping things active here.

As for Cameron women - I was of course joking - they are the fairest lassies of them all, from a land renowned for beautiful women.

As Andy M. Stewart (the "Silly Wizard" man - not the "Donald Where's Your Troosers" man) said in his song:

[glow=red,2,300]The swan was in her movements
And the marvel in her smile
All the roses in the garden
They bow and ask her pardon
For not one could match the beauty
Of the Queen of all Argyll [/glow]

Although he doesn't come right out and say so - I just know he was singing about a Cameron lass.

Slainte,

John

[gaelgal]

You are too sweet... and of course he was speaking of Cameron women!

[lauren]

Haha well if Cameron women are attractive the men are certainly charming!

[janet]

Good to see Camerons the world over have a good sense of humour. Still better to know that men in the 21st Century can. Still quote poetry must be the Cameron blood!

[ianjonefan]

Oops another boo-boo I just found out I forgot to post what Cameron in Old Norse means . Cameron in Old Norse is Cambrun / Cambron for Crooked Hill

[ianjonefan]

Why are the Camerons so ferce ? They were taught to be that way . If treated right they're the best of friends you could ask for , but if you betray their trust WATCH OUT . The menwith eyes of black fire , Claymores , Dirks , & sgain dubhs (hoped I spelled that right ) with a blood curdling roar calling for blood of the person that betrayed them . If the person that did the foul deed happen to escape the men , they'd better watch out for the women . Especialy those with Red Hair . They're a more potent fighter than the men are . With their hair of Firery Red , their Emerald Green eyes flashing like Green lightling . An 50 lb frying pan , and a stout oaken staff is all they need to teach some people not to mess around with a Cameron !!!

[lauren]

I always wanted red hair and green eyes! They don't seem to be in my father's side of the family at all though and the Camerons are from his side! I think we must look like the germans who married the scots...The red hair and green eyes went to mum's side and they're welsh and irish!! I feel a bit jipped to be honest...It's funny though, when I was little and mum threatened to get out the wooden spoon and give me a smack I used to exaggerate and tell everyone that she chased me with a frying pan! Heehee she wasn't best pleased when the rumour reached her but the post about women with green eyes armed with frying pans struck a personal note with me!

[ianjonefan]

That makes you a true Celt . Same thing with my sister Scottish on my mother's side , Welsh on my father's side , married an Irishman . What strange is that when my nieces , and nephew was born , my oldest niece had Blonde hair , the next oldest niece had Red hair , and my nephew has Black hair. You would think she had 3 different husbands , but that's how it all turned out.

[lauren]

That's crazy! I think genetics is a fascinating subject, but unfortunately I'm not very good at it I have to study it as part of some of my science papers for university and I'd really love to learn more! It's really funny that your oldest niece has blonde hair because red hair and black hair are both dominant and blonde is recessive, but both your sister and her husband must have been carriers of the blonde recessive gene and they came together for her! Fascinating. How cool to have 3 kids all with different coloured hair!

[gaelgal]

In my family, too, Jon and Lauren. My sister and I had blonde hair and my brother, the youngest of us, was red-headed.

[alysencameron]

According to my father, who was raised in Fort William on a croft, the nose is the signifier. He had it, I have it, and his mother and sister definitely had it. It's long, narrow and and the bone is the "hook" whereby the cartilage continues to angle out and down. Our skin is fair with a slight blush and pale freckles, eyes sharp blue and hair varies in a reddish-brown. Our bones are strong and hefty and we're of average height.

When it comes to the nose, well... often when looking for one of us in a crowd we scanned the profiles and bingo! we found them. My father's mother-tongue was Gaelic and he said the name is often translated into English as "hooked", and "broken".

[laphroaig13]

Here is a link to an article on Sir Ewan Cameron with a photograph.

www.galton.org/ancestry/EwenCameron/index.html

[lauren]

Oh my! The Cameron looks are definitely watered down in me! My nose is long but it's dead straight - no hook to speak of. And my eyes are almost black! The German blood must have infiltrated haha
Thank you for the link to the article Laphroaig13 - it was really interesting. Ewan Cameron sounds like a positively terrifying man!