An attractive Scottish Thistle Sterling Silver Pendant using a traditional design featuring the Scottish Thistle, the national emblem of Scotland.It will delight lovers of all things Scottish, and the unique and turbulent history of our small country.Crafted entirely of 925 sterling Silver, it comes with a 16" Sterling Silver chain, and is shipped to you direct from Scotland, complete in a quality Black jewellery presentation box, with a leaflet explaining the history of the Thistle.It will make an ideal gift, and a lasting memento, for yourself or for someone you love.Size (approx.) - 9.0mm x 34.5mm.A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH THISTLEThe thistle is a thorny flower that grows wild in all parts of the country, and legend has it that it became the national emblem of Scotland after the Battle of Largs in 1263AD.A Norse attack force had decided on a stealthy night attack. However their leader trod on a thistle and his yell alerted the Scots, who under their king Alexander III routed them. This battle led to the ending of the Norse occupation of western parts of Scotland, and the establishment of the kingdom of Scotland as it is today. The first time a thistle was used as the special emblem of Scotland, however, was in the time of King James III, in the 15th Century.The thistle is not a useful plant, but it is tough and prickly, something you cannot simply grasp hold of and pull out of the ground like a common weed, and it became a popular badge in Scotland. While the Lion Rampant flag was grand and the Saltire Flag hallowed by long tradition, the homely thistle was something everyone could identify with.To the Scots it was a reminder that their country might not be the most rich or fertile but, equally, it was not to be grasped lightly.