Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

(Mort-hede,) Mort-heid, -head, n. [Mort n. Only Sc.] A human skull, a death's head. 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xv.
To the which vse S. Jerome made his mort-head to serue 1609 Garden Garden 37.
Mark this mort-head and your ensewing ends 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1964) 242.
'Tis as the constrained grinning of a mort-head

b. A representation of a human skull, esp. as the symbol of mortality. 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 359.
For half ane quarter quhit sating to be the mort heids iiij s.; Item, to the broudstar for wourking of the mort heids vj s. 1592 Edinb. Test. XXIV. 214.
My staf with mortheid 1622 Sc. Ant. XIII. 162.
The gumpheon of state which was a morthead painted in black tefety 1635 Balfour Her. Tracts 116. 1643 Funeral Acc. in Berw. Old Doc. 1 May.
The busking of the … mort claithe with the armes and mort heidis tuentie four armes and tuelff mort heidis all on sateine 1646 Edinb. Test. LXII. 294 b.
Ane ring sett with ane littel diamond stone & inamblit within with ane mort heid 1665 Inv. of Pictures in Clerk of Penicuik MSS. (Reg. H.) 6 (1 Jan.) .
Ane anual silver plait on which thar is a mort head & a sand glass with 2 wings grawen about it 1671 Reg. Panmure I. xlv.
For painting of two morte heads for the lozen armes £2/8s. 1682 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. II. 26. 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 350. 1695 Ib. II. 234. 1699 Wemyss of Bogie MSS. 1699 Misc. Maitl. C. II. 234.
The decencie and ornament of a border of skeletons, mortheads and other emblems of mortality

c. transf. A funeral banner with a death's head worked on it. c 1678 Reg. Panmure I. lxvi. n.
His owne armes, the armes of the sea, both impaled together, and the great gomphion or morthead