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The Fleming crest, originating with the Fleming’s of Biggar, consists of a goat’s head and the motto ‘Let the Deed Shaw’. Both motto and crest were recorded in the Workman’s Manuscript of 1565-6 for Lord Fleming.
The goats head is rare in Scottish heraldry and a slight puzzle. James Coats’ 1725 Dictionary of Heraldry describes the goat as a symbol of ‘lasciviousness and wantoness, and represents a Harlot, because the Goat does much mischief with its teeth, gnawing and destroying the trees and plants, and so the harlot does no less harm to men, by alluring them with her mouth to ruin. For this reason it is hard to guess what motive induced those who took them for their arms, unless it were to denote that they had subdued their passions, or that they had conquered some wicked enemy, who was subject to such vices as the goat is.’
With this in mind, it is perhaps significant that the goat of the Fleming crest is, in heraldic terminology, ‘erased’ meaning its is shown with ragged edges as if it had been chopped off. So what we may be seeing here is the conquering of the wanton goat, rather than identification with it. Still there are some good qualities associated with goats, not least their wilfulness, strength and bravery, so there could be both meanings here.
As such the motto fits in with this motif, let the deed of defeating the bad speak for itself. It’s not clear if this refers to a specific event. The most famous thing it may refer to is Sir Robert Fleming’s (sometimes Malcolm) involvement in Robert the Bruce’s murder of John Comyn at Dumfries in 1306. Fleming was the first to offer Bruce assistance and was later rewarded for her service. It may be the goat refers to Comyn, although this is just speculation – it may just refer to a general overcoming of evil.
