Final word (I hope) on Bear-v-Newsome.

Newsome wrote "Most of our ideas about the kilt are based on myth, legend, misconceptions, and (worse yet) Hollywood."

He used as examples of myths, legends, misconceptions and Hollywood "Ask an Irishman, and he will tell you that the kilt was actually an ancient garment from Ireland and only later brought into Scotland by migrating Gaels, and moreover the Irish also invented the bagpipes, whisky, and whatever else you care to name. Ask an Englishman and he will tell you how Thomas Rawlinson, an English native, invented the kilt in the 18th century."

If you then examine this line of argument, was the kilt an ancient garment of Ireland brought to Scotland by migrating Gaels? There is virtually unanimous agreement amongst researchers that this is not true, so it's a myth or legend. Did the Irish invent whisky and bagpipes? Myth or legend again. Did Rawlinson invent the little kilt? If you've been following the line of argument the answer is obvious!

Whilst Bear readily admits he is no expert on the history of the kilt, he is nevertheless prepared to question the knowledge of someone who is the curator of the Scottish Tartans Museum in Franklin, NC, and rather than the rabid Scottish nationalist Bear suggested in an earlier post, is actually an American whose ENGLISH ancestors emigrated to America in 1812!!

Nuff said.