Who Owns the Kilt - My Personal Refelction

[Singlemalt]

I have read with great interest several threads which have come and gone recently on this forum around the kilt and attitudes about who it is appropriate for and its cultural history. I have learned a lot, I have laughed at some and, at some, got quite angry. At least a half a dozen times I started replies but then stopped thinking, who am I arguing with, why do I care?

I find myself and my attitude bobbing around somewhere in the middle of the North Atlantic. I can see and empathize with all points of view. To understand I have to bore you with a bit of my personal background. I was raised on a farm called Maple Brae, outside of the village of Cameron, on the road up to Glenarm and Argyle. The kirk in Glenarm offered services in Gaelic until the 1950's ( I know because my Grandfather conducted them). We raised Scotch Shorthorn cattle, at every fair, parade and event the local pipe band played, wearing the regional tartan. My mother made kilts for my brother and I when we were small, later I graduated into hand-me-down cadet ones, then old army surplus which I wore in University and then when I became engaged my parents had one locally made for me, in the family tartan, which I wore at my wedding 32 years ago. I have always worn the kilt in a very traditional Scottish way and mostly just for special occasions. Yet I have never been to Scotland, all of this was in rural Ontario, Canada.

I first found this forum just over a year ago when searching for some accessories for my son Alistair's wedding, he was carrying on the family traditions and wearing his kilt for his own wedding. This forum is the first place that I ever heard of Irish Kilts, Contemporary Kilts and, even more surprising to me, people wearing kilts with only the most tenuous connections to Scotland, or even none at all. My first reaction was, these people are nuts! Then I found myself a bit miffed that they would appropriate something which was so important to me, my family, heritage and tradition. I felt that they were inappropriately appropriating my culture and had no right.

However, I was not long on Xmarts before I also encountered the other point of view. I learned that there were those in Scotland who think I am nuts! That as a native born North American, by wearing, the kilt I am inappropriately appropriating their culture. I was at the same time shocked, angry and saddened. I had never thought of the kilt as national dress, it was an important element and symbol of my family and my heritage. It was disturbing to find that at least a few Scots no longer feel I am part of the family.

This has all left me rather confused. My gut and instinct is still uncomfortable with people who say they wear a kilt to honour their Great, Great, Grandfather Willie, on there mother's side, who they just found out was from Glasgow. On the other hand, I understand how it hurts to be judged so catch myself and don't comment. I have thought a lot about this issue and am no closer to an answer. I know what feels right to me but I also know I have no right to judge others. However, for some reason it was important for me to get this off my chest.

The only way I can think of to conclude this reflection is with the words of my favourite philosopher of the 20th century Popeye T. Sailorman "I am what I am, and thats all what I am."

[English Bloke]

I like how you think Singlemalt. I don't think you're bobbing about in the Atlantic. I think you are a Canadian of Scottish root and standing firmly on your own turf. No problem with that.

I'm too am of Scottish decent, but not Scottish. I wear the Kilt because I enjoy wearing the Kilt. There is an aspect of my doing this that keeps me mindful of my ethnic roots but this isn't my main motivation. I'm not trying to appropriate anyone's culture and heritage, I'm quite happy with my own.

Consequently I don't feel that I or anybody else requires special credentials to wear the Kilt. I don't regard it as iconic, to me it's another option in my wardrobe. Saying that, I do seem to have more kilt options than any other, (I have three pairs of jeans, three suits and twenty one Kilts, plus sporrans, jackets, hose, shoes, belts etc)

I think the wearing of the Kilt outside of Scotland is a good thing for a country on the cusp of maybe standing alone. It draws attention and recognition to them internationally before they even start and I am puzzled by the dog in a manger approach from some quarters, not that I let it worry me. Any publicity is good publicity in my opinion. I do get a bit miffed when people suggest I might need to re-consider what I do, especially if those comments come from the Scots themselves. I have put quite a few English pounds into the Scottish economy which can't really be a bad thing surely?... I am, you'll be pleased to hear, learning to temper my responses to the occasional insulting comment I pick up along the way (both in life and online).

I also think Kilting has made me a rounder Bloke (not in terms of needing larger Kilts you understand). I've always liked my own personal freedoms and I'm an advocate of "live and let live". I try not to judge or pigeon hole others by what they choose to wear and this extends beyond just Kilts to other forms of unusual, ethnic or religious dress. I enjoy Kilting and I have introduced others to the enjoyment of Kilts and so it goes on.

I post occasional write-ups about what I do while I'm out and about which I hope are received by similar minded people. If said folk are inclined to agree with my reasoning, they will read them and perhaps comment favourably. If they don't, they won't. Either way I'm quite happy.

I've had more positive than negative reaction to my Kilts but I'm inclined to say I couldn't give a rat's ying-yang what anybody thinks of me, especially if they are impolite about it. I shall just carry on carrying on. I'd be so bold as to suggest you do the same and not let it get to you...

[Jock Scot]

Interestingly, I think I have done the same journey as you Singlemalt, only from the other direction!

Whatever we may think, we are all the wiser by being members of a website like this, where at the very least, we are made aware that differing views, often strong ones, exist. That in my view can only be a good thing.

[xman]

When I saw the young man of Pakistani heritage at the Burnaby Highland Games who'd won the Drum Major award I realised that he has just as much right as anyone to wear the kilt and to wear it proudly. Truly, here in Canada at least, the kilt is very much a part of the national fabric if you will.

[Tartan Hiker]

Interestingly, I think I have done the same journey as you Singlemalt, only from the other direction!

Whatever we may think, we are all the wiser by being members of a website like this, where at the very least, we are made aware that differing views, often strong ones, exist. That in my view can only be a good thing.

Hear, hear!

[ForresterModern]

I think I am one of the ones who falls into the category of "extremely remote and tenuous at best" scottish heritage. My surname is a derivative of Forrester, a moderately powerful border family from way back in the first couple centuries after the Norman conquest, having become so as part of that conquest. I can trace at least my paternal line (with a few tenuous links) about 15 generations back to the first patrilineal ancestor to come to America from England, then several more generations in England before heading north to the eastern Borders area between Edinburgh, Stirling, and Berwisk/Bambrough (the scottish connection) where there were at least another 8 generations or so, then back through the Norman conquest (where the family name originated) to Flanders (another 6-8 generations) and, theoretically at least, a lot more generations deep into the French gentry to allegedly Charlemagne (yeah right, that Charlemagne---now you understand why I described the lineage as tenuous). Anyway, I believe I am probably the first and only member of my family (save my 4 yr old son) to wear the kilt in all those generations, as the Scotland Borders generations did not have a "clan" or a tartan (those were established for our "clan" in the last 50 years). So what "right" or reason do I have to wear a kilt, or in my case many kilts? Only that of an intersted person who enjoys wearing them and knowing the origins of my family name. As others have stated in other threads, America does not "own" blue jeans despite them likely being as close to our national dress as there is. Although the kilt is a national dress of Scotland and scots, it also is a piece of clothing, and a stylish and interesting one at that, and one I particularly enjoy wearing for various reasons, not the least of which is that tenuous and distant connection to the place of my surname origin. I hope I wear it in such a way as to not offend those who hold it more dearly for their own personal or national reasons, whether or not that is exactly in the style or traditon in which they might wear it.
I guess overall my view is a live and let live position, with each having his/her own opinions and reasons and interests in the kilt and its wearing, and that we cannot understand everyone's opinions and reasons sometimes, but at least we can try to, and hopefully respect and acknowledge them as valid for that person, but not necessarily all encompassing, or intentionally offensive or disrespectful of anothers views.

[Riverkilt]

Well dang, you guys are so lucky. I just wrote a really long and elegant observation and when I went to post it the website was down, couldn't get anything to happen, then it vanished into cyberspace.

Couldn't recreate it if I struggled for days.

[Joshua]

I'll admit, after I read Singlemalt's very insightful and thought out post, my first thoughts were disaster - a "Not this again!" kind of thought. You have to admit, more controversy has been spilt over this particular subject than white hose, "Jacobite Pirate" shirts, "swordsmans vests", and flat caps - combined!

Upon reading the receptive and accepting responses, my faith in humanity and especially this forum has been restored.

It's an emotional subject. Dare I say, it's the "politics and religion" subject of this forum and that is the viewpoint that I have held, i.e. "Thou shall not discuss the contempt that some Scottish natives may hold towards the Diaspora and others wearing the kilts outside Scotland, lest the wrath of Internet argument shall ensue."

I am glad to see this thread cruising carefully to calmer waters.

Thank you guys.

[Mickey]

Outside of the lineage, what Forrester said.

I also find it interesting that while the Scots are very protective of the kilt, few (from my readings here) seem to actually wear them themselves today.

Well dang, you guys are so lucky. I just wrote a really long and elegant observation and when I went to post it the website was down, couldn't get anything to happen, then it vanished into cyberspace.

Couldn't recreate it if I struggled for days.

Don't you just hate that? Happened to me more than once and it is very frustrating!

[Joshua]

Outside of the lineage, what Forrester said.

I also find it interesting that while the Scots are very protective of the kilt, few (from my readings here) seem to actually wear them themselves today.



Don't you just hate that? Happened to me more than once and it is very frustrating!

One of the main reasons why I like to type responses in Notepad and paste them into the forum.