MacDonald of Clanranald (1914)

[Nathan]

So I'm not sure how a bardic quote about a crimson and pink tartan would be supportive evidence for this orange-red, green and black tartan. Mackay cites a portrait of a man in a Rob Roy MacGregor tartan and a reference to a crimson tartan as evidence of the age of this pattern. Is it any wonder I'm scratching my head? What am I missing here?

[Domehead]

This is why deconstructionists stick strictly within the confines of text exposing trace.
Down with Historic, Autobiographic, Biographic or Agro-Martial Sociolinguistic context muckin' up the works! (he said, slowly withdrawing the tongue from his cheek).
I'm returning to the back of the room, now.

Seriously, I am of the opinion that the deconstructive research approach dovetails nicely with text based tartanology, for this very reason. Certain individuals, such as Mr. MacDonald, M.A.C. Newsome, James D. Scarlett, Donald W. Stewart & Progeny, can use different research methods due to proximity and access to material many of us can only dream of.

However, these circumstances should only change the nature of "education" one can achieve. It is possible to arrive at very similar conclusions so long as one is comfortable "peeling back layers of onion, finding no core". This is the nature of tartanology. Everything is based on a preponderance of evidence, revealed most linearly & logically, achieving much greater understanding, but ultimately ensuring a new bank of inquiry.

Just my thoughts on how I approach this field and this brilliant conversation you've been having.
Thanks to you both, by the way.
Ryan

[Nathan]

Thanks to you as well, Domehead. There are so many strands to examine including military and noble procurement bills of sale, portraits, fragments, letters, poems etc...

Add to this the fact that I've never encountered a field of study more riddled with misinformation and romantic invention than the Romantic history of Highland garb.

I'm far from an expert on tartans but I am a student of Highland history in the broader sense. I had someone insist to me that prior to the '45, only the great kilt existed and that the little kilt was an invention by either an English tailor or Sir Walter Scott.

I found it curious, therefore, that the filleadh beag is specifically named and prohibited as an item of Highland attire in the Act of Proscription. There are also letters from Highland soldiers fighting in Lower Canada in 1755 complaining that the filleadh beag was not really designed for Canadian winters.

Fun times indeed.

[Nathan]

This is why deconstructionists stick strictly within the confines of text exposing trace.

Hey Ryan,

Can you provide more details about what this means exactly?

Cheers,

N

[creagdhubh]

A most intriguing and excellent conversation/thread to follow!

[Domehead]

Hey Ryan,

Can you provide more details about what this means exactly?

Cheers,

N

Nathan,
Initially, let me apologize for my considerable delay. I simply didn't realize you'd asked.

Part I

Based on my formal education and practical application there of, Deconstructive Literary Criticism is premised on two fundamental things:
A. The text only
B. The repetitive idea which illuminates itself throughout that text, called Trace

A. & B. will exist out with the author, meaning the following...
Prose of all forms & Poetry of all styles are wrought of two things:
1. Subjectivity
2. Edit

The reader can only interpret what has been presented to them, and they bring with them the very same subjectivity & edit.
So, it is incumbent upon the reader to discipline themselves to remain as "objective" as possible. Here is an example which has stuck with me for many years...

One can find many educated, well constructed, highly sourced - both critically & psychoanalytically - essays re: the autobiographic nature of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
They center around the character Hamlet: his gender, neuroses, depression, border-line socio-pathology and are subsequently equated with William Shakespeare's biological son named Hamnet, whom suffered from many of the same maladies.

However, lest any reader over any period of time was at the desk while Bill's iambic-pentameter got penned, no-one knows exactly what was the motivation.
As well, one cannot arbitrarily render "Critical Analysis of Shakespeare" from one century as "better than" that of another.
So the deconstructionist attempts to react to "facts" as they are revealed in the text alone...free from subjective contextual information.
If those subjective contextual influences are, in fact, significant - their impact will be revealed throughout the text, repeated over & over & over again as Trace.

Part II

How this relates to Tartanology?

For me, the "text" is:
The entire 19th century canon (The 1819 KPB to H. Whyte & W.&A.K. Johnston's Library Edition (1892-1906).
All the Pattern Books & Ledgers (Scot Adie, J. Claude Friese, William Wilson 3 & 4, HSL through to STS)
All Tartanology Experts (P.E. MacDonald incl. his essays, M.A.C. Newsome, J.D. Scarlett, J.C. Thomson, William & Donald Stewart, et al)
Tartanologically influential works (Frank Adam, James Logan, Martin Martin, Dr. Phillip D. Smith, Roddy Martine, Romily Squire & Gordon Teale, etc.)
Period Pieces & Historic References (Lord John Murray, 4th Duke of Athole's Diary of the Royal Levee, 1822; the Rev.'s Angus & Archibald MacDonald's The Clan Donald, etc.)

The "Trace" are repeated, factually corroborated evidences contained there-in which, through shear preponderance, forms logical & sourced judgments about Authenticity or Credibility of setts. One must recognize, from a deconstructive perspective, we are only peeling back layers to an obfuscated onion which in-turn reveals new "Trace".

As an example, I have been working and re-working, as objectively as I can, a detailed thesis re: the Robertson of Struan 1816.
I completely analyze, cite & source the following:
a. The two sett variants
b. The colourway
c. The sett construction and its relation to the MacDonald Motif
d. The sociological phenomenon nurture, relocation and "groupishness"
e. The Scots Law re: Surname of Place
f. A linguistic explanation of Compound Plural nouns & its relation to Self-style versus Peerage
g. Early Donnachaidh origins from Somerled to Angus Mor to "Duncan" of the mainland
h. The various MacDonald allies whom bear tartan with conspicuous MacDonald motif per P.E. MacDonald's theory on regionality in design
I. Those same allies association with various Stewarts and their association with Atholl and Donnachaidh.

All this, in an attempt to logically & analytically explain why:
This sett was submitted to the Highland Society of London, 1816 tagged "Robertson of Struan"; a Robertson re-colouring of the Kingsbury sett; yet with a green / blue ground & scarlet over-stripes.

I am just about finished, as I've discovered some new information which I feel obligated to address.
That being said, I'm comfortable with not only with criticism of my work, but hopefully any subsequent analysis which comes from the paper.
After all, If I've done my job, there is a "Trace" to be followed & analyzed which will pulverize my effort, but lead to more truth.

[figheadair]

In recent correspondence Clanranald confirmed he and his family wear the red sett "more by dint of having been given a kilt and Plaid by the Edinburgh ClanDonald Society than by any research down to me". This then appears to be the basis for the modern attribution of the tartan as the Chief's sett.

It's a lovely sett, exactly how old is impossible to tell without finding the plaid quoted by MacKay but there is no historical or etiqutte reasons why it should not be worn by anyone that wishes to.

[figheadair]

I'm working on the outline paper that will pull together what is known about this sett.

[Nathan]

I can't wait to read it, Peter. I'm sure it will be illuminating as always.

Nathan

[figheadair]

So I'm not sure how a bardic quote about a crimson and pink tartan would be supportive evidence for this orange-red, green and black tartan. Mackay cites a portrait of a man in a Rob Roy MacGregor tartan and a reference to a crimson tartan as evidence of the age of this pattern. Is it any wonder I'm scratching my head? What am I missing here?

Nathan, you've got to the heart of the problem. Without evidence of the supposed actually plaid then it's a case of of poor deduction or wishful thinking on MacKay's part.