CLAN TARTANS.

[Miah]

Thats the point

If people are giving you heck because of that point, then they are in the wrong.

somebody is going to question your right to wear it more then likely, thankfuly nobody ever questions me.

[Casey]

Ham,

As far as I'm concerned, you can consider yourself an honourary Canadian. After all, we have the same monarch.

Casey

[lrpddrummie]

Since the topic is out there I thought I would put in my two cents also. I am not real hardcore about the wearing of tartans but I do feel the tartan you are wearing should have some meaning. Don't wear it just because it has pretty colors. I wear my tartans with a great deal of pride, pride which was passed to me from my father, grand father, and great grand father. If pretty colors are your only motivation for wearing a tartan then I may have any issue. Like many of you have said, I agree that if you are wearing it you show know what it means. I am not saying spout an encylopedia's worth of information about it but at least know something. As somebody who has relatives whom are in Scotland and speaks and sees to them on a regular basis, I have found that there has been a loss of tradition and sence of heritage in Scotland, not unlike what is going on in Ireland. So by wearing our tartans with meaning and pride we can salvage our heritage and continue to pass it on to our children and grand children. On the positve side, from my personal experience, like Ireland there seems to be a resurgence of culture (music, history, heritage) among young adults in Scotland and around the world, so why not promote the kilt, and wear it proudly.

[macwilkin]

Well said, sir! Good on ya!

Cheers,

T.

[arrogcow]

Out of curiosity, what are the "Rules" for wearing a clan tartan? According to books I have seen, I am supposed to wear the Aberdeen district tartan (last name is Duke). However, I have ancestors that are Wilsons, Thompsons and Robertsons (that's what I know off the top of my head) that all have clan tartans). Can I wear any on them? Only the ones on Dad's side (and obviously they all have a matralineal link somewhere since my last name is again Duke)? Ane then which one, since all of the clans mentioned above have 6-8 different tartans. Frankly the only actual Scottish ancestor I know about had the name Toullous, and he came to the US in 1649, so who knows what clan that may be a part of.

I do have a great kilt in the Aberdeen (interesting note, this tartan is so complex, that it can't be pleated to Sett or Stripe, all you can do is make the horizontal lines straight). My dress tartan is Montegomery, and that was because Thomas Gordan had it in my size, and sold it to me cheap the last time I was in Glasgow.

Adam

[macwilkin]

There are no "rules" per se, regardless of what the purist will tell you, only customs and traditions regarding which tartan to wear.

The best explanation comes, IMHO, from two web sites:

http://www.albanach.org/

See the articles:

What's the "Official" word on tartans?
Matthew Newsome's Patented Advice for first time kilt wearers

(Honestly, I am not Matt Newsome's press agent; he just does a fantastic job explaining all things tartan!)

www.tartansauthority.com

Hate to take the easy way out, but these sites explain it far better than I can, and Matt makes his living at this very thing, so he might as well get the credit for the work.

Cheers,

T.

[Kilted Kit]

I'm new to this form and would like to comment on the subject of the 'correct tartan' and what is correct.
As a kilt wearer for about 20 years,I've found the most vociferours advocates of "correctness' rarely,if ever,wear a kilt. Further, many of them claim anglo-norman ancestry. Their forebears would be spinning in their graves to see them in a kilt:the garb of the wild and renegade Highlanders.

[macwilkin]

Further, many of them claim anglo-norman ancestry. Their forebears would be spinning in their graves to see them in a kilt:the garb of the wild and renegade Highlanders.

Considering the kilt wasn't around at the time of the Anglo-Norman "invasion" of Scotland, I doubt they'd do much spinning! :mrgreen:

In all seriousness, the Anglo-Norman families -- The Bruces, Cummings, Sinclairs, Hays, etc. -- had already assimilated into Scottish society long after the appearance of the first kilt in the 16th century.

Also, many of the Highland Clans have Norse ancestry, and the Normans (Northmen) were descendants of Vikings who settled in Northern France (Normandy) -- The Normans were known for their fighting ability and established a warrior class, and also introduced fuedalism to Scotland (and England for that matter).

In Ireland, the Anglo-Normans who landed with Strongbow in 1169 assimilated with the Irish rapidly, and many "Irish" surnames are actually Norman in origin -- the clue is the prefix "Fitz" in a surname, such as Fitzwilliam, Fitzgerald and Fitzpatrick. Fitz means "son of", like "Mac", etc.

Now Lowlanders in kilts -- practically unthinkable in the 16th - 18th century, but nowadays, many Lowland families have their own tartans and see the kilt as a "Scottish" symbol, and not just belonging to the Highlands.

Cheers,

T.

[bear]

I wear whatever tartan pleases me. I'm an S.O.B and don't much care who thinks I shouldn't wear something, whether it's a kilt or a tartan.
The same people that tell me my socks are not the right colour, or my pin is too low on my kilt are the people that will tell me a solid coloured kilt is not a kilt, or anything less than 6 yards is a skirt.

As Number 6 said, "... I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered! My life is my own."

[Graham]

Bear, I don't think james is suggesting that your choice of garments should be curtailed in any way, I think he's referring to having a greater appreciation for the clan tartans and their origins.

Well I think so anyway, if he comes back and responds we might know more!!!hint hint, James, are you there....