"ENTITLEMENTS"

[macwilkin]

I'm one of those American mutts who has no strong ties to any clans, but wears the kilt proudly anyway. So much of our modern kilt wearing traditions were born out of the romantic period of Scottish nostalgia that are perhaps not healthy traditions to have if we want to encourage the general populace to accept the kilt as an every day garment. The true history, though perhaps not as rigorous in rules and restrictions, tells the story of a more practical garment that just about anyone could wear, and in any tartan they wanted.

It seems to me that if we are to bring back the kilt as a daily garment, we ought to be reaching back to the time when it was a daily garment as opposed to the strict traditions put out there when it became a costume for formal occasions.

There seems to be a recent trend to "bash" traditions & traditionalists, especially when it comes to kilt wearing. Not everyone who wears a kilt chooses to wear it everyday, or in a more casual way. In my opinion, they are just as much "legitimate" kilt wearers as those brave souls who venture out into the world everyday in their kilts. Both individuals are worthy of mutual respect as well as the traditions, even though you may not agree with or practice them.

Generalizations are a dangerous medium to work in. Many of our "traditions" in kilt-wearing come from the Highland Regiments of the British Army, and for years (up until 1939, really), the kilt was not only a ceremonial "uniform", but also worn by serving soldiers in the field, and "field expedient modifications" were quite common. In fact, one could argue that without the traditions & customs of the Highland Regiments, we might not even have the kilt at all, since they were the only place one could "legally" wear a kilt during the Act of Proscription. Regimental traditions (especially in regards to Scottish regiments) inspire troops in the field and maintain morale -- witness the recent conflict in the gulf when the pipers played as the coalition forces went into battle -- some would say it served no purpose in modern warfare, but once again, the pipes made the soldier's back straight as a ramrod, and the enemy cower in fear.

Many traditions (not just in kilt-wearing) are things that were practical in the past & have now become ceremonial to remind us of where we came from. One example that comes to mind is the bugle call "Taps" (the British/Commonwealth" equivalent is "Lights Out") -- the American bugle call "Taps" was (and is) the last call of the day to let the troops know it it is time to "hit the sack". Over time, the call became associated with military funerals and is now part of the ceremony of a military burial service, yet it can still be used for its primary purpose. A tradition with a practical side as well. btw, "Taps" itself comes from the Dutch phrase "Tap-Toe", which became Anglicized as "Tattoo", which refers to a military musician letting the publicans know when to "turn off the taps" and send the soldiers back to barracks -- a practical signal which later became a ceremonial parade such as the Edinbrgh Military Tattoo and others around the world.

One must also recognise the efforts of overseas expat societies in preserving Highland attire. Many Scots adopted the kilt & its traditions as a way of maintaining a link to their homeland which they left in the 19th century. In these instances, the traditions kept a link to the past. Are some traditions "romantic"? Yes, but I think in this "modern" world where utilitarianism and technology abound, a little romance is a good thing now & again.

I am a self-proclaimed "bluff old traditionalist", so I am a bit biased.;) I wear my kilt not as a way to get the general public to accept it, or even adopt it en masse, but as a way to show my pride in my ancestors and the contributions the Scots have made to my nation, as well as to the world in general. I really don't give a fig what the general public thinks one way or the other. In the words of the poem "The Little Red God":

[He] wears the clothes he likes to wear, never dreaming that people stare.

Cheers,

Todd