colors & symbolism: any connection?

[piperdbh]

It looks like we're all in agreement here, so we'll move on to the next question:
What color(s) of dye would have been easiest/cheapest to produce in 18th century Scotland? My guess is green, brown and pale yellow, with red and true blue being most difficult/most expensive.
Any dyers here?

[macwilkin]

That being said, in a lot of modern tartan designs you will find those who design them coming up with the reason (symbols) for why they chose the colors they did. They'll say, "The green symbolize this, the yellow that..." I think this is a bad idea; that is, insisting the colors symboliz something.

I will have to respectfully disagree with Scotus, as I do not mind colour symbolism when it comes to a district/state tartan.

T.

[JolyStNicholas]

Very interesting reading, lots can be learned when we share knowledge.

thank you very much for sharing!

[Macman]

I know that for the New York City Commemorative tartan each colour represents something specific. I've also seen write-ups on some of the Canadian provincial tartans that were designed with colour representations in mind. I agree with what others have said, though, that it is a fairly recent trend.

[wvpiper]

The individual colours of a Scots tartan have no symbolism whatsoever. I should imagine that would hold true for tartans the world over.

I'm sure there is color symbolism in 'modern' tartans of states. I'm a Rotarian, I'll also venture to guess the colors in it have symbolism as well, as I can see the Rotary blue and gold in it.

That said, there is a difference in modern, hunting, weathered, and dress tartans. So if you're designing a tartan, keep that in mind. There's a good discussion of this at the Tartan musuem website, authored by Matt

[Laird O'the Cowcaddens]

Jock is right, the colours of the woven tartan were predominantly dictated by the availability of the roots/fauna etc to the weaver.

[Spartan]

In the case of some modern tartans, the designer has specified the symbolism of the colors.

See for example this registration of the Arizona Tartan >>> http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tar...s.aspx?ref=111

Otherwise, trying to read symbolism into a tartan color scheme is romanticism and futile, IMO.

[george7]

It looks like we're all in agreement here, so we'll move on to the next question:
What color(s) of dye would have been easiest/cheapest to produce in 18th century Scotland? My guess is green, brown and pale yellow, with red and true blue being most difficult/most expensive.
Any dyers here?

Tartan was invented before the advent of color (sometime in the 1950's), so I imagine variant shades of gray would have been the easiest to find.

I think red would have been an easy color to make.

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes.html

[The Celtic Gypsy]

From my own research, the colors of the tartans were almost incidental depending on where the cloth originated. The local plants used for the dying process were more the reason a color was used then any meaning. Altho i do remember reading that one Clan changed one of their setts to include more red to commemorate the loss of life in battles. But sorry to say, i can't remember which tartan it was. (I will look thru my research to locate said piece of information)

[camellid]

I asked the same question last time I was in the UK. I was told that the colors were a camo for hunting. The colors came for the area that they live in. So they could blend into the background better. That is just what I was told, not to sure if that is true or not. But, it made sense to me.

(Its not just the kilts it was all of the clothing they wore.)