History of seal skin sporrans

[DWFII]

Doen't need to be, unless someone from the ranks of the "easily offended" rears their head. Fit2's posts have been very measured and informative, IMHO....

Well, I haven't been here as long as you have but there are a lot of "easily offended" lurking in the shadows...no matter where you go. I have been at a loss to see where a thread went wrong on many an occasions even when it was explained to me.

And I agree with you as well--I haven't been offended by anything said in this thread so far but then I've got pretty thick skin.

[Peter C.]

So it's a sustainability issue then?

No it's not a sustainability issue, it's about seals being a staple food in Northern Canada. I'm sure the Canadians are managing them so that they are sustainable and if they are being killed for food it makes sense to use the skins, as it makes sense to use pigskin and cowhide from slaughtered animals.

Peter

[The Guy in the Kilt at UC]

Back to the topic: US sporrans seem to made with bovine hide as a substitute. I've even seen them printed to look like seal. Other than being on the slightly ridiculous side, is there an aversion to going this route? I mean, why not keep things looking natural and not print the hides? I also see a lot of rabbit as an alternative to the seal cub sporran. When exactly did seal sporrans become so popular?

[Fit2BKilted]

Fit2,

I agree with you but please be careful...I sense a taboo in the offing. This is quicksand.

Indeed, I have been aware of treading the razor's edge with every posting; but, I could not suffer any myths to be perpetuated; so, I've been as sensitive as I felt I could be to both sides of the debate while presenting the facts as I understand them. I appreciate your concern and caution nonetheless. Thanks

Doesn't need to be, unless someone from the ranks of the "easily offended" rears their head. Fit2's posts have been very measured and informative, IMHO....

Thanks, Woodsheal, I'm glad I'm not just a 'voice crying out in the wilderness' It's nice to hear that one's effort has been appreciated.

BTW, as I understand it, seal meat is an acquired taste, and attempts to manufacture a 'southern' mass-market for it (canned seal) were about as doomed to failure as mass-marketing Shiokara to North Americans might be. Indeed, one of the common ways of eating it is warm ("tartar") from the freshly slaughtered animal, like Sashimi. If you were raised on seal meat, however, it seems to incite a very strong nostalgic craving that can only be properly satisfied in the Arctic Circle---since chefs who have attempted to present it in their trendy southern restaurants lately routinely received death-threats. I have yet to try it myself, although I would, given the opportunity---I can't stand to see good food wasted---just as I enjoyed stir-fried beetles at a local restaurant in Guang-Zhou when I visited friends in China last year.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Back to the topic: US sporrans seem to made with bovine hide as a substitute. I've even seen them printed to look like seal. Other than being on the slightly ridiculous side, is there an aversion to going this route? I mean, why not keep things looking natural and not print the hides? I also see a lot of rabbit as an alternative to the seal cub sporran. When exactly did seal sporrans become so popular?

According to Ruvigny's Almanac of Jacobite Papers [N.B. the parenthetical comments are in Ruvign's hand] the unpublished manuscript of which is deposited in the archives of St. Oswald's Church, in Lewes, Sussex, one finds that:

On July 27, 1744, at his Palace at St. Germain-en-Ley, in Paris, James the VIII of Scotland, the de jure king of the United Kingdom of Scotland and England, held a meeting with his privy councilors to determine, amongst other things, the dress to be worn at Court following the defeat of the German usurpers in the up-coming planned invasion of Britain scheduled for the following April. In addition to determining what the king would have that day for lunch, the king and his privy council made the following determinations:

1) The cavalry would not carry umbrellas whilst mounted. (This wise bit of advise was later revived by His Grace the Duke of Wellington prior to the Battle of Waterloo. His Grace, of course, won the battle, which proves just how wise King James's military decisions actually were.)

2) White hose were to be denied to all but churls. (Which custom carries on to this very day.)

3) Because of his Majesty's fear that, in the event the proposed war against the German usurper should have an unsuccessful conclusion, reprisals in the form of mass clearances of His Majesty's Highland subjects from their traditional homes might take place, and the hills and glens be populated with a species of sheep mockingly referred to as "four footed clansmen, jawohl!" (the king had an excellent network of spies in "high places" in London, and thus was well aware of the German plans should he fail in his attempt to remove them) the king commanded that as and from August 19th, 1745 (old calendar) the wearing of sheepskin sporrans was to be abolished, and in their place only seal skin sporrans were to be worn. (Obviously it was the king's intent to first remove the sheep, thus making it impossible for the German poseur to retaliate should the king's planned invasion fail to reach its desired conclusion.)

* * * * *

Thus it can be seen that while the official roots of seal-skin sporran wearing can be dated, possibly with some contention, to July 27, 1744, the actual practice can not be said with any certainly to have been wide-spread (within, or without, the Jacobite circles of influence) until possibly sometime after August 19, 1745 (again, old calendar).

Generally speaking, and as has been pointed out in the very learned post #14 elsewhere in this thread, I think one can safely assume that while seal skin sporrans may have been worn as early as the 16th century, the vogue for wearing the hide of the aquatic mammal whose prowess only barely eclipse those of Michael Phelps, really dates from the mid-to late 19th century, and flourished in the century that followed.

[Foxgun Tom]

The wearing of badger skin or badger mask sporrans is not illegal in UK, or banned!! If a badger is legally obtained ie: roadkill? or death by natural cause's its carcass can be mounted (taxidermy) or or made into a full mask sporran, Badgers are unique in the UK in the sense that they have! they're own specific legislation "Protection of Badgers Act 1992" If your lucky enough to come across a dead badger which is the result of a collision with a car on the highway, put it in the boot/trunk of your car and drive to the nearest police station. Give the police the details of where you found the badger, its condition and explain your intended use eg: made up into a sporran or mounted for taxidermy, The police will then issue with an incident number! you then give this document to a sporran maker/taxidermist who then informs DEFRA (the dept of the environment and farming) that the badger was legally obtained and is the result of a road traffic accident. Defra will then issue a document stating that the specimen is in the system and legal!! the taxidermist/sporran maker can then carry out his work without interference The document issued by DEFRA is given to the sporran owner as proof and right of possesion of the sporran. This only applies to specimens obtained after 1992, Earlier specimens obtained before 1992 don't require documentation. Similar legislation covers the use of Otters, Wildcats etc: These animals may not be hunted or killed and are fully protected, but if they're obtained because of road traffic accident? the law in the UK allows their use under the strictest of circumstances

Tom

I bought a seal skin sporran in 1974 in the UK. I believe badger skin was traditional for dress sporrans before that but was made ilegal in the '50s or
'6os.

Peter

[Peter C.]

The wearing of badger skin or badger mask sporrans is not illegal in UK, or banned!! If a badger is legally obtained ie: roadkill? or death by natural cause's its carcass can be mounted (taxidermy) or or made into a full mask sporran, Badgers are unique in the UK in the sense that they have! they're own specific legislation "Protection of Badgers Act 1992" If your lucky enough to come across a dead badger which is the result of a collision with a car on the highway, put it in the boot/trunk of your car and drive to the nearest police station. Give the police the details of where you found the badger, its condition and explain your intended use eg: made up into a sporran or mounted for taxidermy, The police will then issue with an incident number! you then give this document to a sporran maker/taxidermist who then informs DEFRA (the dept of the environment and farming) that the badger was legally obtained and is the result of a road traffic accident. Defra will then issue a document stating that the specimen is in the system and legal!! the taxidermist/sporran maker can then carry out his work without interference The document issued by DEFRA is given to the sporran owner as proof and right of possesion of the sporran. This only applies to specimens obtained after 1992, Earlier specimens obtained before 1992 don't require documentation. Similar legislation covers the use of Otters, Wildcats etc: These animals may not be hunted or killed and are fully protected, but if they're obtained because of road traffic accident? the law in the UK allows their use under the strictest of circumstances

Tom

Wow, great information. I was obviously wrongly informed back in the 60's.

Being unable to treat a skin myself, the animal would probably be rotting by the time I found someone to do it and if not it would be a very expensive sporran after paying someone to skin and cure the skin and then a sporran maker to custom make a sporran.

So probably not for me, but thanks for the information Tom.

Peter

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Wow, great information. I was obviously wrongly informed back in the 60's.

Being unable to treat a skin myself, the animal would probably be rotting by the time I found someone to do it and if not it would be a very expensive sporran after paying someone to skin and cure the skin and then a sporran maker to custom make a sporran.

So probably not for me, but thanks for the information Tom.

Peter

Hi Peter--
I checked with my local taxidermist and he said to skin and tan a critter the size of a badger would be about $25- $35. If you supply the hide, the cost of a sporran shouldn't be much-- if any-- more than the cost of a sporran where the sporran maker supplied the hide.

Hope this causes you to head out to the garage, hop in the family Buick, and head out into the wilds of The Volunteer State hunting for a road-kill-in-waiting critter to be turned into a sporran.

[dfmacliam]

that is quite affordable.. makes one want to look for roadkill.. for a decent sporran....LOL

[Woodsheal]

A couple of days ago I drove past a dead red-fox on a two-lane highway, and not too mangled either. I SHOULD have stopped and grabbed it...!