Would you ever wear a feather in your cap, particularly in the U.S.?

[Harold Cannon]

How did I know that you would feel that way Alan? LOL!!!

[Alan H]

Alan, I wonder if we are talking about the same three or four individuals??
Actually it's just two or three in my case. (not you Todd)
I just put 'em on the ignore list, it's like weed killer for my interweb garden.

Yeah, I did that for a while, a good long while, actually.

Thing is, whenever the topic of the "ignore" feature comes up, a lot of guys are dumbfounded that anybody would need to use it, at all. So I think....sheesh, am I THAT anal-retentive and immature that I can't deal with seeing some stuff from guys who are pompous airbags, or so grossly dysfunctional that they can't even just strap on a kilt and wear the thing without worrying themselves sick over....whatever?

So I take 'em off ignore....and then I find myself reading three sub-forums on the whole site and ignoring the rest to just avoid the annoyance..........until I come across something like this feather thread which just brings out the absolute worst in these guys. It pisses me off that I avoid the entire "Traditional Highland Wear" forum, for example, because I just don't want to see the next bloviating dump from these jerks.

So I'll probably go back to using the ignore function again.

Actually, posting here has become much more sporadic for me, now anyway. You're reading this weeks explosion, I'll probably go back to just not looking at X Marks for more than five minutes a day, again pretty soon.

[Mike_Oettle]

Come on, guys! Any minute now this thread could be closed down thanks to the blathering and insulting that is going on.
I have no idea what Todd wrote in the past, but everything I have seen in this thread has been dead straight – except where he deliberately wrote that he was putting on his “devil’s advocate hat”.
There are any number of frauds who tell you that they have this title or that.
They deserve contempt.
Alan H, you are not a fraud, but then again, nor was Todd saying you were. While he was stating fact, he was also being somewhat facetious.
You have overreacted, and I think an apology is in order.

A chief is the head of a Scottish clan. A chieftain is the leader of a major subdivision or sept of a Scottish clan. The words look almost the same, but their meaning is quite distinct.
An armiger is someone who has a coat of arms. Please note that I have not used capitals for any of these terms.
As I said before, I have a coat of arms. It happens not to be registered, so I would not presume to wear an eagle feather. If I manage to have it registered in Pretoria, I would feel myself entitled to wear such a feather. But since I simply cannot afford to pay Lord Lyon the requisite fee, I would still not be recognised as such in Scotland, and it would be out of place for me (should I ever venture there) to wear an eagle feather in that land.
But other feathers are not out of bounds, provided they are not prohibited by local law (and it would seem almost all feathers are illegal in the US).
Regards,
Mike

[Alan H]

How did I know that you would feel that way Alan? LOL!!!

Well, respect the eagle feather tradition...sure. Of course. But a turkey feather? Fer Hevvins Sake wear the freakin' thing if you want to.

If someone gets in your face about it, I've got a hammer you can borrow, to drop on their foot.

[Alan H]

Come on, guys! Any minute now this thread could be closed down thanks to the blathering and insulting that is going on.
I have no idea what Todd wrote in the past, but everything I have seen in this thread has been dead straight – except where he deliberately wrote that he was putting on his “devil’s advocate hat”.
There are any number of frauds who tell you that they have this title or that.
They deserve contempt.
Alan H, you are not a fraud, but then again, nor was Todd saying you were. While he was stating fact, he was also being somewhat facetious.
You have overreacted, and I think an apology is in order.

A chief is the head of a Scottish clan. A chieftain is the leader of a major subdivision or sept of a Scottish clan. The words look almost the same, but their meaning is quite distinct.
An armiger is someone who has a coat of arms. Please note that I have not used capitals for any of these terms.
As I said before, I have a coat of arms. It happens not to be registered, so I would not presume to wear an eagle feather. If I manage to have it registered in Pretoria, I would feel myself entitled to wear such a feather. But since I simply cannot afford to pay Lord Lyon the requisite fee, I would still not be recognised as such in Scotland, and it would be out of place for me (should I ever venture there) to wear an eagle feather in that land.
But other feathers are not out of bounds, provided they are not prohibited by local law (and it would seem almost all feathers are illegal in the US).
Regards,
Mike

You're welcome to think what you like. I'm under the impression that Todd and I are just fine with one another, and no apologies are necessary.

The last half of what you wrote is totally reasonable, makes perfect sense, is informative, and I certainly have no problem with it.

As for "contempt" for someone who invents a geneology and coat of arms, well....is 'contempt" really the right word? It might be, you might feel "contempt" for someone who did that. I, personally would feel sorry for someone who was so desperate for a title of some sort...for a coat of arms, for a feather to shore up what is probably kind of a sad little self-image. I would feel sorry for them, rather than feel contempt.

but hey...whatever.

Honestly, if the mods shut down the thread because I or anybody else is being rude, well...that's their prerogative.

--------

All right enough of this...time to go to the gym, and then help some faculty members after lunch.

[macwilkin]

You know I've read some of the comments on here and it kind of makes me sick. If I so choose to wear turkey feathers in my bonnet then I will. The United States are a free country and if I am not breaking any laws I will do as I see fit. I am not a posser in any shape form or fashion and from what I am learning the scottish took the tradition from the native americans. If I decide to honnor my ancestors by wearing my feathers (as I have for years) I dare someone to try and stop me. For those who dont like it, well get out your big girl panties and grow up. I fully believe if you are a Chief, Chieftain, or Armiger (funny two of those titles sound very familiar in the native american venacular) you have the right by tradition to wear eagle feathers but so do I as soon as I get my lisence to possess them LAWFULLY.

Just a claficiation: there is speculation that the Highland clans may have borrowed the tradition from the First Nations, but I don't think anyone has produced any definitive primary sources that confirm this theory.

T.

[macwilkin]

Come on, guys! Any minute now this thread could be closed down thanks to the blathering and insulting that is going on.
I have no idea what Todd wrote in the past, but everything I have seen in this thread has been dead straight – except where he deliberately wrote that he was putting on his “devil’s advocate hat”.
There are any number of frauds who tell you that they have this title or that.
They deserve contempt.
Alan H, you are not a fraud, but then again, nor was Todd saying you were. While he was stating fact, he was also being somewhat facetious.
You have overreacted, and I think an apology is in order.

A chief is the head of a Scottish clan. A chieftain is the leader of a major subdivision or sept of a Scottish clan. The words look almost the same, but their meaning is quite distinct.
An armiger is someone who has a coat of arms. Please note that I have not used capitals for any of these terms.
As I said before, I have a coat of arms. It happens not to be registered, so I would not presume to wear an eagle feather. If I manage to have it registered in Pretoria, I would feel myself entitled to wear such a feather. But since I simply cannot afford to pay Lord Lyon the requisite fee, I would still not be recognised as such in Scotland, and it would be out of place for me (should I ever venture there) to wear an eagle feather in that land.
But other feathers are not out of bounds, provided they are not prohibited by local law (and it would seem almost all feathers are illegal in the US).
Regards,
Mike

Mike,

No need for an apology; as Alan said, "we are good". In fact, I think I still owe him a "sandy bottoms" of my rum ration should we ever meet in person to splice the mainbrace!

T.

[Harold Cannon]

Ok there some really educated people on here so was it taken from the native americans or not? I always thought that the STA was a reliable resource.

[macwilkin]

Ok there some really educated people on here so was it taken from the native americans or not? I always thought that the STA was a reliable resource.

Yes, the STA is a reliable source -- but I believe in an earier discussion, it was a suggested theory, not a rock-solid fact, from STA Director Brian Wilton.

T.

[Harold Cannon]

Then lets find some facts. There are more educated people than me on here so surely someone knows if they took the tradition from the native americans or not. Where is Matt Newsome when you need him? LOL!!!