Interesting Article

[tulloch]

This is my daily "...a day never goes by without learning something interesting on X Marks" post!

Hear hear! This has been most enlightening. Thanks for the input.

[Dall_Piobaire]

Now, as I recall, the Picts fought completely naked, were often heavily tattood, as well as painted blue in the entirety, and were ferocious warriors. I wonder what influence the Roman soldiers had on their lifestyle, the Roman uniform was, unless I am mistaken, very kiltlike!

I also found the enthusiasm for headhunting interesting, so many similarities to tribes of the S.Pacific. Has there ever been a connection or link found between the symbology used, and that used by other tribes in other parts of the world.

The Braveheart thing...Hmmm, rightly or wrongly it brought great attention. But, in fact,a documovie could have been much more interesting as so many things were really going on. The Burce and the Baliels, The real Wallace etc. Does the movie do more a disservice?

[Woodsheal]

The "nakedness" attributed to the Picts and other Celtic foes of the Romans should really be interpreted as "without armor" or perhaps "bare chested." Odd, since the Celts developed and used chain-mail!

As for medieval Scots: tartan kilts or belted plaids ("great kilts') - NO! Tartan cloaks or mantles - YES!

In Blind Harry's chronicle of William Wallace, Wallace is mocked by some Englishmen for wearing an "Irish" cloak, "Irish" being the sassanach term for all things Gaelic. Other period sources mention the colorful striped and checked (tartan!) mantles of the Irish and Highland Gaels of those times....

[Jack Daw]

The article may be new, but the new history has been known for awhile.

[Tony Miles]

What would really be cool is to see an artist's rendition based on the available history - It might require more than one interpretation but it would be interesting

[Morris at Heathfield]

Something like these?:

The Scottish and Welsh Wars

Stirling Bridge and Falkirk

Bannockburn

Otterburn

Flodden

Scottish Renaissance Armies

Not having read any of them, I won't vouch for them. But they can hardly do worse than Hollywood, and I haven't noticed any kilts on the covers.

[macwilkin]

Something like these?:

The Scottish and Welsh Wars

Stirling Bridge and Falkirk

Bannockburn

Otterburn

Flodden

Scottish Renaissance Armies

Not having read any of them, I won't vouch for them. But they can hardly do worse than Hollywood, and I haven't noticed any kilts on the covers.

Osprey books are generally reliable; I'm not as familiar with these particular titles as I am others, but on the whole, I'd give them a good to very-good rating.

T.

[St. Amish]

...poor clansmen dyed the linen with horse urine...

That must have been a unique smell by the end of thee day.

[sharpdressedscot]

Good read, answered a lot of my questions and doubts.