Absurd kilt myths

**Panache** · 15th October 07, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by fluter

Dang! Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings... a Leonard Cohen song I did not know. Thanks, Jamie!

Off Topic: Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man" is a really great album, it has the wonderful "Everybody Knows" and "Take this Waltz".

Cheers

Jamie

**ozone** · 15th October 07, 08:41 AM

Just for fun, I looked up the Lord Lyon. It's an official Scottish thing and supposedly comes from the time of Robert the Bruce. There is actually a "court" and their proceedings from the last three years are on the web page....no sign of any fines being levied for improper tartan wearing however.

Here's the link:

http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/221.185.html

Also, here's the official line from the court about tartans:

"There are no strict rules on who has the right to wear a particular tartan. People normally wear only the tartan (if any) of their surname, or a "district tartan" connected with where they live or where their family come from.

Wearing a particular clan tartan indicates that the wearer bears an allegiance to the chief of that clan. A tartan which uses the name of a clan may only do so if the chief of that clan has given his approval to the particular design.

There is no official register of tartan. Records of designs are maintained by the Scottish Tartans Authority, Fraser House, 25 Commissioner Street, Crieff, Perthshire, PH7 3A Y.

The Lord Lyon has no jurisdiction over tartan but if a clan chief wishes, the Lord Lyon will record details of specific clan tartan in the Lyon Records.

Reference may be made to the following books available in many public libraries:

* "Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands" by Frank Adam, ed. Sir Thomas Innes of Leamey (8th edition, Chapters XIll, XV, XVI, and List of Septs, pp. 554-570, Johnston and Bacon, 1970).
* "The Highland Clans" by Sir lain Moncreiffe of that ilk (Barrie & Rockliff, 1967).
* "Scottish Clan & family Encyclopedia" by George Way of Plean and Romilly Squire (Harper Collins, 1994)."

**macwilkin** · 15th October 07, 08:48 AM

Just for fun, I looked up the Lord Lyon. It's an official Scottish thing and supposedly comes from the time of Robert the Bruce. There is actually a "court" and their proceedings from the last three years are on the web page....no sign of any fines being levied for improper tartan wearing however.

The Court of Lord Lyon's jurisdiction is over heraldic (coat-of-arms) matters.

Regards,

Todd

**Pour1Malt** · 15th October 07, 09:07 AM

ai have heard there is a 16 foot lang kilt livin' in Loch Ness...

"Kiltie" ai think they ca' it...

some daft folk think it's real....

then there is the yin they ca' Kiltfoot'....

**ugm84** · 15th October 07, 09:46 AM

Kilt Cops, Kilt Cops..
Whatcha gonna do? Watcha gonna do?
Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

Kilt Cops..Produced on location by members of Lord Lyon's court
All supects are considered badly dressed until told otherwise!

Couldn't resist as this is the only thing that went through my head reading this

**ozone** · 15th October 07, 08:47 AM

Interestingly, here's the likely reason for the myth:

http://www.heraldry-scotland.co.uk/lyoncourt.html

As stated on this web page, the Lord Lyon is a real court and can levy fines for violations of royal crests and other heraldry....here's the quote from the page:

"

The misappropriation or unauthorised display of a man's coat of arms is a "real injury" under the Common Law of Scotland.

Accordingly the registered owner of a Scots coat of arms may obtain judicial interdict in Lyon Court against any person depicting his arms against his wishes or to his prejudice. The Crown and the public have also an interest, the former because in Scotland the fees on registration of armorial bearings and pedigrees are payable to H.M. Treasury, and the latter for prevention of fraud through improper assumption of coats of arms because armorial bearings are legal evidence which may be used in cases of succession and identity."

**Big Homestead** · 15th October 07, 04:18 PM

Ok, I got the tartan myth aswell, but........if I want this to be interesting I need to make my own myth ,..here it is.

If you wear a kilt with out knowing it, on a full moon, while eating borscht, Stalin himself will come and chop off your head while sleeping. Then William Wallice and the kilt police will sue your family, after they vanquish the English, with fireballs from their ****.

Kilts are made with Elven magic.

Fire is afraid of kilt fabric.

Eating kilts makes you "Scottish'er"

Cheers