Title: cl-Scotland-msg
Subject: Clothing of Scotland.
Author: Edited by Mark S. Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: clothing, Scotland, kilt, tartan, medieval

cl-Scotland-msg - 6/17/12

Clothing of Scotland. folding of kilts.

NOTE: See also the files: cl-Scot-fem-art, cl-Scot-male-art, cl-Ireland-msg, Scotland-msg, Ireland-msg, clothing-books-msg, fd-Scotland-msg, haggis-msg.

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Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: ddfr at quads.uchicago.edu (david director friedman)
Date: 9 Oct 90 02:39:57 GMT
Organization: University of Chicago

    Tartans Etc.

"I think that clan-specific tartans date from the late 18th and early
19th centuries." (Steve Duncan)

"A question comes to mind immediately....  How much of the clan
tartan business is a Victorian Romanticism" (Laura Rydal)

I read up on this subject many years ago; I am afraid I no longer
have the references. Apparently the "traditional clan tartans" were
forged by the brothers Sobieski-Stuart early in the nineteenth
century. They claimed to have gotten them from a medieval manuscript
in their possession (Vestiarum Scoticum? Some Latin name like that)
which they were very reluctant to let anyone else examine. The
Sobieski-Stuarts claimed to be descendants of both the Polish and 
Scottish royal families, and were very popular with the celtophile
aristocracy of the time. There are, I believe, regimental tartans
that are much older, but I do not think any are known to be period.

Incidentally, the Skean Dhu (stocking knife) also appears to be a
"celtic revival" invention (not necessarily by the same people). The
Scottish Dirk, on the other hand, is real, but the earliest evidence
is slightly post-period; it appears to be a descendant of the ballock
dagger, which is period.

Cariadoc
(David Friedman)
DDFR at Midway.UChicago.Edu

From:    Ioseph of Locksley  
Date: 09-Oct-90 01:09pm
Subject: tartans

From: laura at ux1.lbl.gov (Laura Mcvay) 
 
>Is there a good reference extant which discusses Medieval Scottish  
>Dress, with illustrations from paintings, brasses, etc.  There were 
>some differences according to period accounts, but I'll like to know  
>more.  Perhaps there is a book of portraits from the National Museum 
>of Scotland?  I'd love to know about it and how to obtain it.. 
 
        My researches show that Scots nobility, at least, wore Anglo-French 
        fashions, about 50 to 100 years out-of-date. The Highland garb was 
        mostly the "saffron shirt" (which tended to be a padded gambeson) 
        for men, and standard generic peasant garb for women. 
 
"I read up on this subject many years ago; I am afraid I no longer 
have the references. Apparently the "traditional clan tartans" were forged by
the brothers Sobieski-Stuart early in the nineteenth century. They claimed to
have gotten them from a medieval manuscript in their possession (Vestiarum
Scoticum? Some Latin name like that) which they were very reluctant to let
anyone else examine. The Sobieski-Stuarts claimed to be descendants of both
the Polish and Scottish royal families, and were very popular with the
celtophile aristocracy of the time. There are, I believe, regimental tartans
that are much older, but I do not think any are known to be period."
(Cariadoc) 
 
        There are, apparently, five setts that have been accepted by Lyon 
        King-of-Arms as pre-1745 -clan- patterns. Three of those are my own 
        clan (MacRae) setts, MacRae Hunting/Dress, and Prince Charles Edward 
        Stuart. There is also Rob Roy, and Black Watch. I have yet to find 
        any pictorial evidence of tartan in medieval times, tho much from 
        post 1550 can be dug out. Most of the other setts tend towards post 
        Victorian times in age. 
 
"Incidentally, the Skean Dhu (stocking knife) also appears to be a 
"celtic revival" invention (not necessarily by the same people). The 
Scottish Dirk, on the other hand, is real, but the earliest evidence is
slightly post-period; it appears to be a descendant of the ballock dagger,
which is period." (also Cariadoc) 
 
        Worn in the stocking of the kilt (a post-1650 style) yes, but in 
        period it was worn in the armpit. I figured out how to do this 
        from research about two years ago.....and have been working on an 
        article for TI on period Highland dress ever since.....should be 
        ready to fly in about 6 months or so. 
 
                                        -Ioseph of Locksley 
                                         Harper to Clan MacRae 

From: kinsey at nas.nasa.gov (Cassandra L. Kinsey)
Date: 16 Oct 90 16:15:04 GMT
Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

>>I've seen 16th century portraits (not many,
>>but a male and a female) that show the great kilt incorporated with
>>doublet and shirt.
>
>Where?  Where?  I'd love to do a scots doublet for 12th night.

When I was in Scotland, I went to the National Art Museum in Edinburgh.  There
was one painting in particular that had left an impression on me.  It was
a picture of a large (stocky) man in a great kilt, but instead of a tunic
covering his upper body, or bareskin, the man was wearing furs.  I think the
painting was done in either the 16th or 17th century, but I think is was
portraying someone from earlier times, probably 15th century.  

Also, I just watched "Highlander" again this past weekend, and parts of the
story take place in 15th century Scotland.  This was the manner in which
the Scots were dressed in the movie.  Hope this helps.

Yours in service,
Eiriol of Lothian

From: sgj at slc1.brl.mil (S. Gwen Johnson)
Date: 13 Oct 90 06:15:35 GMT
Organization: Paladin.aberdeen.md.us
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

I'll make it brief, kilts come in two basic types: great kilt and
little kilt.  Little kilts are modern kilts, and are an 18th century
invention.  It seems that the word kilt at this time was attached to
this garment, and the term great kilt was coined to descirbe what had
been worn before.  Alas, I can't remember what the gret kilt was
called in period before, but it was nothing remotely ressembling
'kilt'.  The great kilt is a plaid (a rectangular peice of cloth, not
necessarily tartan. Isn't the evolution of langauge fun?)  

Great kilts are period, they were worn for a long time.  Just how the
were worn is a matter of debate.  As is just who wore them, and for
what activities.  I know a couple of wearing a great kilt, I'll
describe them if asked.  I've seen 16th century portraits (not many,
but a male and a female) that show the great kilt incorporated with
doublet and shirt.  The basic great kilt takes five yards minimum of
wide wool.  In period it was made of narrower fabric than we have now,
'and going up a hill, or in a wind, the indecency of it is plain'
which is a fairly close quote of an eyewitness account in a time
period I can't remember.  Aargh!  'Formal' great kilts took up to
thirty yards.  Great kilts are not sewn (a boon for those of us who
view needles with supsicion) and have *pockets*, lots of pockets.  

Scotland seemed to delight in 'chequered cloths' as one translation of
Diodorus would have it, the Irish seemed to prefer plain cloths.  As
to when they were worn, well, only by men on foot.  (Do not ride a
horse in a skirt with no underwear underneath!)  As such I suspect
they were only worn by the nobility on rare occassion, and were in
fact the garb of the commoner.  Having worn great kilts myself on a number of
occassions they are quite comfortable, even at Pennsic (as long as you
don't exert yourself.)  Some historians suggest the kilt was only worn
out of doors and was removed upon entering a dwelling.  This would
mean that the shirt/tunic worn underneath was long enough to preserver
modesty, which is certainly possible.  The consensus of opinion is
that they were worn all the time, and were not reserved for outerwear.

Do note that in period they were only worn by men, but in SCA are
often worn by women.  In period something similar (the illustration
wasn't real clear) was worn by women over their skirt, but it was
tucked in the waist and not taken up onto the shoulder as the great
kilt was.  On the other hand, kilts are heavy and pull at the
shoulder, even ripping a lightweight shirt, so it is quite conceivable
that the woman painted had tucked her plaid in at the waist for
reasons of comfort, and that the custom was to wear them on the
shoulder as men did.

Note that modern SCA usage says women should pin the kilt to the right
shoulder, and men to the left.  This is not documented in period in
any way shape or form. (That I know of, and I've looked into the
subject.) Men would pin it to whichever shoulder would leave them a
free arm for using a weapon.  And I imagine it was sometimes pinned to
both shoulders, for various reasons having to do  with comfort.  And
sometimes it was not pinned.  The great kilt has many virtues, but it
voluminous folds can get in the way of real work.

Legend has it that the little kilt was invented by a carpenter who got
tired of the bulk.  He removed his great kilt, cut it in half and wore
it as a cloak and a little kilt, the cloak being laid aside during
work or warm weather.  This is no doubt (in my mind) part of the
Apocrypha of Scottish culture.  But it does sound plausible.

Sorry I can't name my documentation, it's been a long time since I
looked into this matter and having settled it to my satisfaction, I
ceased to worry about it.  

Awilda Halfscot, sometimes Halfdane

From: ddfr at quads.uchicago.edu (david director friedman)
Date: 22 Oct 91 03:47:28 GMT
Organization: University of Chicago

Everyone knows that period Scotsmen wore Skean Dhu's (stocking
knives). So far as I can tell, they are actually an invention of the
Celtic Revival, c. 1800. The Scottish Dirk is earlier, but there seem
to be no examples before 1600, although it may be a descendant of the
period ballock dagger. The present system of clan tartans is
apparently a forgery by the brothers Sobieski-Stuart, c. 1800,
although tartan patterns go way back.

Cariadoc

Subject: Scottish Persona Question
Date: 31 May 92 
From: boris at sys6626.bison.mb.ca (boris)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Organization: system 6626 BBS, Winnipeg MB

  GREETINGS AND FELICITATIONS.

I am amazed at the number of people who aren't willing to walk over 
to an encyclopedia and look something up. 

  dates :
         1500's  tartans come into use, predominatly in the 
                 northern highlands.
         1715  The earl of mar brings the tartan to public attention.
                   (ie widespread knowledge )
         1745  tartan and highland dress banned. Most tartan patterns
               lost.  most modern tartans date from the 18th century.

  Until the middle of the 1700's both men and women of the highlands
wore 'simple' clothing made of tartan.  The men wore a 'feile-mor',
which was a rectangular piece of cloth 5 or 6 yards long and 54 inches
wide. The lower 22 inches or so were pleated onto a belt and secured
around the waist. The shorter edge fell to just above the knee, while
the remainder was used as a cloak over the head or shoulders and
pinned on one shoulder. It was often used as a blanket at night, but
mostly severed as a 'coat'.

 It should be noted that the pleats of the feilemor were not stiched
in as in the modern kilt and that they were held in place only by the
belt. The military were the first to stich the 'kilt' in the late
1700's.

Triubhas or trews are as old as the feilemor. Of tartan cut on the
cross, (on-the-cross means with the lines running diagonally to the
horizontal)  with the feet tailored in and worn inside the shoes.
Garters were worn at the knee to prevent bagging. The trews were 
favored by gentlemen of the times. Only occasionally were the 
trews separated into breeches and hose.

A very long shirt was worn, long enough to be quite decently dressed
in it alone.

Often many different tartans were worn at the same time. By this I
mean the trews would be different from the hose and both would be
different again from the cloak. Fairly common. It drives the
uneducated up a wall when you do it too.

The sporran originated as a bag worn on the belt. The modern version
is very stylized and decorative version of the common english purse of
the middle ages. It was plain leather and often highly decorated.

The balmoral bonnet of knitted wool is at least 500 years old, 
while the flat wedge-shaped glengarry bonnet favored today was
only invented in the early 1800's.

Shoes are straight forward style of the time. Same as in england.
Though in earliest times were of untanned hide. Cuaran (sock-like
boots) were made of horse or cow hide and were worn to just below the
knee. They were shaped to the form of the leg and secured in place
with thongs. Though it was common practise to go bare-legged or
barefoot.

Arms consisted of bows and arrows, spears, swords, dirks, axes,
shields and later firearms.
Expert archers were very common. The claymore is the older sword most
commonly used. the broadsword is fairly modern. Very good with the
claymore they were without equal with the dirk. Shields or targes were
also common.

wickerwork was common.

As far as what tartan to wear, wear whatever strikes your fancy.
the idea of wearing a 'clan' tartan is a modern one, and many people
in days of old wore whatever the weaver produced or had tartans
invented or modified. trends or a good weaver would set the 'common'
tartan of a village or district but borrowing from distant areas was a
common practise.  ANYONE can wear a tartan.  If they tell you that you
have no right to the tartan then laugh at them.  Clan badges are an
entirely different thing though as each is usually the personal badge
of the clan chief.

Early tartans are likely to have been simple chequered cloth, with the 
plaids and elaborate tartans evolving much later. 

 All this from a coupla Scottish Clan and Tartan history texts from 
Scotland and written by Scots.    A lot of lore got lost as a result of 
the oral traditions and after the failure of the jacobite rebellions.

hope it helps.

boris

;E-mail: boris at sys6626.bison.mb.ca
;system 6626: 63 point west drive, winnipeg manitoba canada R3T 5G8

Subject: Scottish Persona Question
Date: 26 May 92 
From: ewright at convex.com (Edward V. Wright)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA

In <1992May26.122406.25733 at dartvax.dartmouth.edu> nathans at coos.dartmouth.edu (Nathan Shafer) writes:

>1) What's the earliest that the [I don't remember the Gaelic spelling, so
>   I have to go phonetic] "breck'n faile", the precursor to the kilt in
>   which the pleats were folded in and belted, not sewn in, was worn? I
>   want to make my persona as early as possible.

I'm afraid you're not going to like the answer.  The more recent books
on the subject all seem to indicate that the belted plaid, the predecessor
of the modern kilt, does not go back nearly as far as once believed.  
Apparently, the idea that the kilt had origins "lost in the midst of 
antiquity" originated with 18th Century Scottish poets, and later authorities
repeated this as fact without bothering to check it.  Modern research seems
to indicate that the belted plaid originated in the Scottish Highlands
sometime around the early 1600's and did not become universally popular
until the mid-to-late 1600's.  The earliest reference to something which
might be a belted plaid seems to be a description of Scottish mercenaries
who arrived in Ireland in the 1580's wearing "fringed cloaks beneath their
belts" (or something very close to that).  Prior to this, it appears that
Scots wore trousers or "trewes" (not to be confused with the short pants,
also called "trewes," which are worn underneath a kilt).

>2) If at some point I should become interested in Court goings-on, I
>   assume I should acquire some garb that is more formal, yes? What is
>   available to Scotsman tyhat would be period and accurate? The dress
>   kilt, with all the flashy accoutrements, would not be available in
>   the time period I'm thinking about.

Portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots and her husband, Lord Darney, show them
in what appears to be more-or-less standard Tudor-Elizabethan costumes. If
it's good enough for them...

-- Nicholas van Leyden

Newsgroups: soc.culture.celtic,rec.org.sca
From: gleason at scf16.scf.loral.com (Robert Gleason)
Subject: Re: Instructions for ancient kilt - feileadh mor
Organization: Loral Space and Range Systems, Sunnyvale, CA
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1993 16:11:28 GMT

Ok. Here's how I fold my great kilt. It's not the only way to do it but
it works for me...

I take 6 yards of plaid, or roughly twice the length from my hands 
extended above my head to the floor, 60" wide and fanfold it so it 
unfolls easily. (Note: some use 8-10 yards but that's silly and is
too bulky and keeps in too much heat.)

Take one edge of the fabric and measure in 1 cubit (elbow to fingertip)
Pleat the rest of the plaid (deeply) until there is 1 cubit unpleated 
on the other end. You want the pleats deep enough and close enough 
together to form 1 cubit of pleats. For me that's wrist-to-fingertip
deep and 1.5" to 2" apart. 

Take a belt and slide it under the plaid across the pleats. Lie down
on top of the pleats having the fabric end at the knee (or just above
if you wanna show them off). Adjust the belt to where your waist is.
Put the right edge of the plaid over your body. Now the left. Cinch 
the belt to fit.

Now stand up. You'll notice that in front you have 4 layers of 
fabric; the outer two longer than the inner two. There are two ways
to go with these:

Method 1: Take the corner of 
the first layer and twist to bunch the fabric.  Tuck this under itself
and into the belt under it to keep it there.  Put on another belt and
a sporan over the plaid. Take the second layer at the corner and twist.
Pull this around
the back and over your shoulder. Affix to shirt with a brooch or pin;
or to belt with a length of cord.

Method 2: Do the same for the first and second layer in this method
that you did for the first layer in method 1. This keep the plaid off
your shoulders (cooler), doesn't put holes on your shirts, and doesn't
slode off your shoulder all the time.

You may want to take the outer layer in back and tuck it over and into
your outer belt to give you better ventilation.  

Be sure to get a pin to keep the front 2 layers together. Especiallly 
when going regemental.

It takes a little practice but when you get the hang of it, you can do 
this in under 8 minutes.

Parlan MacGillivray
--
  ------------------------------
  Robert Gleason  
  >> gleason at scf28.scf.loral.com 

From: mortonr at pica.ARmy.MIL
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Instructions for ancient kilt - feileadh mor
Date: 22 Jul 1993 10:24:49 -0400
Organization: The Internet

Greetings to all who travel here!

>Method 1: Take the corner of 
>the first layer and twist to bunch the fabric.  Tuck this under itself
>and into the belt under it to keep it there.  Put on another belt and
>a sporan over the plaid. Take the second layer at the corner and twist.
>Pull this around
>the back and over your shoulder. Affix to shirt with a brooch or pin;
>or to belt with a length of cord.

	I've always used a slighty different method for the outside "tails".
Instead of only throwing one end over my shoulder and tucking the other end into
my belt, I gather up both ends and sling them over my shoulder, fastening them to
one another with a cloak pin.  The right "tail goes up my back and the left
across my chest.  When I wear a blade, I reverse this arrangement.  The advantage 
is that the folds of cloth form a pouch to one side.  I've successfully stored up to
6 cloven lemons, a bottle of mead, a gobblet and my tam in there without the cloth
looking unduly bulky.  Also, if the weather turns cold, you can always unclasp the
"tails" and wrap the front one around your body and the gather the back one over your
shoulders.  Last Pennsic, I had lent my heavy cloak to a lady I was with and sat 
at a bardic circle freezing until I suddenly recalled that my kilt was originally
intended to be worn as a cloak/blanket.  I bundled myself up and was tolerably warm
for the rest of the songs.

	The major disadvantage is that the cloak clasp, depending on hou you place it,
could stick either yourself or someone hanging on your arm.  I always make sure that
any ladies with me walk on the "safe" side.

			-Malcolm Douglas

From: odlin at reed.edu (Iain Odlin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Anachronisms
Date: 21 Jul 1994 07:00:35 GMT
Organization: The Stuffed Animal Trauma Team  (We're Trained Professionals)

>[Question about historicity of Kilts]...

  One of these days, I'm actually going to get around to preparing that FAQ
  sheet about kilts...  Along with the TI article (or was it a CA issue?)...

  Ah well.  The extremely short form:

 The 'kilt' (as in, a long strip of 'plaid'-ish or chequey wool cloth wrapped
  about the body -- usually pleated at the waist and held with a belt -- more
  interestingly than just throwing it over the shoulders and calling it a
  cloak) can only be reliably documented back about to 1520.  At that point,
  it was an *exclusively* Highland mode of dress.  Before 1520, the Highlanders
  apparently had the same cloak/shirt/trews combo everyone else in history
  has had.

  The little kilt (what modern folks think of as kilts) can only be *sketchily*
  documented to 1645;  The British have this vain conceit that has polluted 
  all Histories that came thereafter, though:  It is claimed that the small
  kilt was invented by a British overseer for either a smithy or a road con-
  struction crew comprised of Scots who were "too stupid" to remove all that
  extra wool in about 1700.  Perhaps true; perhaps not.  Arrogant as all Hell,
  though...

  The tartans as we know them today were nearly all invented on the occasion
  of King George the (IV?)'s visit to Scotland in (1828? -- my books are mostly
  still in boxes, damnit) by the Brothers Sobieski -- weavers extraordinare,
  and quick to smell a profit in Invented Ancient Authenticity.  It was all
  the rage, you know!

  Some time in the future, I fully intend to flesh this all out, but it'll
  all have to get in line with all the other things that need doing;  like
  fixing my car... *sigh*

  Hope it's helped a wee bit.
--
 ------------------------- Iain Odlin, odlin at reed.edu -------------------------
                      42 Clifton Street, Portland ME 04101
 ----------------- Never teach your pet rust monster to fetch -----------------

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: ddfr at quads.uchicago.edu (david director friedman)
Subject: Re: Anachronisms
Organization: University of Chicago
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 1994 03:20:49 GMT

"The tartans as we know them today were nearly all invented on the
occasion of King George the (IV?)'s visit to Scotland in (1828? -- my
books are mostly still in boxes, damnit) by the Brothers Sobieski --
weavers extraordinare, and quick to smell a profit in Invented
Ancient Authenticity.  It was all  the rage, you know!"
(Iain Odlin)

I do not believe the brothers Sobieski-Stuart were weavers. My
impression was that they were a pair of early 19th century confidence
men who purported to be descended from the royal houses of both
Poland and Scotland, and made their living off the celtophile
nobility. They claimed to have an ancient book showing the
traditional clan tartans, seem to have been very unwilling to show
them to anyone else.

Like Iain, I am relying on memory. Perhaps he, or someone else, can
correct or amplify this.

David/Cariadoc

From: odlin at reed.edu (Iain Odlin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Anachronisms
Date: 25 Jul 1994 06:54:13 GMT
Organization: The Stuffed Animal Trauma Team  (We're Trained Professionals)

  Good m'Lord Cariadoc asks if I can expand on what I posted earlier about
  the brothers Sobieski.

  I only wish I could.  I have just spent the last three hours tearing apart
  every box full of my possessions (I recently moved) and was completely
  unable to find my files of photocopies and notes on the subject.  Which,
  of course, has put me in a stellar mood...

  [And the spacebar on my computer has seen fit to start dying now, too --
  I have to hit it nine or so times for it to register -- which is helping
  my mood no end...]

  But:  I was able to find something else of interest to anyone curious.
  My copy of the book "The King's Jaunt," by John Prebble -- an account of
  King George the IV's visit to Scotland in August of 1822 and the plots and
  ramificiations surrounding the trip.  Most significantly, the almost whole-
  sale fabrication of Scotland's "History," including dress.  I'd say more 
  but I am having extreme difficulty even saying this much...  I highly
  recommend this book to anyone interested in Scottish history, if only to
  help you to seperate the wheat from the chaff of what is 'known' about
  Scottish history.
--
 ------------------------- Iain Odlin, odlin at reed.edu -------------------------
                      42 Clifton Street, Portland ME 04101

From: Gretchen Miller <grm+ at andrew.cmu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Anachronisms
Date: Thu, 21 Jul 1994 12:55:06 -0400
Organization: Computer Operations, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Excerpts from netnews.rec.org.sca: 20-Jul-94 Anachronisms The
Ulair at eagle.wesleyan (1109)

> I have just been reading a tretise which, among other things, claims
> that the kilt was invented {by an Englishman no less} around 1727. Previous to
> this, it claims that many Scots wore a long plaid shirt, belted at the waist. 
> 	The kilt supposedly caught fire in Scotland after the British outlawed
> it in the 1740's or 1750's. No need for those Scots to try and behave in
> Non-British ways, is there? Suddenly everyone wanted a kilt as a badge of
> Scottishness and further began fighting over who had claim to what plaid
> pattern. This all received sanction in the early 1800's when Sir Walter Scott
> claimed an ancient origin for kilts and tartans. 
>  		Does anyone have any idea if this is even remotely true?

Yeesh, where DID you find this treatise?  This sounds like a very bad
mishmash of history, and misunderstood and misread secondary sources. 
If you want a good account, check out a little book called:

"So you're going to wear a kilt"

It has a Scotsman in a kilt on the cover, and is available at most
Celtic stores.

The earliest documented Great Kilt discussed in most books is from
1550--the time that the Irish dress, a long SAFFRON colored shirt belted
at the waist, was banned by the English in Ireland.  Previous to this
time, the Highland Scots dressed pretty much like their Irish cousins. 
The kilt caught on big time as we roll into the 17th century.  After the
last Jacobite rebellion (around 1740), the kilt was banned in
Scotland--except for regiments like the Black Watch, who were in London
anyhow--  However, about 30 years after this, two fellows published a
forgery that they claimed was an ancient book describing the various
"clan" tartans of Scotland.  THIS is what first fired the imaginations
of everyone in regards to the kilt, and inspired Walter Scott to write
about the ancient and honorable clan tartan.--Kilts came back into usage
around this time, and finally became high fashion when Queen Victoria
went to Balmoral and discovered that she really liked watching all those
husky Ghillies running around in thier Skirts--"Here is clothing for
Mannly Men!" she proclaimed, and kilts have been "in" ever since.

Hope this helps.

toodles, margaret

From: AuntieS at aol.COM
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: All Kilts Great and Small
Date: 22 Jul 1994 20:42:28 -0400
Organization: the internet

Jotun asked about the (small)kilt -- the pleated plaid skirt type kilt --
 and its 18th century origins.

>>  I have just been reading a tretise which, among other things, >>claims
that the kilt was invented {by an Englishman no less} >>around 1727. Previous
to this, it claims that many Scots wore a >>long plaid shirt, belted at the
waist.

Marke (squired to a Scot)replied:
>This treatise of which you speak must have be written by  >someone who
hasn't visited the British Museum. The museum has >an article of clothing
refered to as a 'military skirt.' The skirt >was owned by Henry VIII and the
skirt looks like a modern pleated >kilt. It's hard to invent some-thing thats
be around for 150 years.

   Sorry, Marke, but Jotun's treatise is more or less correct.  (Except for
long plaid "shirt" part, which, unless it refers to a plaid tunic, probably
should read "skirt.")  The "military skirt" is absolutely nothing like a
kilt, modern or otherwise.  They are shaped differently, constructed
differently, served different purposes and were worn differently.
   The modern or small kilt -- in Gaelic, feilebeg (spelling varies) --  is
indeed an 18th century development, and the 19th century development of the
modern "Clan tartan" system is also well documented.
   For an SCA-period kilt -- a great-kilt, or feile-mor -- you'll need about
6 yards of 60" wide plaid wool, in a plaid that does not resemble any
existing Clan tartans.  (Or 12 yds of 30" fabric, cut in half and sewed
together on the long edge -- it's easier to hand-weave this way.)  Put on a
long yellow (linen) shirt, long enough to be decent when you're kneeling on
the ground, pleating your plaid.  Spread your plaid out and start pleating
it.  Then remember that you should have put your belt down first; curse, and
slip the belt under the pleats.  Position yourself on the pleated plaid and
roll yourself up in it.  Adjust 27 pounds of wool in graceful folds, and wear
with pride.  You're good to well into the 18th century.
   Well, maybe you'd better find someone to show you how in person -- it
loses a little in the translation.   ;-)   If you can't find anyone, there's
a pretty clear description with diagrams in "So You Want to Wear the Kilt,"
available at Scottish shops and festivals.
   Read: "A History of Highland Dress" by John Telfer Dunbar and "Scottish
Costume 1550-1850" by Stuart Maxwell.  Avoid "Tartans" by Christian Hesketh
and the TI article on the same subject, which is largely plagarized from
Hesketh.  McIan's "Costumes of the Clans" is easily available as a remainder,
but is, well, pretty imaginative when it comes to early costume.
   Hope this helps.  I'm looking forward to seeing more men in (great)kilts!

Auntie Signy   :   Baroness Signy Dimmridaela, OL
"Why do they wear the kilt in the Highlands?"  "The sound of zippers
frightens the sheep."

From: connect at aol.com (CONNECT)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Garb: Scottish female
Date: 27 Oct 1994 10:53:03 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)

In article <Pine.SOL.3.90.941026160800.865C-100000 at lars.acc.stolaf.edu>,
Katherine A Reilly <reilly at stolaf.edu> writes:

Is there anyone in the known world who knows what a Highland woman would
have worn?

In the Rainments catalog, they list a number of books, but one I've toyed
with purchasing is Beyond the Pale: A survey of Gaelic Garb 1500-1650
written by Lord Cormac MacCliuin o Dumhnaill. The description reads
Construction of the common dress of the "wild" Irish and Scots of the 16th
and early 17th centuries. The price of the publication is $5.

Rainments can be reached at PO Box 93095, Pasadena, CA 91109, (818)
797-2723 [T-TH 10am-4pm] FAX (818) 791-9434 or via email at
72437.674 at compuserve.com.

Pattie Rayl

From: macdonpc at nbnet.nb.ca (Paul M. Mac donald)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Garb: Scottish female
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 1994 00:56:55 AST
Organization: home

On Wed, 26 Oct 1994 16:11:13 -0500 (CDT), reilly at stolaf.edu writes:
>
>Is there anyone in the known world who knows what a Highland woman would 
>have worn?  I have tried every source I know of and can get a hold of, 
>which is not that impressive.  Are there any books around where i can 
>find this information out?  Or perhaps some kindly Scotswoman?  \
>Thanks in advance, 

While the documentation is slack, my research (a number of years ago, for the
California RenFaires) led me to a long chemise/shift type garment and a
"plaid", which meant several yards of wool, usually plaid but not what we
call tartan (pre that trend, actually).  It was worn several ways, but the
one I liked was:  touching the ground in back (the cut end), belted around
the waist, the rest (about 2 yards more, I think) folded and draped around
the shoulders, or over the head if it's cold out.  Hope this helps.

Catherine Mac donald/Kaththea verKaeysc
macdonpc at nbnet.nb.ca

From: sapalmer at magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Sharon A Palmer)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Garb: Scottish female
Date: 28 Oct 1994 22:42:41 GMT
Organization: The Ohio State University

In article <38oesf$224 at newsbf01.news.aol.com>, CONNECT <connect at aol.com> wrote:
>with purchasing is Beyond the Pale: A survey of Gaelic Garb 1500-1650
>written by Lord Cormac MacCliuin o Dumhnaill. The description reads
>Construction of the common dress of the "wild" Irish and Scots of the 16th
>and early 17th centuries. The price of the publication is $5.

I have a copy of this, which I purchased at Pennsic several years
ago.  It was published in 1987 by Moongate Designs, 44791 Windmill 
Drive, Canton, MI 48187.  Phone 313-451-6839.  I have no idea if the
phone number is still good.

This is not an area where I have a lot of expertise, but this seems
sound.  It is a typical SCA pubication, with pictures from various
sources, some redrawn, but with the sources listed and a bibliography.
The bib. does not list any primary sources, but the illustrations
include several in-period ones, presumably copied from the secondary
sources.

It covers men's and women's garb and changes thru the listed times.

Ranvaig

From: odlin at reed.edu (Iain Odlin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Garb for mid-15th C. Highlander
Date: 2 Nov 1994 06:54:03 GMT
Organization: The Stuffed Animal Trauma Team  (We're Trained Professionals)

In article <396ote$d7l at newsbf01.news.aol.com>,
LXA II 503 <lxaii503 at aol.com> wrote:
>What would be appropriate garb for a mid-15th C. highland Scotsman?  What
>tartans, if any, are considered period?

  Short form:  Appropraite garb for a Highlander from the 1400's is a big
  "saffron" shirt, generic barbarian pants (semi-optional), a fuzzy wool
  mantle (*mantle*, not kilt), and -- for the well-off -- a tight doublet
  with loose arms (the name of which escapes me for the moment).  Also
  optionally, a rough shoe of leather (generally deerskin with the hair still
  on and on the *outside*) called a cruaran was worn.

  No kilts at this point.  Their dress is similar/identical to the Irish
  of the same period. 

  Undoubtedly, colourful "chequey" or "stripey" woolens were to be had, but
  no tartan of today is period in either form (what little evidence we have
  suggests that the symmetry and patterning seen in modern tartan was un-
  heard of in period) or colour.

  More later, perhaps.
  -Iain
 ------------------------- Iain Odlin, odlin at reed.edu -------------------------
                      42 Clifton Street, Portland ME 04101

From: caradoc at enet.net (John Groseclose)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Garb for mid-15th C. Highlander
Date: Thu, 03 Nov 1994 10:03:35 -0700
Organization: Who? Me? Organized?

In article <397d2b$jud at scratchy.reed.edu>, odlin at reed.edu (Iain Odlin) wrote:

>   Short form:  Appropraite garb for a Highlander from the 1400's is a big
>   "saffron" shirt, generic barbarian pants (semi-optional), a fuzzy wool
>   mantle (*mantle*, not kilt), and -- for the well-off -- a tight doublet
>   with loose arms (the name of which escapes me for the moment).  Also
>   optionally, a rough shoe of leather (generally deerskin with the hair still
>   on and on the *outside*) called a cruaran was worn.

I believe that doublet to which you refer is called a "iolain," but it's
been quite some time since I did my research, and I couldn't afford that
particular book at the time. Now that I could probably afford it, I can't
find it.

<sigh>

-- 
John D. Groseclose <caradoc at enet.net>

From: tperreau at newshost.aoc.nrao.edu (Barney O'Borg)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Garb for mid-15th C. Highlander
Date: 2 Nov 1994 02:01:43 -0700
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM

In article <396ote$d7l at newsbf01.news.aol.com>,
LXA II 503 <lxaii503 at aol.com> wrote:
>What would be appropriate garb for a mid-15th C. highland Scotsman?  What
>tartans, if any, are considered period?

I wonder if this information should not be included in the FAQ,
since a lot of people ask what tartans are "period".

In a word: none.

All the tartans that you see in the various books, catalogs of kilts,
etc. etc. -- they are all modern, dating from the Scottish revival of
the 1800s -- this was, of course, the same time of the Highland
Clearances.  Two brothers, the Soibieski (sp?) Stuarts, were reported
to have had in their posession a book that had all the tartans for
the clans of Scotland, and they sold the pattern(s) to the various 
Scottish nobles and clans.

All this dates back to the last Jacobite Rebellion in 1745.  After the
defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Scots at Culloden, the
'Highland' way of life was smashed.  The wearing of the filibeg, or
kilt, was banned; the bagpipe was banned as an instrument of war; the
Scots had to surrender their weapons; many homes were plundered during
the English occupation of Scotland, even those homes of supporters of
the English army.

If any pattern books did exist, and if any clan did have a specific
pattern (the 'tartan'), then it was lost during this time.  Then,
about a hundred years later, the Scottish revival began.  Along come
the Stuarts, who claim to be related to Bonnie Prince Charlie.  The
Scots nobles were looking for a tartan of their clan, and gee, it just
so happened that the Stuarts had a book with _all_ the patterns.  No
one but the Stuart brothers ever saw this 'book,' so it's existance
is hard to believe.  All the patterns for the various clans, clan
cheif tartans, regional tartans -- all date from the mid-1800s to the
present.

Now, what _is_ period?

The great kilt, sometimes called the 'brecan fil'.  The great kilt
seems to have evolved from the Irish article of wear known as a bratt,
which was pretty much a length of cloth that was belted and pulled
around as a protection against the elements.

The great kilt contains 9 yards of material, and when properly
pleated, is very comfortable to wear.  As an aside, the term "The
whole nine yards..." that one hears in the military apparently stems
from the amount of cloth in the great kilt.  There was enough material
in the great kilt for a person to roll up several times, keeping them
warm against the cold ground -- note that you could roll up a couple
of people several times in 27 feet of material.

It is also period for the kilt to be 'checkered' or to have a
checkered pattern -- what is commonly known today as the plaid (pron.
played, not plad) -- a tartan is a plaid assigned to a clan, region,
etc.  That the Celtic people wore checkered patterns is not new,
dating back to the Roman era.  Besides, a checkered pattern, or plaid,
is very easy to make when weaving.  So we know that Celts, if not
liked a plaid, at least wore it -- so we can assume that the great
kilt was plaid as well (we can also assume that there were great kilts
of uniform coloration).

Unless the weaver was rich, the wool was dyed from local materials.
The great kilts would then take on the coloration of the local area.
Please keep in mind that these colors are muted, not very brilliant as
what you find today.  Most kilt suppliers provide an 'ancient'
coloration of the plaid -- what it would look like if made with
natural dyes.  They also provide a 'weathered' plaid -- what it would
look like when exposed to the elements after years -- please note that
these are _not_ made with natural dyes, but synthetic ones.

What did the plaids look like?

Hard to tell, really.  The best that we can come up with is that there
is a famous painting of Culloden which portrays the Highland charge
against the British line.  The painter used actual prisioners from
Culloden in the painting.  The Highlanders wore plaid kilts and coats
that didn't match.  There was no 'clan' uniformity among the
Highlanders at least in terms of the plaid.  It is also interesting to
note that the plaids that are in the painting _do not exist_ in the
modern tartans at all.

It can be best said that each weaver made their plaid differently, and
that no two patterns were identical, at least given the painting as a
primary source.

You mean there is no correlation between clan tartans and wear in
period?

The only example that exists, as far as I know, is that there was a
reciept for rents from tenents on land held by the Hunter clan.  The
document is from the late 15th Century, and specifies 3 bolts of cloth
in white, green, and black.  Interestingly enough, these are colors in
the tartan of Hunter, along with red.  This is, however, the only
proof that I know of where we have a direct correlation between a clan
and _at least_ the colors in their tartan -- note that this does not
mean the the current Hunter tartan is the actual pattern (plaid) that
they wore in period.

So what do I do?

Wear what you want!  At one time, there was a unwritten rule that only
a member of the clan could wear that clan tartan.  The Lord Lyon of
Arms, the chief Herald of Scotland, has stated that anyone can wear
any tartan of their choice, reguardless if they are of that clan or
not -- that by wearing the tartan you are showing your 'support' for
that clan.  Tartans such as the Royal Stewart, Black Watch, and Rob
Roy are pretty much public domain any more -- go to a cloth store and
look at the plaid material and you'll find at least one of the three
there, if not all of them.

There are plaids that "seem" more ancient than others in that their
pattern is rather simplistic.  Given the weaving technology in period,
the simpler the pattern, the more "realistic" it looks.  Such tartans
are: Black Watch, Clergy*, Cranston, Dunbar, Erskine, Glasgow (city
of), Kerr, Livingstone, MacColl, MacDonald Clan, MacDonald/Isles
(red), MacDonald/Sleat, MacDuff, MacIntosh, MacQuarrie, Matheson,
Maxwell, Middleton, Moffat, Rob Roy MacGregor, Robertson, Ross,
Sinclair, Skene, Stewart/Atholl.  All these have rather simplistic
patterns and have in general 3 colors maximum (or at least that is
what I can tell from the catalog "The Scottish Lion Import Shop" when
looking under modern colors).

* Clergy is not listed.  It is, however, very much like the Black
Watch except that the pattern is even more simplistic -- looking very
much like a black and dark green Rob Roy with large checks.

Some quick terms:

plaid (played):  the pattern of the checks
tartan:		 a plaid associated to a clan, region, city, or
		 military force
kilt:		 an article of wear, there are two types
	great:	 9 yards of material, unpleated, most likely evolved
		 from the Irish bratt
	small: 	 what you typically get when you buy a kilt,
		 constructed from 8 yds. of material, can be pleated
		 either to Sett or Stripe
		 Sett - what majority of kilts are pleated to, when
			looked at from the rear, the pleats form a
			large plaid pattern
		 Stripe - regimental wear, pleats folded on major
			  stripes in the plaid
(Note -- men wear kilts, women wear skirts.  The kilt should come to
 mid-knee.)

Cost of cloth (from "The Scottish Lion" - not the cheapest of places)
Light weight (9-9.5 oz) 54" wide	$ 52.00 / yd Wool
	Use:  neckties, light skirts, hangings, banners
Regular weight (11-11.5 oz) 60" wide	$ 55.00 / yd Worsted
	Use:  kilted skirts, drapes, trousers, most clothing
Heavy weight (12-13 oz) 56" wide	$ 58.00 / yd Worsted
	Use:  kilts, upholstery

I hope this helps...

Ld. Torcail Gilleghaolain
-- 
*** "A little rebellion now and then is a good thing; the tree of liberty ***
***  must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and   ***
***  tyrants."	Thomas Jefferson 	 				  ***

From: caradoc at enet.net (John Groseclose)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Garb for mid-15th C. Highlander
Date: Fri, 04 Nov 1994 12:59:23 -0700
Organization: Who? Me? Organized?

In article <destryCyps13.67F at netcom.com>, destry at netcom.com (Max
Fellwalker) wrote:

>    Yes, but how does one properly pleat 27 feet of fabric to avoid 
> looking like a rolled rug? Does any one have a kilt-pleating diagram they 
> can recommend?
> 
>       -Max-

I pleat mine by placing my belt on the floor or ground, and laying the
plaid lengthwise along it. Leave about 18-22" on either side as the
"apron" flaps, and make your pleats about the width of your hand. Takes me
about 10-15 minutes now, since I have a larger pavilion. Please, if you
value your sanity, do *not* attempt to pleat a breacan feile in a dome
tent...

-- 
John D. Groseclose <caradoc at enet.net>
One more person who will NEVER buy anything inappropriately
advertised on the UseNet. Ever. Especially things advertised by
Canter and Siegel, the Green Card Cyberslugs!

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: wyldefyr at netcom.com (Wylde Fyre)
Subject: Re: Garb for mid-15th C. Highlander
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 1994 22:17:30 GMT

Max Fellwalker (destry at netcom.com) wrote:
:    Yes, but how does one properly pleat 27 feet of fabric to avoid 
: looking like a rolled rug? Does any one have a kilt-pleating diagram they 
: can recommend?

Eek. This is one of those things that's easy to do (once you know how) 
but near impossible to /explain/. It'd be much easier if you could have 
someone show you, but I'll give an attempt at describing how /I/ do it 
(note: there are probably several ways of folding a kilt, I'm merely 
pointing out how I've been doing it):

1. Lay out your fabric on the ground. THis will take lots of space, so 
beware. :)
2. Looking at the pattern of the plaid, determine in your mind where one 
'row' begins and the next ends (my plaid has 'rows' about 4-6 inches wide, 
I think)
3. Sit at one end of the fabric, looking down the length. Reach forward, 
across the fabric, and grab the edge of the 6-9th row, and pull it towards 
you 3 1/2 rows, creating a fold, or pleat. After this initial pleat, you 
should have about 18-24" of flat material between you and the pleat.
4. Look at the edge of the pleat that's facing you. Start from that edge 
and count away from you 4 rows. Grab the edge of that row, and pull it 
back 3 1/2 rows. This will create your second pleat, layered slightly 
with the first.
5. Continue step 4 until you've pleated the entirety of the length, 
leaving approx 18-24" of flat material (This will give you 18-24" of flat 
material on both sides of the pleated material.
6. Gently slip a long leather belt lengthwise under the material - 
running approx under the middle.
7. Lay on the material so that the belt is at mid waist underneath you, 
and so that one edge of the fabric is approx at mid-knee. You may need to 
adjust the location of the belt to accomplish this.
8. /Carefully/ pull one side of the fabric over your body (I use the belt 
to pull the fabric across my body, this helps keep the pleats intact), 
then pull the other side of the fabric across your body as well. Secure 
the belt snug.
9. Stand. This will result in the fabric draping over the belt, 
effectively giving you an 'inside layer' and an 'outside layer'. The 
inside layer should overlap in the front of your body by a couple of feet 
or so, and the outside layer will more or less meet at the front of your 
body.
10. It is important that for the following steps, you not mess with the 
'inside layer'. That is all that is protecting your modesty. :)
11. Take one of the corners of the outside layer (hanging in front of 
your body) hold it away from your body, pulling the material taut. Roll the 
upper edge of this slightly, then pull the layer back around your body 
(exposing the 'inside layer') keeping it taut, and tuck it into your belt at 
the end.
12. (This one is a little tricky) Grab the other outside layer corner 
and pull it straight up to your shoulder (same side), then reach behind 
you with your other  hand and grab the outside layer at the bottom edge at 
the mid-point betweeen your legs, pull this up over your shoulder to meet 
the corner you're currently holding. 
13. Secure the two ends at your shoulder with a heavy duty cloak pin.
14. Admire yourself in the mirror. :)

A few notes: Make sure you're wearing whatever top you wnat to wear with 
the kilt before you start. Tucking anything into it afterwards will be 
near impossible. Also, it may take a few tries to find out how large you 
prefer to make your pleats, etc.
I have no idea if anyone would be able to follow these instructions, as I 
said, it's near impossible to describe how to fold a kilt. :/ But I 
figured, what the heck. :)
Again, I'm sure there are about a million different ways that people pleat 
their kilts, this is the way I pleat mine.

Good luck!!

[still working on a name.. :/]
wyldefyre
 --
[+]------------------------------------------------------------------------[+]
 | "Strangers now are his eyes to this mystery... hear the silence so loud! |
 |  Crack of dawn, All is gone, Except the will to be.                      |
 |  Now they see, What will be, Blinded eyes to see...                      |
 |          - For Whom The Bell Tolls (Metallica, Ride the Lightning)       |
[+]-------------------------------------------------------------------moo.-[+]

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: wyldefyr at netcom.com (Wylde Fyre)
Subject: Re: kilts
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Wed, 2 Nov 1994 22:01:35 GMT

Jay Brandt (rzex60 at email.sps.mot.com) wrote:
: In response to requests for a US kilt-maker. I know of one doing business

[comments about cost of modern kilts and about period kilts being nothing 
more than rectangles of fabric deleted]

Depending on how 'authentic' you wish to be, you may or may not find the 
following advice helpful. When originally searching for suitable fabric 
for my period great kilt, I discovered that if I were to purchase an 
'official' tartan, I'd pay close to $75 a yard .. and considering great 
kilts require upwards of 9 yards of fabric, I opted for a more cost 
efficient material. This may sound silly, but I went to Fabric Warehouse, 
found a tasteful/authentic looking plaid (lots of blacks, blue's, greens, 
and a touch of grey) in a wool/wool-blend, and paid about 9 dollars a 
yard (maybe less, I think it was on sale). Yes, great kilts are nothing 
more than a large rectangle of fabric that is pleated, wrapped, and 
tucked around your body. :)... To this day I get compliments on my kilt.

Hope this helps!

[re-entering the SCA after a 4 year break, and working on a period name...]

 --
[+]------------------------------------------------------------------------[+]
 | "Strangers now are his eyes to this mystery... hear the silence so loud! |
 |  Crack of dawn, All is gone, Except the will to be.                      |
 |  Now they see, What will be, Blinded eyes to see...                      |
 |          - For Whom The Bell Tolls (Metallica, Ride the Lightning)       |
[+]-------------------------------------------------------------------moo.-[+]

From: caradoc at enet.net (John Groseclose)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: kilts
Date: Sun, 06 Nov 1994 12:48:00 -0700
Organization: Who? Me? Organized?

In article <Cyt6rz.GzE at nucleus.com>, spechko at nucleus.com (Gary Spechko) wrote:

> My thanks to all those who responded to my request with locations where I 
> may find what I seek.  Your responses were greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thore

There's a GREAT book out there... Called "So You're Going to Wear the
Kilt." I don't have my copy with me (someone borrowed it... Argh) but it
lists all of the MODERN conventions for wearing a kilt, plus lists a few
myriad ways to wear the breacan feile. In the back are patterns for
sporrans, how to pleat a tartan rosette, and a few other tidbits.

The author also goes into some detail about the forged "clan tartans," as
he also wrote another book on the egregiousness of the Bros. Sobieski
Stuart.

-- 
John D. Groseclose <caradoc at enet.net>
One more person who will NEVER buy anything inappropriately
advertised on the UseNet. Ever. Especially things advertised by
Canter and Siegel, the Green Card Cyberslugs!

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: rzex60 at email.sps.mot.com (Jay Brandt)
Subject: Great-Kilt: a way to fold it (LONG)
Organization: the Polyhedron Group
Date: Wed, 9 Nov 1994 20:17:00 GMT

The following is revised and updated from an article I posted in August of
1992. Given that there has been some interest in the folding of Great
Kilts, I offer my experience...

Jason of Rosaria
*****

For the last three years or so I have worn a great kilt to SCA events and
to various cultural fairs (such as Worldfest in Seattle WA). I figured out
how to fold it by looking at period illustrations in books on the Scottish
Clans, and by experimentation one fine night in Oregon, when a very hot
weekend turned much colder than was comfortable for the lightweight English
summer garb I had packed for an SCA tournament. I will admit that I am not
CERTAIN that this is the true and ancient method of wearing the great kilt.
In fact, as the true great kilt uses a larger amount of fabric, I’m certain
it is lacking in accuracy. But the appearance, when worn, matches the old
paintings and illustrations, and I have never had a complaint, from any
member of a Scottish Clan Association or anyone else of Scottish heritage,
that it was in any way incorrect or inappropriate in appearance. If
anything, they are usually fascinated to see it and think it looks quite
good. If anyone knows a more authentic method than the one I describe here,
I WANT TO KNOW!

The garment as I wear it consists of a single rectangle of tartan plaid,
held with a belt, a simple brass penanular broach at the shoulder, and
optionally a kilt pin where the hem overlaps. I also usually wear a shirt,
possibly a second belt, and at least a Scottish pouch called a Sporran,
which is worn in front. Other paraphernalia are simple leather shoes, socks
that reach the knee (tartan to match the kilt or solid color), a small
knife in the top of one sock, called a Skein Dubh, a larger knife worn at
the hip, called a Dirk, and possibly also a sword. The dirk and sword are
optional, and you should judge their appropriateness by where it is to be
worn and for what purpose. Certainly not for dancing or for shopping
downtown! The Skein Dubh, however, is almost always worn. It is considered
the same way we think of a pocket knife. 

Undergarments are up to you. The period (pre 1600) practice seems to have
been boxer shorts with a drawstring waist. "Going Regimental" and wearing
nothing beneath the kilt appears to be a Victorian idea. It has, however,
spawned something of a legend...

Fair Maid -- "Good sir, tell me truly, is anything worn beneath the Kilt?"
Scotsman -- (chuckle) "Nay lass, it's all in fine working order." :-)

Myself, I wear either 'bicycle shorts' or mid-thigh cutoff  sweat-pants, to
prevent chafing and to avoid insect bites in awkward places. :-) It doesn't
show.

The Shirt: The great kilt is worn with a loose, blousy white or saffron
yellow shirt, that has loose long sleeves (although sometimes only elbow
length), no collar or a 1" simple band collar, with ties at the neck and
optionally also at the wrists. The shirt just overlaps in front or is a
pull-over. If you look for "peasant blouse" patterns you will be on the
right track. It can also be worn bare chested in hot weather, if you use
one of the alternate pinning methods described below. Put the shirt on
first, if you plan to wear one!

The Kilt itself: This is a large rectangle of tartan plaid OR of a solid
color, either being done in simple earth tones. (The clan tartans were a
fairly recent innovation, mostly after 1600 AD. Before that, there were
simple regional tartans, and before that they just used simple dark solids,
often in browns and greens). Either woven wool (traditional) or cotton
flannel (for summer or wool allergies) will do. 60-inch width would be the
minimum, with 72-inch or even 84-inch width desirable if you are tall. For
a 6-foot tall, 185 pound man, eight feet is the bare minimum length, and
nine feet or more works better. The minimum rectangle is therefore about
the same as a queen-size flat bed sheet (a 7' x 8' rectangle). About seven
feet by eight feet works well. If you can add more cloth, add it to the
eight-foot dimension out to a traditional length of nine yards. 

My first great kilt, which I still use, is a queen-size cotton flannel bed
sheet in a generic plaid. It doesn't look like a "cheat" when it is worn.
The thicker fabric makes up for the shorter length, at least somewhat. The
following directions assume a 7' x 8' rectangle. If you have significantly
more material, I’d fold it in half or thirds as needed, to make a rectangle
between eight and fourteen feet in length by the width of your fabric.

Folding the great kilt: 

Use a belt that fits you well and has one or two notches to spare. This can
be the same belt that will support your Sporran, belt knives and other
paraphernalia. However, I have found it -much- more convenient to belt the
kilt on with a narrow belt, and hang everything else from a separate belt
after you are dressed. I have seen no evidence that the use of a second
belt is incorrect, and you won't see it when you are done. Lay the belt out
on a bed or on a large clear space on a clean section of ground. If the
belt is on a bed, place it about 24" from one edge, parallel to the side of
the bed, outer side down and buckle to the right. Pick up your plaid, and
lay it on top of the belt, with the length of the fabric running the same
direction as the belt. If the cloth has a "good side", lay that side down,
but hopefully the fabric looks pretty much the same from both sides. The
right edge of the plaid should be on the buckle, and the lower edge should
be the same distance from the belt as a measure taken from your waist to
the middle of your knee. Smooth the material out flat towards the tip of
the belt, maintaining that knee-to-waist distance from the belt to the
lower edge of the plaid. Excess material should be going up and to the
left. About six inches from the buckle, start folding the cloth towards the
buckle in loose, 2" pleats. Keep doing so until the left edge of the fabric
is even with the tip of the belt. Re-adjust the pleats as needed to make
them even. If you wanted to cheat, at this point you could pin or sew the
belt to the pleats. However, it is more historically correct and more
comfortable if you are free to adjust it later. Sewing the pleats will also
have the disadvantage of preventing the kilt from serving as a bedroll, a
tent, or some other use at need. You should now have the pleated fabric
laying on the belt. It will be a bit wider than your actual girth, and
there will be more fabric above the belt than below. Both the buckle and
the tip of the belt should be just covered by the fabric.

Putting it on:

If you have not already done so. PUT ON YOUR SHIRT! It is much easier than
doing so later, I assure you. (If you want to go without a shirt, do so
after you are familiar with this process. It is harder to fasten the kilt
without a shirt). Lay down on your left side on top of the folded kilt,
with the buckle of the belt at your waist above your left hip. Grasp the
buckle with one hand and roll yourself up in the kilt, holding the pleated
fabric tight to your body. Fasten the belt tightly, and stand up (or kneel,
if in a small tent). Adjust the pleats as necessary, so the kilt overlaps a
few inches under the buckle. 

The lower part of the kilt is now in place, and the upper part is hanging
down over it, inside out. Grasp the outer, back corner of the kilt. This is
the corner that is under the buckle, on the side that comes around your
back. Hold this corner in your left hand. Take the edge of the outer layer
that was toward the ground and pull it up along your left arm, so it hangs
behind you like a cape. Where it reaches your shoulder is where you pin it
to your shirt with the broach. Do so. (If you aren't wearing a shirt, see
below). Toss the end in your left hand behind you. Grasp the outer, front
corner of the kilt. This is the corner that is under the buckle, on the
side that comes around the front. You are going to twist this part into a
roll and wrap it from left to right around your waist, going around the
front, around the back, under the loose fabric that is now hanging from
your shoulder, and tucking the end into the waist of the kilt. Holding the
edge of the kilt that hangs down from the buckle, roll the fabric loosely,
rolling from the bottom around the outside and toward the top, as you draw
it across the front of your waist. The object is to take up the loose
material. Bring it around your right side, along the belt (thus covering
the belt) and under the fabric on your back. After you get to the buckle on
your left hip, tuck the end of the fabric into the waist of the kilt. If
you have a kilt pin, use it to hold the edges of the lower part of the kilt
together where they overlap. You can do without a kilt pin, but the kilt
may occasionally open like a woman's side-split skirt, so beware, or allow
for more overlap.

Finish dressing: Now that you have it on, get on your shoes, socks, sporran
and any other accessories. Again this is much easier if belt items hang
from a second belt. The sporran is in front, just like the modern kilt.
Think of it as a leather codpiece with a storage pouch, but flat rather
than accenting what’s beneath it. For a more ancient appearance in keeping
with the style of kilt, use a simple leather sporran. The furry ones with
fancy tassels are more modern.

How to fasten it without a shirt: 

There are four methods that I have found to work:

‘The sash’ (Looks similar to the standard method, but the plaid fastens to
the waist of the kilt rather than the shoulder of the shirt) --To do this,
wrap the front around your waist first, following the steps above but
skipping over the part dealing with the back outer corner and the broach.
Instead of tucking the rolled end of the kilt in near the buckle, wrap it
over the belt at the buckle and draw the tip upwards, under the belt and
back up toward the shoulder. Now draw up the back outer corner as before,
allowing some extra fabric so the cloth stretches from your left hand, over
the back of your shoulder and back down to the tip of the other outer
corner. Fasten the shoulder broach to this piece of cloth. Alternatively,
draw the back piece over the shoulder and fasten it at the waist of the
kilt with the broach.

‘The double-wrap’ (Good for hot weather, leaves the back and shoulders free
of cloth) --Proceed as above, dealing with rolling the front outer corner
first and tucking it in. Then roll the back outer corner the opposing
direction, and tuck it in. There being less fabric, it will probably end up
tucked in behind your back.

‘The cape’ (Good for cool weather, when you’d probably use the outer layer
for warmth anyway. But if it’s that cool, why aren’t you wearing a shirt?)
--Proceed as you would with a shirt. When ready to pin the cloak to the
non-existent shirt, hold that point with the left hand, and with the right
draw the continuing edge of the fabric around your neck. Fasten the normal
broach-point to this fabric in the same manner as a simple rectangular
cape.

‘Letting it hang’ -- Finally, you can simply place the bely at the
mid-point in the fabric’s width and let the outer layer hang over the inner
one. If you do this, I’d advise a wide brlt to hang the sporran from.
You’ll also want the width of the fabric to be twice the length from your
waist to mid-knee. This won’t allow for use as a cape in cold or rainy
weather, but if it’s hot enough to go about with no shirt, you probably
won’t need to use the kilt that way anyway.

Using The Great Kilt as a self-cape: 

If you need a cape, draw the loose fabric on your back around you. Your
left hand remains near the corner that you grasped when fastening the kilt,
with that corner hanging over the front of your wrist. If necessary,
untwist the front part that you rolled around your waist, and wrap it
around your right arm like a toga, with about two feet hanging down in
front of your wrist. If you need a hood, draw the back part up over your
head. These maneuvers can all be done without removing the broach from your
shoulder (unless you are not wearing a shirt). 

If it gets really hot, the panel that is over your shoulder can be rolled
and wrapped around your waist in a manner similar to the outer front. (See
the ‘double wrap’ instructions for wearing it without a shirt).

Enjoy your great kilt!

-- 
Regards, Jay Brandt --- Austin, Texas, USA --- <rzex60 at email.sps.mot.com>
In the SCA, HLS Jason of Rosaria, JdL, GdS, AoA --------- (Member # 3016)
Owner / Designer / Craftsman ------------------------- Bear Paw Woodworks

From: resmith at huey.cc.utexas.edu (Robert Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: 16th c. Highland Dress
Date: 10 Nov 1994 15:43:46 -0600
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin; Austin, Texas

I've seen several posts on Highland dress and thought I'd toss in my 2p.

From _Renaissance Armies_ by George Gush:

"In the 16th Century the Highlanders, if not equipped with a helmet, would
be bare-headed, but in the 17th Century they adopted the blue bonnet from
the Lowlanders. Basic costume also changed around the turn of hte century:
16th Century Highland dress consisted of the 'leine croich', a linen knee-
length shirt, usually dyed yellow with saffron, and worn with a voluminous
mantle or plaid secured with a brooch. After 1600 the leine disappeared and
was replaced with the 'belted plaid' which gave the appearance of the later
kilt and plaid. 
	In both centuries short coats an trews could be worn, the latter in the
16th Century sometimes knee-length...
	The only protection commonly worn by 16th Century Highlanders was a 
tar-stiffened leine covered with deerskin, but in any case they often stripped
for battle, though sometimes retaining the shirt, the sides of which were tucked
into the belt, the resultant tails at the front and rear being tied between the
legs...
	Plaids, often trews, and sometimes jackets were chequered, striped, or
particoloured, frequently in early tartan patterns which were simple and with
a large set (sic). As yet they did not identify clans, and a simpl
black and reD 'Rob Roy' styles seems to have been popular."

From _Scottish Military Dress_ by Peter Cochrane:

	"The early Scots may have brought with them from Ireland the leine
chroich, an outer garment of linen, perhaps padded or quilted, which was dyed
saffron when worn by notables; but it was the striped or variegated mantle
which caught the eye of sixteenth-century observers. The derivation of the 
word tartan is obscure... [H]ard cloth of the Highlands was woven from dyed
yarn in patterns of squares or checks, the easiest way of weaving a decorative
cloth."

So the use of the Great Kilt, or breacan feileadh, as a medieval garment is
questionable. At best it arrived only in the last decades of the 16th c. But
who can tell for sure. It may have been worn for some time before being
chronicled by outside observers.

This brings me to the next subject, the Great Kilt itself. Many posters have
quoted a length of material of 9 yards, from which our saying 'the whole
nine yards' comes. But we sould be aware that this is 9 yds of single width
material. Most modern tartan cloth is made double width (60" - 72"). You 
only need 4.5 to 5 yds of such material. Thus, the length should be
around 15 feet and width 6ft. These dimensions come from _Scottish Military
Dress_ and _So You're Going To Wear the Kilt_ by J. Charles Thompson, F.S.T.S.

Most common Highland weapons were the bow and the two-handed sword (claymore - 
actually this anglicization of the scots has been used to describe both the
2-handed sword and the later basket-hilted broad sword). In addition most
carried a round leather targe shield and dirk. Despite English propaganda to 
the contrary, Highland archers were greatly feared by their opponents and 
valued by Scottish commanders.

One final note. The dress described above is for Highland 'clansmen' - that is
commoners. Nobles would follow military and civilian fashions of the English
and French Nobility, as tomb carvings indicate. In addition, Lowland Scots
dressed and fought differently, wearing padded jerkins, sometimes over chain,
and fighting in dense spear or pike blocks called schiltrons.

From: z009341b at bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us (Victoria Gilliam)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Rob Roy (OOP)
Date: 1 May 1995 21:29:26 GMT
Organization: SEFLIN Free-Net - Broward

For those good gentles who wished me to repost the article from the 
Historical Costume ListServ on the Rob Roy clothing (and why it is OOP), 
here is said information:

From KATHLEEN at ANSTEC.COM Mon May  1 17:24:44 1995
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 95 14:25:16 EST
From: KATHLEEN NORVELL <KATHLEEN at ANSTEC.COM>
Subject: Rob Roy costumes

For Chantal and others who asked about the costumes in the film "Rob 
Roy". If you are contemplating doing an 18th century Highland outfit, DO 
NOT use this film as an example. There was almos nothing right about the 
Highland clothing.  (I will let others critique the English clothes 
somewhere else). Here are the problems.

Men: The men wore some sort of leather buskins on their legs. I have no
idea where this came from.If Highlanders did not go barefoot (and they
frequently did), they wore *cuarans*, skin shoes, described in Burt's
"Letters from a Gentleman in the North of Scotland" c. 1730--"But some I
have seen shod with a kind of Pumps, made out of a raw cow-hide, with the
Hair turned outward, which being ill-made, the Wearer's foot looked
something like those of a rough-footed Hen or Pigeon. These are called
'Quarrants' [cuarans] and are not only offensive to the sight; but
intolerable to the Smell of those who are near them." (i.e., they were
made of skin cut right off the carcase and laced onto the foot with a
thong -- not tanned or anything). 

Hose were worn "no higher than the Thick of the calf" (Burt's Letters).

The philibeg (small kilt), which Liam Neeson wore, was first documented 10
or so years after the film takes place (1713). It was supposedly invented
c. 1723- 25 by an Englishman. Common Highlanders (not gentlemen or
chieftains) were much more likely to wear the great kilt (breacan mor)
because they could roll up in it and sleep, cover their shuolders or
heads; gentlemen who could afford a waistcoat and/or coat would not need
the top half of the plaid. Rev. James Broome(1700) describes the men as
wearing "mantles streaked or striped with divers colors, about their
shoulders which they call pladden" and Martin (1703,"A Description of the
Western Islands of Scotland") describes trews [worn in the film by the
Duke of Argyll] and thegreat kilt and specifically states that you can
tell where a man is from by his plaid (not his family or clan)-- "This
Humour (i.e., the stripes and plaids) is a different thro' the main Land
of the Highlands in so far that they who have seen those Places is (sic)
able, at the first view of a Man's Plaid, to guess the place of his
Residence." He goes on to say that the plaid is pinned with a *bodkin* of
wood or bone (NOT a penannular brooch -- those were worn by women) and
belted around the waist."Memoirs of Mareshal Keith (b. 1693) (first
published 1843). described the Battle of Sherrifmuir in which he took
part, 13 Nov. 1715 (2 yrs. after the movie is set)--"but above all they
have another piece of the same stuff, of about six yards long which they
tie about them in such a manner that it covers their thighs and *all their
body when they please, but commonly it's fixed on their left shoulder, and
leaves their right arm free* (empahsis mine)." He further says that they
sometimes throw off the plaid entirely before fighting. 

I have not seen any contemporary illustrations of Highlanders wearing
shirts that laced up the front. 17th and 18th century shirts were slit
down the center front part way and had a button closing at the collar.
Earlier Highland *leines* did not lace up the front either. 

Highlanders commonly wore knit bonnets on their heads. These were similar
to soft berets,usually blue, but sometimes grey or black. Mentioned by
Martin (1703), John Macky (1723),and others, but earlier descriptions and
illustrations show this. 

The film also shows the members of one family all wearing the same sett of
tartan, although not any clan tartan that I recognized and NOT the "Rob
Roy"  tartan (at least they didn't do THAT). This is problematic, because
copntemporary decriptions don't mention that anything matched or didn't
match, only that there seemed to be regional plaids or tartans. The
painting of the Battle of Culloden was done some time after the fact, but
used real Highland prisoners captured there as models. They are wearing
hose, plaids, and jackets all of different setts. 

Women:  Not an airisaid in sight. The airisaid was the female equivalent
of the breacan mor, an all encompassing tartan garment worn by women.
Martin (1703) says "The ancient Dress wore by the Women, and which is yet
wore by some of the Vulgar, called *Arisad*, is a white *Plade*, having a
few small stripes of black, blew and red; it reached from the Neck to the
Heels, and was tied before on the Breast with a Buckle of Silver or
Brass,according to the Quality of the Person." The buckle, or brooch was
sometimes the size of a plate and was engraved, or had a smaller brooch
set with a "large piece of Chrystal, or some finer Stone". "The PLad being
pleated all round, was tied with a Belt below the Breast; the Belt was of
Leather, and several pieces of Silver intermixed with the Leather like a
Chain." The belt had a plate on the end of it and was decorated with
stones or silver. 

Martin continues."They wore sleeves of Scarlet Cloth, closed at the emnds
as Men's Vests, with gold lace round 'em, having Plate Buttons set with
fine Stones. The Head dress was a fine *kerchief* of Linen strait [i.e.
tight] about the Head, hanging down the back taper-wise..." Unmarried
women wore a "snood", which seems to be a ribbon wrapped around the front
of the head and tying a ponytail in back. There are illustrations of this,
although they are later than the time period I am addressing. 

Burt (1730) describes the dress of the ladies of Inverness: "The Plaid is
the Undress of the Ladies; and to a genteel Woman, who adjusts it witha
good Air, is a becoming veil. It is made of Silk or fine Worsted,
chequered with various lively colours, two Breadths wide, and three yards
in Length; it is brought over the head and may hide or discover the
Face..." 

Various writers state that the women go barefoot, but women probably wore
cuarans, and when available and affordable, regular leather shoes. 

There are no contemporary descriptions I have seen that talk about women
wearing petticoats (skirts) or bodices. In my living history group we wear
them, primarily for warmth. I think they were not mentioned because they
were not SEEN. An Airisaid covers everything, especially if it is worn
over the head. 

Anyway, sorry to go on so long, but I wanted to give documentation for my
flames. There were a lot more inaccurate things in the film besides the
Highland clothing, but that's another topic.  Hope this helps. 

Kathleen
kathleen at anstec.com 
-------------
Ellsbeth Lachlanina MacLabhruinn
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Vycke' Gilliam                       z009341b at bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us

From: caradoc at enet.net (John Groseclose)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: The Quick and Dirty Kilt-folding Guide
Date: 12 May 1995 09:39:56 GMT

Reposted by popular demand (I've gotten five requests for something like
this in the last two days.)

Some people have indicated a high-level of interest in how to wear a kilt,
so here goes an attempt... It's MUCH easier to show someone how to do this
than to try to write instructions.

You'll need a minimum of three items: a belt, preferably a handspan in
width (better to keep your kilt on ye!), a piece of cloth roughly 8-10
yards in length by 60 or so inches in width (I'd prefer wider, so I could
"cloak" myself with the top half. More on this later), and a brooch (the
semicircular "penannular" brooches work nicely, but the pin itself makes a
hole in your cloth. Try for a NARROW, SHARP pin, as it's less likely to
damage the cloth.)

The belt is placed so that the bottom edge of the kilt is just above your
knees. The other 40+ inches are going to get rolled, tucked, or pinned
somewhere over your upper body.

Before pleating:
                      8 yards or more
-------------------------------------------------------------
|                                                           |
|                                                           |
|          belt (UNDER cloth)                               |
| <-->C===========                                          |    60
inches                                                      | 12-18
inches   ^ distance from knees to hips              | 
|                |                                          |
-------------------------------------------------------------

-----//////////////-----   /// = PLEATS
|                      | 
|                      |  All of the parts ABOVE the belt get draped over the   
|                      |  shoulders, rolled and tucked into the belt, or pinned
|     C===========     |  over the left shoulder.
|                      |  The part BELOW the belt hangs just like a "short kilt"
|                      |  or "philibeg."
-----//////////////-----

Lie down upon the cloth, fold first the straight "flap from the right hip
to the left, then the flap from the left hip to the right. Buckle the belt
around your hips. If you stand up, you'll find you have two layers of
cloth over your legs: a short layer on the inside, and a long layer on the
outside going down around your ankles.

Take the two corners down near your ankles, and tuck them into your belt.
Grab a bit from the front, and a bit from behind your left hip, and bring
them on top of your left shoulder. Pin them there with your brooch.

It'll take a bit of practice, and possibly assistance from another person,
to get this hanging right. I've been wearing the "great kilt" for just
over five years, and it still takes me about half an hour to get dressed.

The great kilt can be worn with or without a shirt, with or without shoes,
stockings, sporran, bonnet, dirk, or anything else.

I've often worn naught BUT a belted plaid while working around the
campsite, then added a nice "poofy" shirt for the evening.

If you unpin the brooch on your shoulder, you will find that the mass of
cloth above the belt drapes nicely around your shoulders. With a 60"
cloth, you should be able to pull it up over your head as a kind of cloak.
. . I got caught in the rain at a RenFaire in the kilt, and got many
astonished looks from people in "short kilts" as I casually pulled my kilt
up over my head and shoulders and walked my merry way through the rain.
Try THAT in a short kilt!

Best of all, there's NO sewing involved!
-- 
John Groseclose <caradoc at enet.net>

From: beudach at aol.com (Lord Ronan Magnusson)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Effects of testosterone on Braveheart viewing - plaids
Date: 5 Jun 1995 10:14:18 GMT

Dunmail <D.J.Hodkinson at shef.ac.uk> writes:

> (1) Find a large open space
> 
> (2) Lay belt on floor
> 
> (3) Lay plaid across belt and fold into pleats
> 
> (4) Lie down on the plaid and belt and fold them around
> 
> (5) Fasten belt, stand up, and sort out the top half.

 Having a scottish grandmother mundanely,  I can tell you that there
were not to many Highland warriors concerned about pleat arrangements.(
Sure, they arranged pleats after they ran out of flowers!).  The best
way is to wrap it around your body from right to left, and throw the
excess over your shoulder. Then put your belt on around the whole
thing. You can get a pleated look depending on how much fabric you
leave around your waist before the belt goes on.  This method will
leave a "loop" of fabric in the front, but take a look at Braveheart a
little more.... 

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Scots Scholarship Needed
From: una at bregeuf.stonemarche.org (Honour Horne-Jaruk)
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 95 09:26:17 EDT

bjm10 at cornell.edu (Bryan Maloney) writes:
> Clan tartans were invented after AD1800.
> Clan tartans were invented after AD1800.
> Clan tartans were invented after AD1800.
	(much snip)
> Repeat the above mantra 1,983,327,298,265,246 times until it gets through you
> head.
> Thank you very much.
	Respected friends:
	(Drag, drag, drag... Step-Thump! Step again...)
	Warning- Obnoxious weaving-oriented pedantry follows!
	As with so many other ` facts ' we think we know about our period, the
above statement is both true, and false, and misleading.
	The book the Sobieskis wrote, establishing the supposedly "ancient"
clan tartans of Scotland, is indeed post-1800. They are also quite glaringly
dissimilar to surviving pre-1600 Scottish plaid patterns.
	Which has very little to do with whether or not pre-1600 Scots could 
tell what area, clan, or family you were from by looking at the tartan 
pattern(s) you wore.
	Three factors:
	Weavers are creatures of habit. Plaids make this worse. Working with 
a horizontal stripe or a plaid, it's easy to tell how much you've woven at 
the end of the day; weavers like that. They also like having such an easy way 
to tell good work from bad...
	Cloth can't be dyed with plants that don't exist. Each area of 
Scotland is very much stuck with its native dyeplants, and thus with colors
those dyeplants can produce. This means that each region has a set of "Common"
colors which the experienced can peg evey time.
	Setting up a loom is a very wasteful process, and used to be more so. 
Nobody did it more often than was absolutely unavoidable. This means 
that a man ordering plaid for a group is going to have the same plaid for the
whole group, so that the loom only gets dressed once, and the waste is 
minimized.
	Result: Each weaver has plaids he weaves, each region has colors it 
uses, each lord has his men dressed in the same plaid for long periods of 
time.
	Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the results. 

                                Yours in service to the Society-
                                (Friend) Honour Horne-Jaruk R.S.F. 
                                Alizaunde, Demoiselle de Bregeuf C.O.L. SCA
                                Una Wicca (That Pict)

From: Jerry Reese <afn29271 at freenet.ufl.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Highland dress for WOMEN?
Date: Sat, 26 Aug 1995 03:33:20 -0400

consult the 
HISTORY OF HIGHLAND DRESS
a definative study of the history of Scottish costume and tartan, both 
civil and military, includingnweapons... with an appendix of early 
Scottish Dyes...
it's by John Telfer Dunbar.  1962

From: Kel Rekuta <krekuta at tor.hookup.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Scottish garb
Date: 30 Sep 1995 00:20:15 GMT
Organization: HookUp Communication Corporation, Oakville, Ontario, CANADA

> 	A female friend of mine is looking for Scottish garb and we can't find
> any pictures in our library. Can anyone out there describe what 13th
> century female scots garb was like and send it to me.Even if you can
> send me a good reference, it would help. All help would be
> appreciated. Thanks.
> 
> 				Jean de Chauliac 

Would that be Highland or Lowland Scots. Lowland is easy. What did
the same class of woman wear in England, the Low Countries, France or
Germany? Scotland had good trade relations with most of the above. 
Fashion tends to follow commerce and travel. In the Highlands, more 
homespun was common as trade was limited with the poor economic conditions
in the Highlands during most of the Middle ages. The general cut of 
women's clothing would tend to be similar to Lowland fashions, if 
accessorized in a more colorful fashions. 

Also, Ireland had a lot of trade and travel exchanged with the Western
Isles of Scotland. Especially in the thirteenth century, the Isles were
culturally insular, having as little as possible dealing with lowland Scotland.

Think of these things when you put your clothing and accessories together.
Of course, deferring to someone who knows lots of about thirteenth century
costuming would be advisable. I am not such a person. I am better read
in the politics and commerce of Medieval Scotland and Ireland. Sorry.

YMMV, but best of luck.

Ceallach

From: bjm10 at cornell.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: forgive my ignorance...
Date: 14 Nov 1995 00:00:25 GMT
Organization: Cornell University

In article <481cku$reg at newsie.wis.com>, conn at wis.com says...
>I did some research this past summer and found a book at the Madison 
>(Wisconsin) public library called "The Clans of the Scottish Highlands". 
>It was originaly published in the 1800s (It was dedicated to Queen 

I'll be gentle.

The book in question is of...questionable authenticity.  The Romantic 
Revival was a time wherein people attempted to "prove" the belted plaid 
going all the way back to Rome and the kilt (little kilt) all the way 
back to Egypt.

>ancient garment called a "saffron tunic". Saffron referring to it's 

The saffron shirt was a mainstay of Irish and Scottish Gaelic clothing 
for quite some time.  However, it was not necessarily a top garment, and 
the sources I've read bring me to the conclusion that the saffron shirt 
went out of fashion in Scotland just as the belted plaid came in.

>mustard yellow colour. In one portrait, it is shown worn with a shawl-type 
>garment (tartan) over the shoulders. It looks virtually identicle to the 

A "tartan" is not a garment.  A "tartan" is a weave, later a pattern.  A 
"plaid" is a garment--it means "blanket", actually.

There is a woodcut of a man and woman from the Highlands from about the 
time of Mary's sojourne in France.  I dont' know how accurate it is, but 
it's quite unhelpful in many details.

However, if you wanna have the only authentic "Highland Scottish" 
male garb that I've seen a picture of from "SCA period", here's what ya 
do:

Make yourself a short tunic, ending about an inch above indecent, with a 
bit of a loose skirt, maybe pleated (I'm going from memory).  Make 
yourself a pair of "bike pants"--yup, those skin-tight shorts that reach 
halfway down your thighs and no lower.  The original painting had them a 
light blue.  No fly or other openings, of course.  Make a cloak, 
preferably fur-trimmed, probably rectangular in section, big enough to 
wrap all the way 'round you a couple times.  Soft shoes.  I believe that 
a snug under-tunic with long sleeves was also worn under the skirted 
tunic, but I'm reciting this from memory of a single picture.

Try to use appropriate fabrics, and I can't tell you what those would be 
off the top of my head.

This picture dates from the late 1500s and purports to be of a Highland 
gentleman.  I would presume of some rank, since trews-like garments 
remained popular among the upper classes for centuries during and after 
"period"--it was far easier to RIDE A HORSE in trews than in belted 
plaid.  Want to look like a Highland Lord?  Wear trews.  Want to look 
like a Highland Scumbag?  Wear the belted plaid.

Symon Freser
Wearing the belted plaid.

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: jgivans at iquest.net (Ian Roy Gordon)
Subject: Help with Scottish Garb!!
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 05:48:08 GMT

Greetings and well met,
  I am faced with a problem and am hoping that the good scholars of the Rialto 
might be able to help.  At Pensic I purchased a late period (early 16th c.) 
jacket to wear with a kilt.  Now it is a very nice piece, but I have yet to 
wear it at an event due to a lack of shoes.  Would anyone know what a 16th 
century Scotsman would wear with a VERY elegant jacket?  I have successfully 
aquired all the acoutraments except for socks and shoes.  A very good friend of 
mine is being elevated into the ranks of Chivalry this weekend and his 
household brothers/sisters want to honor him by dressing appropiately.  Thanks 
for your time and consideration.   BTW, any info would be appreciated but I was 
kinda hoping that someone would suggest something QUICK and easy!! 8^)

					Ian Roy Gordon
					called "the Tireless"
					mka John E. Givans

From: bjm10 at cornell.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Help with Scottish Garb!!
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 11:53:43 -0400
Organization: Cornell University

They'd get whatever they could get their hands on.  A "soft" shoe is
documented as being made of a single piece of leather, fuzzy side out. 
Stockings of any sort were optional.  The shoe had no separate sole.  From
this, you've got a lot of leeway.  Myself, I wear a pair of "ghillies",
that are a fenestrated shoe, cut from a single piece of leather and laced
together.  Look at http://sage.cc.purdue.edu/~jacobus/Bryan.html for a
picture (although the rest is 18th century).  If you were really rich,
you'd throw your kilt away and wear what the English wore.  

Also, anything but the full belted plaid would be an inappropriate "kilt"
before 1725, remember that, too.

(I saw a guy at the last Myrkfaelinn event who just made me sigh--he was
wearing a pair of buckled shoes, a pair of argyle socks with a knife stuck
in one, a filibek--little kilt, a cable sweater, and a bonnet with two
feathers in it.  The guy looked like he'd stepped right out of an 1898
catalogue.  Since I didn't know him, or anyone who could introduce me to
him, I forebore speaking to him on his choice of clothing.)

From: zaphod at zoology.ubc.ca (Lance R. Bailey)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Help with Scottish Garb!!
Date: 28 Nov 1995 17:23:38 GMT
Organization: The University of British Columbia

Ian Roy Gordon (jgivans at iquest.net) wrote:
> aquired all the acoutraments except for socks and shoes.  A very good friend 
> of mine is being elevated into the ranks of Chivalry this weekend and his 
> household brothers/sisters want to honor him by dressing appropiately.  Thanks 

having a recent persona (about a month) i've been chasing down my
costume and came stumped at the feet as well. here's what i have heard,
on the rialto:

    bare feet and legs are period
    cuaran (sock-like boots) are period
    cuaran are actually loose hide shoes (hair side out)
    the long "buckskin" boots in Rob Roy are OOP

i tend to go barefoot, i've got the good hairy celtic legs :) i've seen
boots and they look nice, but are hardly the "fine dress" that you are
after.

what i suggest is a good pair of brogues. webster dates the word from
1586.  what you are looking for, to quote webster is:

    1brogue \'bro^-g\ n
    (1586)
    1: a stout coarse shoe worn formerly in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands
    2: a heavy shoe often with a hobailed sole: BROGAN
    3: a stout oxford shoe with perforations and usu. a wing tip 

but do not get wing tip brogues however as they date from 1908 or so.
(well the word is dated 1908, and i doubt the style existed for 100
years without a word :)
--
devin ap roy
Barony of Lions Gate, An Tir

From: Elaine Ragland <er37 at columbia.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Scottish Dress--A Reference
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 17:42:36 -0400
Organization: Columbia University

	I was re-reading R. W. Southern's _The Making of the Middle Ages_ 
when I happened across this reference.  In discussing the 
internationality of the First Crusade, he says:

	"Even the Scots were there, a race of men who had been believed 
to keep all their ferocity for domestic enemies:  the French were amazed 
to see them, 'Drawn from their native swamps, with their bare legs, rough 
cloaks, purses hanging from their shoulders, hung about with arms, 
ridiculous enough in our eyes but offering the aid of their faith and 
devotion to our cause'.' (Yale University Press, 1974 paperback edition, 
p. 18),

	The footnote cites Guibert, Abbot of Nogent, _Gesta Dei per 
Francos_, Book I.i (Patrologia Latina).  Southern then adds, "Mr. A. A. 
M. Duncan has studied the significance of this passage as the earliest 
known account of Scottish dress in the _Scottish Historical Review_, 
1950, XXIX, 211-212.

	I have no idea what the Duncan article says, and have no time to 
look it up.  Would someone else like to check what it says?  I suspect 
that they are not just wearing tunics, as this would not look that 
outlandish to the French.  A length of homespun plaid wool, wrapped and 
draped around the body, might be called a "rough cloak" by a Frenchman 
who has never seen a kilt.  Anyone want to go and check the Latin?

				Melanie de la Tour

From: nostrand at mathstat.yorku.ca (Barbara Nostrand)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Scottish Dress--A Reference
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 03:11:31 -0500
Organization: de Moivre Institute

Noble Cousins!
Lady Melanie de la Tour wrote:

>         I was re-reading R. W. Southern's _The Making of the Middle Ages_ 
> when I happened across this reference.  In discussing the 
> internationality of the First Crusade, he says:
> 
>         "Even the Scots were there, a race of men who had been believed 
> to keep all their ferocity for domestic enemies:  the French were amazed 
> to see them, 'Drawn from their native swamps, with their bare legs, rough 
> cloaks, purses hanging from their shoulders, hung about with arms, 
> ridiculous enough in our eyes but offering the aid of their faith and 
> devotion to our cause'.' (Yale University Press, 1974 paperback edition, 
> p. 18),
....
>         I have no idea what the Duncan article says, and have no time to 
> look it up.  Would someone else like to check what it says?  I suspect 
> that they are not just wearing tunics, as this would not look that 
> outlandish to the French.  A length of homespun plaid wool, wrapped and 
> draped around the body, might be called a "rough cloak" by a Frenchman 
> who has never seen a kilt.  Anyone want to go and check the Latin?

The first crusade reached Constantanople in 1067.  That gives us a basic time
frame for comparison.  Before attempting to analyse the quote cited by the
original poster, you should go off and look at what people in the Empire were
wearing at the time.  Otto II (955-83) or Otto III (980-1002) (we are not
sure which of the two is depicted in the famous portrait) is shown wearing a
long tunic with hose and shoes while even his soldiers are shown wearing 
short tunics over hose or vambraces and boot like affairs.  The author comments
on the general dissarray and bare legs of the Scotts.  What then can be made
from bare legs?  First of all we can postulate that they were wearing some
variant on the chiton (or short cloak) once worn by Roman servants and seen
in some Roman military uniforms as well.  Regardless, we have a vision of
a much better dressed continental army being joined by bare legged rather
scruffy Scotts wearing rough homespun cloaks.  Whether or not the garments
were made of plaid wool is moot.  Lots of garments were made of wool and a
lot of woolen garments were plaid.  Both inside and outside of Scotland.
Further, there is nothing in the quoted passage to suggest that the clothing
was plaid or even made out of wool.  (Although it was very likely woolen.)

                                       Your Humble Servant
                                       Solveig Throndardottir
                                       Amateur Scholar

From: foxd at silver.ucs.indiana.edu (daniel fox)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Old Irish and Highland Dress
Date: 17 Aug 1996 06:10:14 GMT
Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington

Frederick C Yoder  <fyoder at mesa5.mesa.colorado.edu> wrote: 
>If you have seen the book, could you tell anything about the utility of 
>it regarding accuracy and such?  I went to a lot of trouble to get a book 
>of similar title and was sore disappointed in it.  It turned out to be 
>one of those early 1800's noble savage books, where everyone wore 
>bearskins till they took up French fashion...
>  Phred

Old Irish and Highland Dress by H. F. McClintock is about the best book
on the subject I have run into--it uses primary source material, and 
isn't infested with the usual romanticized notions on the subject.

(I.E. it doesn't assume that clan tartans go back hundreds of years, and
shows a picture of the actual statues that resulted in the mistaken
notions about Irish kilts.  )

The drawback is that the book was printed in 1950, and hasn't been in print for
40 years....

Audelindis de Rheims

From: bjm10 at cornell.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: HELP!!! (Scottish personas)
Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 18:06:52 -0500
Organization: Cornell University

Rabeeto at msn.com (Colin Davidson) wrote:
> mid 1500's - early renaissance, almost medieval?.  My husband-to-be 

Mid 1500s--almost modern era, late Renaissance, in Highland Scotland,
maybe mid-Renaissance.

> is full blooded Scottish and he is going to wear the Great Kilt with 

I presume you mean "Gaelic"--you can be "full blooded Scottish" and have
not a drop of Gaelic ancestry.  You could be 100% Scandinavian!

> some type of poet/ pirate shirt well now what do I wear?  Did the 

Uh, okay, it'll do.  But, if you really want it to be "period", the
stockings should be of woven cloth.  NO BONNET!  The "Highland Bonnet"
didn't exist until the 17th century--before then, it was an almost
universal comment of travelers to Highland Scotland that the men were
always bareheaded.  No "sgain dubh"--that's a 19th century bit of
ornamentation.  

> Scottish women of that time wear what the English or Welsh wore?  

Far as I can tell, they wore something similar to English clothes, but
with a plaid of their own as a shawl/hood/etc.

> Were they into Druidism then?  I thought we could pretend that we 

Uh, Scotland by the mid-1500s was Christian, as far as any solid scholarly
evidence goes.  Of course, you can find a crackpot to claim anything. 
Now, there were arguments between the Roman Catholics and the followers of
Brother John Knox (Presbyterians).  The Highlands tended towards
Catholicism.  But outright "paganism"--only in bad comic books.

> were having a secretive wedding of an English woman and a Scottish 
> man (much to the shock of the families/clan), really I don't know 

Maybe "Lowland Woman" and "Highland Man".  If she's English and knows a
Scotsman, he'd be a lowlander, and damned hard to distinguish from an
Englishman.

> something along the line of a cotehardie with one of those rolled 
> cloth headbands with the veil?  I've heard of handfasting, having 

Look at some portraits of the period.  Get some art books from the library
and look at portraiture for ideas for your clothes.

From: Kel Rekuta <krekuta at tor.hookup.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: HELP!!! (Scottish personas)
Date: 30 Sep 1996 03:16:18 GMT
Organization: HookUp Communication Corporation, Oakville, Ontario, CANADA

Snip of some good advice that need not be copied.

> > some type of poet/ pirate shirt well now what do I wear?  Did the 
> 
> Uh, okay, it'll do.  But, if you really want it to be "period", the
> stockings should be of woven cloth.  NO BONNET!  The "Highland Bonnet"
> didn't exist until the 17th century--before then, it was an almost
> universal comment of travelers to Highland Scotland that the men were
> always bareheaded. 

The common folk maybe. Also those travellers neglected to mention that
the mantle usually flipped up like a hood. In lowland Scotland bonnets
were quite common, but not the Roy Roy floppy woven thing. There was
some kind of bonnet worn because James V once dashed his bonnet into
the fire in a rage. This was commented upon by the French courtier who
observed it, as a common thing for Scottish men to do when angry.
That's pretty conclusive evidence that caps existed before the 17th C

  No "sgain dubh"--that's a 19th century bit of ornamentation.  

Yes, when worn in the right stocking with a dress kilt. Do you
honestly believe Scots didn't carry little knives on them, as well
as the better known large ones! Englishmen did, Frenchmen did, Germans
did. Just because they were named in the Highland language, doesn't mean
they didn't exist before the 17th C.

> > Scottish women of that time wear what the English or Welsh wore?  

Lots more good advise.

Sorry for the interruption. Just couldn't swallow the unpalatable bits.

Ceallach

From: Quin Hinrichs <flyhrse at goodnet.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: re:Scottish Personas Help!!!
Date: 1 Oct 1996 01:12:06 GMT

Keep in mind that during the period you described, and for most of the 
time after that until way out of SCA period, the Scots and the English 
did not get along at all.  The only Scots that got along with the English 
at all were those that were playing up to the English Kings to keep from 
being beaten into submission.  Your basic highland Scot would not have 
much contact with the English at all, unless he was a mercenary, and then 
he was killing them.  The chances of "love conquering all" in this case 
would be pretty slim.  A lowland Scot (those living near the English 
border) would have had more contact with his English neighbors, but it 
would likely not have been a friendly relationship.  His goal would have 
been to make their lives miserable by raiding and plundering, murdering 
when necessary.  The English would have been quite happy to murder the 
Scots right back.  An English woman would have been kept away from the 
Scottish as much as possible, and would have stayed safely in her village 
or castle keep.  The only exception to this would be in the case of a 
child of Scottish nobility who due to the family's English affiliations 
would dress and behave like an Englishman, and not much like a Scot at 
all and that means NO PLAID.  If you watch the movie Braveheart, you will 
see the basic relationship between the Scots and English during the 
period you've mentioned.  to see how it all turned out, watch Rob Roy.  
In a nutshell the Scots and English did not get along and were each 
considered awful, uncivilized, dishonest and repugnant by the other.  So, 
it is likely that you will want to dress as a Scottish woman for the 
wedding.

Anyway, here are some answers to your questions about Scottish women.  
The religion would have been basically Catholic, with many pagan 
traditions and superstitions thrown in.  The wedding would have been an 
old Catholic ritual (once again for a little idea, watch Braveheart).  
The clothing is very hard to describe but here's an idea.  A very upper 
class Scottish woman (nobility or "English suck-ups") would have dressed 
as the English did, and as I said before that includes no plaid.  The 
traditional garb, however, is quite simple to make and exotic to look at. 
 The basic underdress is called a 'leine' or linn.  It is either white, 
off-white or a shade of saffron (yellow to gold).  It is a loose-fitting 
chemise with raglan sleeves and a very large neck that is gathered on a 
draw string at the neckline.  It has huge, wide sleeves that are pleated 
or gathered until they hang to the wrist.  Over this is worn a bog dress 
which is a well-fitting bodice that laces up the front.  The skirt is 
attached at the waistline, but is left open in the front.  The whole 
thing is lined in a contrasting or complimentary color.  Under the bog 
dress may be worn an additional skirt to add color.  Over this is the 
woman's version of the plaid.  It is called an arasaid.  It is about 4-6 
yards of tartan that is belted at the waist and draped and pinned over 
the shoulders.  The feet are traditionally bare, but to accomodate modern 
tastes, leather mocassins or slippers are acceptable. Celtic embroidery 
all over the bog dress and skirt is appropriate.  The headwear would be 
the kertch (a triangular piece of fabric wrapped around the head with the 
middle point hanging down the back -- sort of like a gypsy scarf crossed 
with a small turban).  Also acceptable for a woman is the veil and linen 
headroll (although more Irish than Scottish).

If you want more information on Scottish garb, or pictures or patterns, 
E-mail me directly at flyhrse at goodnet.com.

Best of luck!
Mar sin leat an-drasda,
Mairi NicMorgan of the Clan MacAodh
(Mundanely -- Quin Hinrichs)

From: priest at vassar.edu (Carolyn Priest-Dorman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Advice/Pointers Regarding Scottish Garb.
Date: 2 Feb 1997 15:54:24 GMT
Organization: Vassar College

Greeting from Thora Sharptooth!

Nate (nathb at efn.org) wrote...
>I'm looking for the following information regarding Scottish Costume as 
>it applies to 10th, 12th century periods.  
[snip]
>        - Tartans; How can you identify a tartan fabric (something at 
>least vaguely period) and what kind of garments were tartan used to make 
>(ie, if I show up wearing a tartan tunic... trousers, ect).

The tartan patterns that are commonly ascribed to various clans these days are 
not a period phenomenon, as far as we know.  And there's not a terrific 
pile of period textile finds to sort through, so information on this period 
in Scotland is kind of hard to come by.  But the plaid and checked cloths I've 
seen documented from early period in Northern Europe have all shared certain 
characteristics, which I'll try to go into here.

First, they have a fairly small "repeat" area; i.e., the pattern repeats in an 
area that is (from what I've seen) much smaller than the modern pattern repeat 
of a tartan.  The largest repeat I've seen on an early period check/plaid 
pattern was 15x15cm, and that was sixth century three-color plaid from Norway. 
 (See http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/mensgarb.html for more info.)  But 
plain checking of two colors in fairly small checks (circa half a centimeter 
to two centimeters) was much more typical.  

Second, the color scheme was generally one of two varieties.  Sometimes it was 
tone-on-tone monochrome (done by using yarn spun in different directions, an 
extremely subtle and lovely technique) that gives the effect of, say, two 
closely related shades of gray or brown.  Sometimes it was two shades of 
undyed wool (i.e., brown, off-white, or black).  And sometimes it was two (or 
maybe three) dyed colors--sometimes the checks are separated by thin lines of 
a third color.

Small-pattern houndstooth weave is also appropriate for this period, 
especially in the undyed shades.

Since I don't know what the Scots were wearing in this period (again, there's 
not much primary evidence out there), it's hard to suggest which garments 
would be appropriately made from checked fabrics.  However, absent any 
other information, and based on extrapolations from other surrounding 
cultures, I'd be willing to wear checked hoods, cloaks, trousers, and tunics 
made of the stuff.
***************************************************************************
Carolyn Priest-Dorman                          Thora Sharptooth
priest at vassar.edu                              Frostahlid, Austrriki

Subject: BG - leine pattern
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 98 15:47:03 MST
From: Chris Yone <cyone at sprd1.mdacc.tmc.edu>
To: Bryn-Gwlad list <bryn-gwlad at Ansteorra.ORG>

This link is for anyone interested in the basic leine pattern (irish or
scottish highland) (shirt or chemise with large, baggy sleeves gathered
on top to the proper length)

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~his016/leine.html

Kirsten MacDonald

From: Charles Knutson <charles at historicgames.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Scottish attire (men & Women)
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 12:14:17 -0600
Organization: Rose & Pentagram Design

Since kilts have been discussed so much lately, I've posted a collection
of quotes from the 16th & 17th century showing how people of the time
were describing Scottish attire. It's located at:
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Gorge/3154/scotsclothes.html

Charles
Clann Tartan Historical Re-enactment
http://www.clanntartan.org

[Submitted by: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>]
Subject: Re: kilts - Universitie
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 08:40:38 EST
From: EoganOg at aol.com
To: jonesj at InfoAve.Net
CC: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org

jonesj at InfoAve.Net writes:
> I'd be really interested in more about being a "professional scot". You and
>  I have briefly discussed it, but I wonder if you'd like to make a plug on
>  the rose? If so, I'll ask you about it there.

More about being a professional Scot, huh?
Well, my job as curator of the Scottish Tartans Museum has been called by
some as being Scottish for a living.

First of all, the Scottish Tartans Museum in Franklin, NC
(http://intertekweb.com/tartans) is the american extension of the Scottish
Tartans Museum in Edinburgh, both of which are sponsored by the Scottish
Tartans Society (http://www.electricscotland.com/sts).  The STS was recognised
as an organisation Noblesse in 1963 and is responsible for maintaining the
official Registry of All Publicly Known Tartans.  Basically this is a database
of any tartan ever woven, which not only includes all the common clan tartans,
but also artifact peices from museums and private collections, and modernly
designed tartans for families, businesses, cities, etc.  Currently there are
over 2500 tartans on record and about 30 to 40 are added each year.  Part of
this database has been webbed at http://www.tartans.scotland.net.  There are
other organisations out there who claim to have an official register of
tartans, but the STS has the real thing, and the authority of the British
Crown.

Now back to my job.  One thing the STS does is provide information on Highland
Dress, both modern and historical.  And that is what the museum focuses
on--the evolution of the kilt and the tartan.  I tell people that I wear the
kilt about 3 or 4 days a week.  This includes the modern kilt as well as
various historical styles dating from about 1570 on. I lead tours, tell people
about Highland Dress, etc.  I also get to set up and maintain exhibits, which
often puts my in the position of handling some really neat old peices, such as
a box pleated feilidh-beag from 1792, the earliest civilian kilt known to
still exist.

I travel to local area schools to give programs, and also represent the museum
at local heritage fairs.  Even though our museum focuses primarily on the
dress, we do have to also serve as a general center for Scottish heritage,
since we are the only thing of this kind in the area.  This includes music,
literature, history, geneology (although we are not really equipped for
that, we do try to help people), etc.

Another aspect of my job is travelling to various Highland Games and Scottish
Fesitvals in the Southeast to represent the museum and give out information on
tartans and the kilt.  I usually go in historic dress of one kind or another
and meet many interesting folks.

So there you have it.  I make my living, as it were, in being Scottish, and
despensing information on things Scottish.  It's a lot of fun, even if one
does tend to get burned out at times.

Since you think this will be of interest to the Merry Rose, I'll cross post
this there as well.  Nice shameless plug for my museum (we have a gift shop!
we do mail orders!  (828)524-7472!  ;-).

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share this.

Aye,
Eogan
(who is getting ready to head to work now, so I must turn into my alter-ego,
Matt. . .)
=================================
Matthew Allen Newsome
Curator & Historical Consultant for the
Scottish Tartans Museum, Franklin NC
"Bring Forrit the Tartan!"
<A HREF="http://www3.wcu.edu/~mn13189/index.htm">
http://www3.wcu.edu/~mn13189/index.htm</A>

Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:41:51 +1000
From: Braddon Giles <braddongiles at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Lochac] shoes was Looking for suggestions ...
To: "The Shambles: the SCA Lochac mailing list"
	<lochac at lochac.sca.org>

Yes, the difficult part in recreating Scots clothing is that it
doesn't meet our modern view of what it should be. Damn that real
history - why doesn't it doesn't match with the way we do our
recreation ;-)

In 1542 or 1543 a John Elder (Highlander) wrote to Henry VIII, and in
his letter stated "Moreover, wherfor they call us in Scotland
Reddshanckes, and in your Graces dominion of England roghefootide
Scottis, pleas it your Maiestie to understande, that we of all people
can tolleratt, suffir, and away best with colde, for boithe somer and
wyntir, (excepte whene the froest is mooste vehement,) goynge alwaies
bair leggide and bair footide, our delite and pleasure is not onely in
huntynge of redd deir, wolfes, foxes, and graies, wherof we abounde,
and have greate plentie, but also in rynninge, leapinge, swymynge,
shootynge, and thrawinge of dartis: therfor, in so moche as we use and
delite so to go alwaies, the tendir delicatt gentillmen of Scotland
call us Reddshanckes"

So Highland Scots go bare legged and bare footed, except when the
"froest is mooste vehement", which in Scotland is saying something!
There probably isn't anything like that vehemence in Lochac, apart
from Ynys Fawr and Southron Gaard. However we have modern health and
safety issues, and in Queensland big juicy leeches, so we have to work
something out.

I sometimes wear a great kilt, and as we cannot date the kilt to
earlier than the 1590's I also wear late Elizabethan style "Mary
Janes", with with either hose or long socks. So I have to be a "tendir
delicatt gentillman of Scotland" and wear shoes.

The academic authority on Gaelic clothing (McClintock) states that to
make shoes the Scots would cut leather raw off the deer in an oval,
pierce the edges and then bind up with thonging, probably also raw off
the deer. The only problem was water, and not in the way that you
would first think. With all the running through the country and
jumping in rivers there was going to be water getting in. To enable
the water to excape the side of the shoes would be *slashed*, so they
weren't water proof; they were non water retaining. Mad, mad Scots.

So what happened when the raw leather started to stink too badly? You
turf them into the heather, shoot another deer, and made another pair
of shoes. Perfect, really.

Have a look at this etching from Durer. It shows Irish Gallowglasses
from 1521, and they were wearing the same thing that highland Scots
were wearing at the same time. First of all you can see that they
aren't wearing kilts, because kilts wouldn't be invented for another
70 years. Instead, they are wearing leines and brats. You can also see
that they were wearing no hose, some shoes, and some sandals, and some
no shoes. The guy second from left looks like he is wearing reef
sandals!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gallowglass_-_D%C3%BCrer.png

Giles.

Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:03:03 +1300
From: Al Muckart <silver at where.else.net.nz>
Subject: Re: [Lochac] Looking for suggestions ...
To: "The Shambles: the SCA Lochac mailing list"
	<lochac at lochac.sca.org>

On 20/11/2009, at 12:17 AM, Somhairle Mac Nicail wrote:
<<< I am finally trying to get good garb together ... the fabric for my  
Belted Plaid has been ordered (did I mention my persona was mid-15th  
century highland Scot?) ... but now I need proper shoes. Does anyone  
have any suggestions on what would be appropriate footwear, and  
where I could get it from? >>>

Congratulations on picking one of the hardest times and places do  
document footwear. This might take a while :)

Lowland Scots is relatively easy; wear out-dated English styles.  
Highland Scots is harder, not least because it has fallen prey to more  
than average amounts of VRBS[1], and even more than that suffers from  
the further romantic visions of the weirder elements of the Braveheart- 
watching Scots nationalist crowd.  This means that the vast majority  
of what you read about highland Scots is Just Wrong, and teasing out  
the grains of truth from the wrongheaded assumptions it is quite hard.

As for shoes, it's difficult to say. Having lived through highland  
winters I don't buy the barefoot option for a second. They may have  
been seen as primitive compared to the rest of Western Europe, but  
they weren't stupid, and frostbitten toes are not fun.

There are a couple of routes you could go. You can try an piece  
together something plausibly accurate  for the time and place, or you  
can get something that fits with the common perception of the period  
that won't badly break people's heads. If you go with the latter, your  
choices are barefoot or shoe from 10th century Irish patterns. Willy   
Groenman van Waateringe's works on early shoes are your best bet here.  
They're fairly easy to pattern and make.

Mid 15th century highlands isn't a time and place I know much about in  
terms of footwear, but I think it would be plausible to take mid 14th  
century working-class shoe styles and apply them further north. You do  
run into problems with belted plaid that early though.

[1] Victorian Romantic Bull Shit
-- 
Alasdair Muckart | William de Wyke | http://wherearetheelves.blogspot.com

Date: Mon, 03 Oct 2011 07:46:00 -0400
From: Garth Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
Subject: [MR] Historic tartan books online

Noble friends, especially fellow Scots,

The Scottish Tartans Museum has recently posted full-color scans of 
several historical books featuring tartan patterns ( 
http://resources.scottishtartans.org/ ). These show clan tartans (in 
some cases spurious), and as such are beyond our period. However, some 
of the tartans themselves are much, much older, and could have been worn 
by anyone, since there were no "clan tartans" before the 18th century. 
Tartan was worn by many hightlanders as an upper body wrap long before 
they began wrapping it around their waists in the late 1500s. I happened 
to notice Lennox in one book, a particular tartan which was depicted in 
a portrait of 1580. Some of the tartans depicted are no longer in use, 
having been replaced by more modern setts, and information on them is 
very hard to find.

The books currently offered are the VESTIARIUM SCOTICUM (1842, a notable 
fraud by the Sobieski Stuarts); CLANS OF THE HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND 
(1850); AUTHENTICATED TARTANS OF THE CLANS AND FAMILIES OF SCOTLAND 
(1850); PATTERNS OF THE HIGHLAND CLANS (mid-19th century); and OLD & 
RARE SCOTTISH TARTANS (1893).

The museum has other pages which can be of help creating a Scottish 
persona. On the main page ( http://www.scottishtartans.org/gallery.html 
) there are discussion papers and free downloads under "Education" and 
"Free Downloads" on the toolbar. While the museum's emphasis is beyond 
our time period, there is much to be learned here.

Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot

<the end>

Edited by Mark S. Harris	cl-Scotland-msg	Page  of