Tartan

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For other uses, see Tartan (disambiguation).
Three examples of Scottish tartan.
Three examples of Scottish tartan.

Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven cloth, but are now used in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns. (Tartan is also known as plaid in North America, but in Scotland, a plaid is a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder or a blanket.)

A Tartan is made with alternating bands of coloured (pre-dyed) threads woven as both warp and weft at right angles to each other. The weft is woven in a simple twill, two over - two under the warp, advancing one thread each pass. This forms visible diagonal lines where different colours cross, which give the appearance of new colours blended from the original ones. The resulting blocks of colour repeat vertically and horizontally in a distinctive pattern of squares and lines known as a sett.

Until the middle of the nineteenth century, the highland tartans were associated with regions or districts, rather than by any specific clan. This was due to the fact that tartan designs were produced by local weavers for local tastes and would tend to make use of the natural dyes available in that area. The patterns were simply different regional checked-cloth patterns, whereof one chose the tartans most to one's liking - in the same way as people nowadays choose what colours and patterns they prefer in their clothing. Thus, it was not until the mid 1800s that specific tartans became associated with Scottish clans or Scottish families, or simply institutions who are (or wish to be seen as) associated in some way with a Scottish heritage. [1]

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[edit] Etymology and tartan terminology

The English word tartan is derived from the French tiretain. This French word is likely derived from the verb tirer in reference to woven cloth (as opposed to knitted cloth). Though today the word tartan usually refers to patterns, originally a tartan did not have to be made up of any pattern at all. As late as the 1830s tartan was described as "plain coloured ... without pattern". Patterned cloth from the Gaelic speaking Scottish Highlands was called breacan, meaning many colours. Over time the meanings of tartan and breacan were combined to describe certain type of pattern on a certain type of cloth. Today tartan is generally used to describe a pattern, and it is not limited to only textiles.[2]

The pattern of a tartan is called the sett. The sett is made up of a series of woven threads which cross at right angles. The series of threads can be the same in warp and weft (or not, as the case may be). The sett can made up of two opposed half-setts which repeat, and reverse at each repetition. In consequence each half-sett is a mirror image of its neighbouring half-setts in all four directions.[2]

[edit] Recording tartan

Early collectors of tartan recorded setts by measuring the width of each stripe in one eighths of an inch. The modern way of recording tartan is by counting the threads of each colour. The thread count not only describes the width of the stripes on a sett, but also the colours used. For example, the thread count "K4 R24 K24 Y4" corresponds to 4 black threads, 24 red threads, 24 black threads, 4 yellow threads. Though thread counts are indeed quite specific, they can to be modified in certain circumstances, depending on the desired size of the tartan. For example, the sett of a tartan (about 6 inches) may be too large to fit upon the face of a neck tie. In this case the thread count has to be reduced in proportion (about 3 inches).[3]

[edit] Origins

The world's first colour photograph, made by the Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell in 1861, was of a tartan ribbon.
The world's first colour photograph, made by the Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell in 1861, was of a tartan ribbon.

Today tartan may be mostly associated with Scotland, however the earliest evidence of tartan is found far afield from the British Isles. Textile analysis of fabric from Indo-European Tocharian graves in Western China has shown it to be similar to the Iron Age Hallstatt culture of central Europe.[4] Tartan leggings were found on the "Cherchen Man", a 3,000 year-old mummy, found in the Taklamakan Desert in western China (see Tarim mummies).[5] Similar finds have been found in central Europe and Scandinavia.[2] The earliest documented tartan in Britain is the Falkirk tartan which dates from the 3rd century AD. It was uncovered at Falkirk in Stirlingshire, Scotland, about 400 metres north-west of the Antonine Wall. The fragment was stuffed into the mouth of the earthenware pot containing almost 2,000 Roman coins. The Falkirk tartan is simple check design, of natural light and dark wool. Early forms of tartan such as this are thought to have been invented in pre-Roman times, and would have been popular among the inhabitants of the northern Roman provinces.[6][7]

Particoloured cloth was used by the Celts from the earliest time, but the variety of colours in the clothing was greater or less, according to the wealth of the wearer. By the time of Martin Martin (circa 1700), the Scottish tartans seemed to be used to distinguish the inhabitants of different regions or districts and not different families as at present. He expressly says that the inhabitants of various islands and the mainland of the highlands were not all dressed alike, but that the setts and colours of the various tartans varied from isle to isle. As he does not mention the use of a special pattern by each family, it would appear that such a distinction is a modern one, and taken from the ancient custom of a tartan for each district, the family or clan in each district originally the most numerous in each part, eventually adopting as their distinctive clan tartan, the tartan of such district. Martin's information was not obtained on hearsay: he was born in Skye, and reared in the midst of Highland customs.

John Campbell of the Bank, 1749. The present official Clan Campbell tartans are green.
John Campbell of the Bank, 1749. The present official Clan Campbell tartans are green.

For many centuries, the patterns were loosely associated with the weavers of a particular area, though it was common for highlanders to wear a number of different tartans at the same time. A 1587 charter granted to Hector Maclean of Duart requires feu duty on land paid as 60 ells of cloth of white, black and green colours. A witness of the 1689 Battle of Killiecrankie describes "McDonnell's men in their triple stripes". From 1725 the government force of the Highland Independent Companies introduced a standardised tartan chosen to avoid association with any particular clan, and this was formalised when they became the Black Watch regiment in 1739.

The most effective fighters for Jacobitism were the supporting Scottish clans, leading to an association of tartans with the Jacobite cause. Efforts to pacify the Highlands led to the 1746 Dress Act banning tartans with exemptions for the military and the gentry. Soon after the Act was repealed in 1782 Highland Societies of landowners were promoting "the general use of the ancient Highland dress". William Wilson & Sons of Bannockburn became the foremost weaving manufacturer around 1770 as suppliers of tartan to the military. Wilson corresponded with his agents in the highlands to get information and samples of cloth from the clan districts to enable him to reproduce "perfectly genuine patterns" and recorded over 200 setts by 1822, many of which were tentatively named. The Cockburn Collection of named samples made by Wilsons was put together between 1810 and 1820 and is now in the Mitchell Library in Glasgow. At this time many setts were simply numbered, or given fanciful names such as the "Robin Hood" tartan.

By the 19th century the Highland romantic revival inspired by James Macpherson's Ossian poems and the writings of Walter Scott led to wider interest, with clubs like the Celtic Society of Edinburgh welcoming Lowlanders. The pageantry invented for the 1822 visit of King George IV to Scotland brought a sudden demand for tartan cloth and made it the national dress of the whole of Scotland rather than just the highlands and islands, with the invention of many new clan-specific tartans to suit.

[edit] Clan tartans

David Morier's An incident in the rebellion of 1745.
David Morier's An incident in the rebellion of 1745.
"Ye principal clovris of ye clanne Stewart tartan" which appeared in the Vestiarium Scoticum of 1842. The Vestiarium is the source of many of today's clan tartans.
"Ye principal clovris of ye clanne Stewart tartan" which appeared in the Vestiarium Scoticum of 1842. The Vestiarium is the source of many of today's clan tartans.

It is generally regarded that "clan tartans" date no earlier than the beginning of the 19th century. It is maintained by many that clan tartans were not in use at the time of the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The method of identifying friend from foe was not through tartans but by the colour of ribbon worn upon the bonnet.[note 1][note 2] David Morier's well known painting of the Highland charge at the battle shows the clansman wearing various tartans. The setts painted all differ from one another and very few of the those painted show any resemblance to today's clan tartans.[10] Contemporary portraits show that although tartan is of an early date, the pattern worn depended not on the wearer's clan, but upon his or her location, or personal taste. The idea of groups of men wearing the same tartan is thought to originate from the military units in the 18th century. Evidence suggests that in 1725 the Independant Highland Companies may have worn a uniform tartan.[10]

The naming and registration of official clan tartans began on April 8, 1815 when the Highland Society of London (founded 1778) resolved that all the clan chiefs each "be respectfully solicited to furnish the Society with as Much of the Tartan of his Lordship's Clan as will serve to Show the Pattern and to Authenticate the Same by Attaching Thereunto a Card bearing the Impression of his Lordship's Arms." Many had no idea of what their tartan might be, but were keen to comply and to provide authentic signed and sealed samples. Alexander Macdonald, 2nd Baron Macdonald of Slate was so far removed from his Highland heritage that he wrote to the Society: "Being really ignorant of what is exactly The Macdonald Tartan, I request you will have the goodness to exert every Means in your power to Obtain a perfectly genuine Pattern, Such as Will Warrant me in Authenticating it with my Arms."

Today tartan and "clan tartan" is an important part of a Scottish clan. Almost all Scottish clans have several tartans attributed to their name. Several clans have "official" tartans. Although it is possible for anyone to create a tartan and name it any name they wish, the only person with the authority to make a clan's tartan "official" is the chief.[note 3] In some cases, following such recognition from the clan chief, the clan tartan is recorded and registered by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Once approved by the Lord Lyon, after recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Tartan, the clan tartan is then recorded in the Lyon Court Books.[10] In at least one instance a clan tartan appears in the heraldry of a clan chief and is considered by the Lord Lyon as the "proper" tartan of the clan.[note 4]

Interestingly, a few tartans are now described as "general", i.e. acceptable for all to wear. The Black Watch tartan (see below) is the most well-known of these. Furthermore, the "Stewart Hunting Tartan" is also considered a general tartan by many; originally, as the name implies, a Stewart tartan, its use in several Highland regiments led to this broadening of its application. It remains, however, the most popular tartan in use by Stewart clan members. Finally, a few words should be said about the best known tartan of all: the famous Royal Stewart. Originally a variation on the Stewart of Galloway clan tartan, and as such a bona fide Stewart tartan, it was favoured by the Royal Family, wherefore many people consider it a Royal tartan. For this reason, it became a much sought-after tartan with the Highland regiments; and this, again, led to its present-day popularity, where it functions, for all practical purposes, as the Scottish Tartan, being used with everything from shortbread boxes to mugs and miniskirts. Queen Anne, foreseeing this development, remedied it once and for all by affirming that the British sovereign was to be considered clan chief of all Britons[citation needed] – English, Scots, Welsh and Irish – and that every (loyal) British subject therefore had the right to display her/his allegiance to the clan chief by wearing the clan tartan of the United Kingdom[citation needed]: the Royal Stewart.

[edit] Other tartans

The Black Watch tartan, also known as the "Government sett", or the Campbell tartan. The tartan was used, and is in current use, by several military units throughout the Commonwealth.
The Black Watch tartan, also known as the "Government sett", or the Campbell tartan. The tartan was used, and is in current use, by several military units throughout the Commonwealth.[13]
Northumbrian tartan, one of the earliest known tartans.
Northumbrian tartan, one of the earliest known tartans.
An example of a modern Hunting tartan, the MacAulay Hunting tartan. Hunting tartans are generally darker and less distinct tartans, and meant to resemble camouflage.
An example of a modern Hunting tartan, the MacAulay Hunting tartan. Hunting tartans are generally darker and less distinct tartans, and meant to resemble camouflage.

In addition to the clan tartans, there are many tartans registered for families, districts, institutions and even specific commemorative "memorials" for events or persons. Further, tradition reserves some patterns for use by Scottish Highland military units of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries.

Those units associated with the British Royal Family use the Royal Stewart Tartan regardless of whether they are affiliated by blood to the Stewart clan. This is because of the Royal Family's Stewart ancestry through James VI of Scotland. The Royal family themselves use the Balmoral tartan. However tartan is pretty inclusive. There are tartans for military forces like the Royal Air Force & Royal Canadian Air Force, commercial companies, special interest groups like Amnesty International, religious movements (including Hare Krishna), cities, football clubs (including non-UK football clubs like Hammarby IF[1][2]), dancing and whisky-drinking societies, non-British Celtic groups such as French Bretons and Spanish Galicians, commemorations and regions of the world where people of the Scottish Diaspora live. Members of various non-Scottish ethnic groups living in Scotland have developed their own tartans, including Scotland's Jewish, Sikh and Chinese communities.[14]

As a result most people, whether of Scottish ancestry or not, can find some tartan which is significant for them. There are also general fashion tartans, not officially registered in Scotland, for those who do not care about the significance.

In Canada all provinces have an official tartan.

British Airways used a tartan design as part of its ethnic tailfin rebranding. This design, Benyhone or "Mountain of the birds," was one of the most widely used designs, being applied to 27 aircraft of the BA fleet.

The Clergy are the only profession represented by a separate tartan. The legend that goes along with this is that they needed a separate tartan to wear instead of their own family's so that they would not be attacked by members of their new congregations who were feuding with their clan.

In the Celtic regions of Cornwall, Wales, Brittany and Galicia tartans and kilts have been adopted as part of the 19th and 20th century Celtic revival. In Ireland, tartans date back to the 1600's and every county in Ireland has its own tartan design as well as family clans having their own particular tartan.

The traditional Northumbrian tartan [3], known in Scotland as the Shephard's Tartan or the Falkirk Sett, is perhaps the oldest tartan design in the British Isles. It is still in common use, for instance being worn by Northumbrian Pipers.

Carnegie Mellon University's athletic teams are nicknamed the Tartans in recognition of founder Andrew Carnegie's Scottish origin.

The word 'Tartan' is also used as a prefix to denote something of Scottish origin, for example the term 'Tartan Army' is used to refer to fans of the Scottish national Football (soccer) team. The Rev Donald Caskie, a Church of Scotland minister, became known as the Tartan Pimpernel for helping Allied service personnel to escape from occupied France during World War II.

[edit] Tartan registration

Coat of arms of the now defunct Scottish Tartans Society.
Coat of arms of the now defunct Scottish Tartans Society.

Up until recently there has been no central, or "official" tartan registry. With the absence of any official register, there exist several un-authoritative groups, in Scotland, Canada and the USA, which document and record tartan.[15] In the 1960s, a Scottish society called the Scottish Tartans Society was created to record and preserve all known tartan designs.[16] The society's register, the Register of All Publicly Known Tartans, contains about 2,700 different designs of tartan.[17] The society however ran into financial troubles in about the year 2000, and is now defunct.[18] Former members of the society then formed two new Scottish-based organisations—the Scottish Tartans Authority (STA) and the Scottish Tartans World Register (STWR). Both of these societies based their database upon the Register of All Publicly Known Tartans. The STA's database consists of about 3,500 tartans, while the STWR's is made up of about 3,000 different designs.[17] Both organisations are registered Scottish charities and actively record tartan (for a fee) on request.[19][20]

In recent years the government of Scotland have been considering sponsoring an official register of tartan. On October 9, 2008 the Scottish Parliament passed the "Scottish Register of Tartans Bill" clearing the way for a national register of tartan in Scotland.[21] The Act of Parliament (Scottish Register of Tartans Act 2008) is expected to get Royal Assent before the year 2009.[22] The register will located at the Register House, Edinburgh and will be created and maintained by the National Archives of Scotland. It has been proposed that anyone would be able to officially register a tartan for about £80 and £100. In total it is estimated that there are about 7,000 different tartans, and about 150 new designs being created every year.[23]

[edit] See also

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Look up tartan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ James Ray who served in the government forces at the Battle of Culloden, wrote in 1752: "In their flight I came up with a pretty young Highlander, who called out to me, Hold your Hand, I'm a Cambell. On which I asked him, Where's your Bonnet ? He reply'd, Somebody have snatched it off my Head. I only mention this to shew how we distinguished our loyal Clans from the Rebels ; they being dress'd and equip'd all in one Way, except the Bonnet ; ours having a red or yellow Cross of Cloath or Ribbon ; theirs a white Cockade".[8]
  2. ^ Kass McGann, citing A Journal of the Expedition of Prince Charles Edward in 1745, by a Highland Officer: "We M’Donalds were much preplex’d, in the event of ane ingagement, how to distinguish ourselves from our bretheren and nighbours the M’Donalds of Sky, seeing we were both Highlanders and both wore heather in our bonnets, only our white cockades made some distinction", claims that this further supports the thought that the idea of clan tartans is a late invention.[9]
  3. ^ Although there are many tartans attributed to the Campbells, and many tartans named Campbell, there are only four tartans recognised by the current chief as Clan Campbell tartans: Campbell (aka Black Watch), Campbell of Breadalbane, Campbell of Cawdor, and Campbell of Loudoun.[11]
  4. ^ The crest of the chief of Clan MacLennan is A demi-piper all Proper, garbed in the proper tartan of the Clan Maclennan.[12] Note the highland MacLennans use the same tartan as the lowland Logans. Clan Logan is currently without a chief.

[edit] References

  1. ^ M.A. Newsome, 'The Scottish Tartans Museum': http://www.scottishtartans.org/tartan.html
  2. ^ a b c "Submission From James D Scarlett" (PDF). The Scottish Parliament (scottish.parliament.uk). Retrieved on 2008-10-12.
  3. ^ "What's a Threadcount". Scottish Tartans Authority (tartansauthority.com). Retrieved on 2008-10-16.
  4. ^ Fortson, Benjamin W. (2004). Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing, p. 352. ISBN 1405103167. 
  5. ^ Coonan, Clifford (2006-08-28). "A meeting of civilisations: The mystery of China's celtic mummies", The Independent (independent.co.uk). Retrieved on 2008-10-11. 
  6. ^ "Tartan - Shepherd/Falkirk". Scottish Tartans World Register (scottish-tartans-world-register.com). Retrieved on 2008-10-08.
  7. ^ "Search Results (falkirk tartan)". National Museums of Scotland (nms.ac.uk). Retrieved on 2008-10-08.
  8. ^ Ray, James (1752). Compleat History of the Rebellion, From its first Rise, in 1745, to its total Suppression at the glorious Battle of Culloden, in April 1746, p. 344. .
  9. ^ McGann, Kass (2003). "The Evolution of the Kilt -- The Question of Clan Tartans". ReconstructingHistory (reconstructinghistory.com). Retrieved on 2008-10-06.
  10. ^ a b c Campbell of Airds, Alastair (2000). A History of Clan Campbell; Volume 1, From Origins To The Battle Of Flodden. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp. 259-261. ISBN 1-902930-17-7. 
  11. ^ "Which are the authentic Campbell tartans?". The Clan Campbell Society (North America) (ccsna.org). Retrieved on 2008-10-09.
  12. ^ Way of Plean, George; Squire, Romilly (2000). Clans & Tartans. Glasgow: HarperCollins, p. 214. ISBN 0-00-472501 8. 
  13. ^ http://www.regiments.org/tradition/tartans/govermt.htm Retrieved on August 11, 2007
  14. ^ Schwartzapfel, Beth. "Sound the Bagpipes: Scots Design Jewish Tartan". Forward, July 17, 2008.
  15. ^ "Consultation on the Creation of A Register of Tartan" (pdf). The Scottish Parliament (www.scottish.parliament.uk). Retrieved on 2008-09-09.
  16. ^ "Scottish Tartans Society". Scottish Tartans World Register (scottish-tartans-world-register.com). Retrieved on 2008-09-07.
  17. ^ a b Newsome, Matthew A. C.. "What’s the “official” word about tartans?". The Scottish Tartans Museum (albanach.org). Retrieved on 2008-09-09.
  18. ^ "SCOTTISH REGISTER OF TARTANS BILL" (pdf). The Scottish Parliament (scottish.parliament.uk). Retrieved on 2008-09-08. This document relates to the Scottish Register of Tartans Bill (SP Bill 8) as introduced in the Scottish Parliament on 25 March 2008
  19. ^ "About us". Scottish Tartans Authority (tartansauthority.com). Retrieved on 2008-09-12.
  20. ^ "About the Scottish Tartan World Register". Scottish Tartans World Register (scottish-tartans-world-register.com). Retrieved on 2008-09-07.
  21. ^ "Scottish Register of Tartans Bill (SP Bill 08)". The Scottish Parliament (scottish.parliament.uk). Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
  22. ^ Brooks, Cameron (2008-10-10). "Tory’s bill wins unanimous backing", The Press and Journal (pressandjournal.co.uk). Retrieved on 2008-10-11. 
  23. ^ "Holyrood supports tartan register". BBC News (news.bbc.co.uk) (2008-09-19). Retrieved on 2008-09-24.

[edit] Bibliography

  • Tartans, ed. Blair Urquhart, The Apple Press, London, 1994, ISBN 1-85076-499-9
  • Clans and Tartans—Collins Pocket Reference, George Way of Plean and Romilly Squire, Harper Collins, Glasgow 1995, ISBN 0-00-470810-5
  • "The Invention of Tradition: The Highland Tradition of Scotland", Hugh Trevor-Roper, in The Invention of Tradition, ed. Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger, 1983, ISBN 0-521-24645-8.
  • History of highland dress: A definitive study of the history of Scottish costume and tartan, both civil and military, including weapons, John Telfer Dunbar, ISBN 0-7134-1894-X.

[edit] External links

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