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There is great debate on the
origin of the word "tartan." It
could have come from the Irish "tarsna", which meant crosswise,
or the Scottish Gaelic "tarsuinn", meaning across. Or it could
simply mean cloth, from the old French "tartaine".
What we know is, long before there were individual Scottish
clans and tartans, the Celts loved bright colors and patterned
cloth. Later the Scots incorporated this love for color into a
unique plaid cloth. Only in recent history have particular
patterns been associated with particular districts, army
regiments, and, of course, Scottish clans.
Prior to around 1700, there is no historical reason to associate
particular patterns with particular people or places, but it is
clear that plaid cloth was made and worn throughout the
Highlands and had been for hundreds of years.
By 1746, clan tartans were so closely associated with
Highlanders and clan loyalty that their wearing was banned by
the English after the Scots' defeat at Culloden until 1782.
Interestingly, this was the time when many of the famous
Highland Regiments were being formed, and they were allowed to
select and wear a regimental tartan (for example, Black Watch).
The idea may have been to wean loyalty away from the clan and
towards the British empire. Some of these regimental tartans
later became family tartans.
When the wearing of the tartan was again permitted, there
developed a keen interest in reestablishing or reinventing
family tartans, beginning with the Highlanders and later
spreading to all of Scotland.
King George IV and Queen Victoria both fell in love with the
Highlander image as popularized by Sir Walter Scott, and greatly
encouraged the adoption of this cultural symbol. Today, there
are around 2800 tartans listed in the Scottish Heritage World
Register - including ones for football clubs, individual towns,
clans, and military regiments.
Sometimes, when we discover that Scottish tartans are not
ancient, it "takes the shine off" our interest. In this case, it
really shouldn't. The wearing of the tartan and linking the
patterns (called setts) to particular families has done so much
to unite Scottish culture world-wide and to reestablish our
connections with our ancestors and with our fellow "Scots of the
diaspora."
It is good to care about the past and to connect with our
cultural roots and traditions. And there is no doubt at all that
the Highlanders invented these wonderful plaids. Find your
tartan and wear it with pride! |
