Another question about clans--adopted children

[Paul Henry]

snip....
Originally, the Scottish Tartan was a distinction of rank or position. It was not identified by weave but by the number of colours in the weave. If only one colour was used it depicted a servant, two, a farmer rank, three, an officer rank, five, a chieftain, six for a poet, and seven for a Chief. Eventually, clans or families adopted their own tartan, using a range of animal and earth colours which were frequently secret, only known to the weavers of the islands. They included yellows, blues, whites, greens, browns, reds, black and purple. Some say that a keen eye can identify the colour with a particular island, almost like a wine taster can identify the year and the vineyard. Obviously this restriction is not followed these days, and most tartans are just 'ancient', 'hunting' etc., so there is no reason why he can't wear his adopted clan's tartan.

Where on earth do you get this idea from,it's complete nonsense, whilst there are instances of finer cloth being used for wealthier people or perhaps an unusual colour for a special person, the idea that you can classify tartans or wearer of tartan in this way is just another one of the many romanticisms and are simply without credibility and shouldn't be broadcast as fact

[Laird_M]

Can't remember where I got the info, but it was from several sources. But then again, you shouldn't beleive everythign you read I guess.

[Jock Scot]

Can't remember where I got the info, but it was from several sources. But then again, you shouldn't beleive everythign you read I guess.

I too have seen this written and indeed spoken about from time to time, but I have always considered it as a prime example of, " tourist board clap-trap".

[neloon]

I too have seen this written and indeed spoken about from time to time, but I have always considered it as a prime example of, " tourist board clap-trap".

Completely agree with Jock and paulhenry.
I really think that most Scots are not seriously bothered about about who wears which tartan - yes, it's quite nice to have a "reason" but "entitlement" is not that important. So, in the case of adoption, choices can be quite relaxed.
Alan

[Downunder Kilt]

I too have seen this written and indeed spoken about from time to time, but I have always considered it as a prime example of, " tourist board clap-trap".

Thanks for the happy memory you just gave me Jock. My dear departed father used to use the phase "clap-trap" whenever something was said that was out of kilter.

[Dale Seago]

Where on earth do you get this idea from,it's complete nonsense, whilst there are instances of finer cloth being used for wealthier people or perhaps an unusual colour for a special person, the idea that you can classify tartans or wearer of tartan in this way is just another one of the many romanticisms and are simply without credibility and shouldn't be broadcast as fact

That whole color-scheme thing rang a bell and I was pretty sure it had to do with ancient Irish society from before the Gaelic colonization of Scotland; so I did a little looking around, and:

We are told in our legendary history that exact regulations for the wearing of colours by the different ranks of people were made by King Tigerumas (Teernmas) and by his successor, many centuries before the Christian era - a slave was to be dressed in clothes of one colour; a peasant or farmer in two; and so on up to a king and queen and an ollave of any sort: all of whom were privileged to wear six.

At the present day green is universally regarded as the national colour; but this is a very modern innovation, and as a matter of fact the ancient Irish had no national colour.
(http://www.alia.ie/tirnanog/sochis/xviiib.html)

[ThistleDown]

Yes, that's one of those sites, Dale. Tir na Nog is about mythology and legend.

[Paul Henry]

That whole color-scheme thing rang a bell and I was pretty sure it had to do with ancient Irish society from before the Gaelic colonization of Scotland; so I did a little looking around, and:

I know all about this, and I'm afraid that it is also rather fanciful, the stuff of myths and legends, and although there might be a few grains of truth somewhere within the stories , but not enough to be very creditable.

[Dale Seago]

I know all about this, and I'm afraid that it is also rather fanciful, the stuff of myths and legends, and although there might be a few grains of truth somewhere within the stories , but not enough to be very creditable.

Wasn't suggesting otherwise, just that the reference properly was to ancient Ireland rather than more recent Scotland. The Gaelic culture being highly oral, it's likely that anything written down about it would have been done in the Christian era, and unsupported by archeological evidence (textiles in burials, for instance) would pretty much have to be taken simply as legend.

[O'Callaghan]

That whole color-scheme thing rang a bell and I was pretty sure it had to do with ancient Irish society from before the Gaelic colonization of Scotland; so I did a little looking around, and:

And as for green being the Irish national colour (don't know how to make your quote appear here), AFAIK it came from the rebellion of 1798, when they asked for help from the French, who sent a high ranking officer accompanied by aides who brought no weapons or ammunition, but handed out green cockades (like half a rosette) for the Irish rebels to wear in their hats. The story goes that when those ran out they resorted to wearing shamrocks.

You will hear it said that green has something to do with St Patrick, but only if you link (or mix up?) the above story with the one that says St Patrick used the leaves of the shamrock to teach the trinity. There is also a tradition of characters dressed as St Patrick in parades wearing blue, not green, although why blue I have no idea.

ETA: Perhaps the idea that green is "St Patrick's colour" is lifted from the lyrics of Napper Tandy (aka the Wearing of the Green), possibly put there to make it rhyme?