Your Tartan

[macwilkin]

Dubhghlas. Long live the ol' Black and Gray. We are shadow, we are mist. We are the grim spectres of death, the promise of vengeance, and the blade hidden in the dark. We are the purging fire, the black flame, a force of nature. We are wise. We are cunning.

Wow! You need to send that to the Clan Douglas Society! That is great! :mrgreen:

Cheers,

T.

[The Wizard of BC]

Leatherneck Tartan for sure.
I bled for the honor to wear that tartan.
My family is so far removed from Scotland it's the only one I can officially wear.

[Dreadbelly]

I would like to add that what I said is not born of poetic license. We Douglas folk are considered ill omens, right down to the colours of our tartan. Every major battle or conflict we have entered, we have turned the tide. We are famous for our treachery, our blades in the back, and our use of poison. It is said that the ancient Douglas tartan allows us scoundrels and knaves to blend in with the shadowy dark, where we do our best work. Wallace even used us for what we do best, sowing terror and bearing the Reaper's image as we went.

There is a reason why we were one of the most powerful, respected, and feared families in Scotland's history.

[caig]

Hi Al. Thanks for the message. I log on 2-3 times a day but rarely post messages ( far too lazy !).

When I get to Newcastle I'll let you know so maybe we can meet up.
Cheers

[Miah]

I would have to say Leatherneck Tartan even though I don't own a kilt in that tartan.

[phil h]

black watch

[Rob Wright]

I would like to add that what I said is not born of poetic license. We Douglas folk are considered ill omens, right down to the colours of our tartan. Every major battle or conflict we have entered, we have turned the tide. We are famous for our treachery, our blades in the back, and our use of poison. It is said that the ancient Douglas tartan allows us scoundrels and knaves to blend in with the shadowy dark, where we do our best work. Wallace even used us for what we do best, sowing terror and bearing the Reaper's image as we went.

There is a reason why we were one of the most powerful, respected, and feared families in Scotland's history.

James Douglas who was Robert the Bruces second in command at Bannockburn was nicknamed the Black Douglas by the English. The people of the borders would threaten their unruly children with an appearance of The Black Douglas, a borders bogeyman. 8)
Wallace was from Lanark and Douglasdale is located south of Lanark. James Douglas' father was a local mayor who was hanged by Edward Longshanks.
Some say the Douglas' were founded by a Flemish explorer, and there may be a connection with the Murray's.
One Douglas became a general in Joan of Arc's army.
The Douglas' were heads of the pro English scottish factions after the Stewart's came to power(A Douglas had been heir to the throne until the Stewart's came into the picture, in fact James IV was the only Stewart king the Douglas' didn't openly rebel against at some point.)
There is no chief of clan Douglas at the moment, the title is held by the Duke of Angus, a Hamilton-Douglas but since he may be chief of only one clan, he holds the title of Chief of Clan Hamilton.

Rob Wright

[Dreadbelly]

And never forget, Wallace's bride was the daughter of the Earl of Mar, a Douglas.

Yes, I had heard all about the Douglases being used as boogeymen, that would come in the night and eat little children and do terrible evil things. We were ogres.

Some of us still are.

[Rob Wright]

Ogres and and dark shadows in the night, never ones to rely one a strategem, the Douglas' grew in power until they rivaled the king of Scotland. In 1452 or '53 the Black Douglas' marched against the crown with 30,000 men under their command. In command of the crowns 30,000 troops were their distant cousin the Earl of Angus, known as the Red Douglas, a distant cousin.
After the act of union in 1707, the Douglas power faded. It has been said if the Douglas' did not exist history would of had to create them. From William Wallace to the Act of Union, the history of Scotland and the Douglas' were entertwined.

Rob Wright

[Dreadbelly]

We ARE the history of Scotland.

http://www.electricscotland.com/webc.../douglases.htm

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Humanities...n_Douglas.html


More on topic about tartans, the Douglas tartan, the original, was designed for night camo. While most Scots wore tartans that allowed them to blend in while hunting in the brush, the Douglases were far more practical... Which is why I want a Black and Gray Ancient Douglas Tartan. Most tartans back during this time were earthy and simple. Practical. Functional. I hold a lot of love for this tartan, because it was never made for hunting in the fields. It was made for psychological impact, and hunting something else entirely. I could see my self wearing this and a black silk shirt and vest.

If the Grim Reaper ever wore a kilt, you could bet your sporran and flashes that he would wear the Douglas tartan.