Bravura!

[motorman4life]

Painting in broad strokes, it is easy to see why and how a 17th and 18th century Highlander would have been a rough character. But, I am sure there was a degree of kindness, compassion and hospitality among their ranks and within their communities (Same as the Vikings and Normans that brought the kilt to the British Isles and introduced it to the Anglo-Saxons that had settled there after the Romans departed).

Regardless, I believe the point is that these kilted warriors (the Vikings/Normans and Highlanders) could be seen as the original "rugged individualists," often feared and admired by their peers and enemies. As such, they were free to do as they pleased and held their heads high in the face of critics and naysayers, thumbing their noses at those that would object to their lifestyle and traditions.

However you see it, those that choose to wear a kilt, at some level, are carrying on that warrior spirit and keeping the tradition alive, whether they wear a clan tartan, a khaki UK or a lava red Sportkilt.

[starbkjrus]

[sic]
However you see it, those that choose to wear a kilt, at some level, are carrying on that warrior spirit and keeping the tradition alive, whether they wear a clan tartan, a khaki UK or a lava red Sportkilt.[/QUOTE]
(ok I screwed up: the above should be credited to MotorMan4Life)


I could not have possibly said it better!!! My hat is off to everyone here for whatever reason you are wearing the kilt or even lurking around trying to find an excuse. I cannot encourage the lurkers enough to take the plunge and just see what it is like to go out for your first time kilted. It's an experience that you have to er.......experience to understand.

Gentlemen, just DO IT! You'll never regret it.
Sorry, this probably should have been posted in the "newbie" section. Oh, well.
Moderators: Please feel free to move this one. :-)

[Ranald]

[QUOTE=motorman4life]Painting in broad strokes, it is easy to see why and how a 17th and 18th century Highlander would have been a rough character. But, I am sure there was a degree of kindness, compassion and hospitality among their ranks and within their communities (Same as the Vikings and Normans that brought the kilt to the British Isles and introduced it to the Anglo-Saxons that had settled there after the Romans departed).


Where did you get this snippit of info, if you refering to the sagas I think you need more evidence to support your line of thought.
Sorry for being off topic but evidence I sought out suggests that vikings and saxons did not wear kilts.

[Archangel]

[QUOTE=Ranald]

Painting in broad strokes, it is easy to see why and how a 17th and 18th century Highlander would have been a rough character. But, I am sure there was a degree of kindness, compassion and hospitality among their ranks and within their communities (Same as the Vikings and Normans that brought the kilt to the British Isles and introduced it to the Anglo-Saxons that had settled there after the Romans departed).


Where did you get this snippit of info, if you refering to the sagas I think you need more evidence to support your line of thought.
Sorry for being off topic but evidence I sought out suggests that vikings and saxons did not wear kilts.

Which one were you after? Kindness and compassion for each people, I think we can document. The clothing migration has already been covered and I don't think that's as well supported.

[motorman4life]

Where did you get this snippit of info, if you refering to the sagas I think you need more evidence to support your line of thought.
Sorry for being off topic but evidence I sought out suggests that vikings and saxons did not wear kilts.

From several sources.
Viking Age Scotland saw a major influx of Scandinavian settlers and conquerors in Scotland and the surrounding islands. Settlers from Norway came to the Shetlands, the Orkneys, the Hebridies, the Isle of Man, the Western Islands, and parts of the Scottish mainland, attracted because the land and climate were similar to that back home in Scandinavia, with the added attraction of their proximity to the profitable Viking centers in Ireland and England. The Vikings lived next to and intermarried with the native Celtic populations. In large part the Norse settlements in this area comprised the Earldom of Orkney, while the Western Isles were ruled by Celto-Norse settlers.

Archaeology and other sources show, however, that the original settlement of the Vikings in parts of Scotland and the North Atlantic islands in many cases began earlier, and was a part of the often violent conquest and settlement of the Vikings outside of their Scandinavian homeland.

(BTW, for more on Vikings in Scotland, go to http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/scotland.htm Lots of great info there, including names, dates and locations).

That said, the Oxford English Dictionary states that the word kilt comes from Middle English, and is probably of Scandinavian origin, probably from the Danish word kilte, meaning 'to tuck up.' The term kilt is a Scots term (Scots is an English dialect), not the Gaelic term for the belted plaid. The Gaelic term for a kilt is breacan feile for the belted plaid, or feileadh beag for the modern kilt.

This is from kiltsnight.com
Webster's Dictionary (come on, it's not as if we can trust the Oxford Dictionary and the damn English with something as important as the definition of the word kilt) defines the kilt thusly - 1. Kilt, a knee-length pleated skirt usually of tartan worn by men in Scotland, chiefly of the Highlands and by Scottish Regiments in the British armies.

Definition of Kilt
Two additional items of interest, however, bare much closer scrutiny, these also from Webster's Dictionary. The first definition of Kilt is 1. Scandanavian in origin, from the verb 'kilten' - kjalta, fold of a gathered skirt. So kilt is used chiefly, 1. to tuck up (as a skirt) 2. to equip with a kilt ~ vi : to move nimbly. The second is Kilter: origin unknown - orderly arrangement; proper disposition; good condition: now always preceded by in or out of.

Now let's see if we can use what we just deducted from our research in a proper sentence, lads. - Imagine the coast of Scotland some time in the eighth century. A Viking from Norway came ashore off his longboat, (Scandinavian origin 'kjalta') 'kilted' (tucked up) his skirt in order to 'quickly' (to move nimbly) give the locals a good thrashing, made off with the women and other valuables and then everything was 'kilter' once again (orderly arrangement; proper disposition; good condition).

The Viking Skirt
The local lads in both Scotland and Ireland knew a good thing when they saw it. So they donned the Viking skirt and, not speaking much Old Norse, called it a kilt. But the Scots were so adept at this new fashion and all that went with it that the kilt has forever become associated in the eyes of the rest of the world with Scotland. Good on ya, lads. Scotland, forever! And we've been thrashing the English ever since, when not busy thrashing each other.

Lastly, if you are still not convinced, try browsing over to http://www.myclan.com/clanship/tartan/history.php
Lost of info there. All consistent with the above.

Happy reading.

[Archangel]

From several sources.
Viking Age Scotland
The Viking Skirt
The local lads in both Scotland and Ireland knew a good thing when they saw it. So they donned the Viking skirt and, not speaking much Old Norse, called it a kilt.
Lastly, if you are still not convinced, try browsing over to http://www.myclan.com/clanship/tartan/history.php
Lost of info there. All consistent with the above.

Happy reading.

Sorry to argue but none of my references have a viking skirt worn by men. They wore tunic and trousers, sometimes a cloak. The women wore pleated petticoats, if that's any help. Apparently, the viking brooch was copied from Irish/Scot designs.
Don't want to get caught up in yet another kilt origin thread but this concept doesn't work. Do you want me to post my references?

No point in romanticizing the vikings, they were not much more than travelling merchants with bad PR. Not a whole lot better, or worse, than anybody else at the time. No, wait, I'll go with a bit better: they had a structure in a time of chaos.