A question on ethics...

**Valencian Kilted** · 18th April 06, 06:27 AM

well... as many people said,... this is a free world, so,... do ur own movements, but if u want my own opinion,... i wouldn't feel comfortable wearing a saltire on my kilt (mainly for esthetical reasons) or even wearing another clan or district tartan except for mine or a "neutral" tartan pattern, as i do now with my black patterned one,...

Even wearing a Black Watch tartan seems to me as an intromission, as I'd be wearing the colours of a regiment without having some kind of "membership right" to do so... apart of some ideological controversia about the "governement tartan"

Maybe for some of u this is not at all a reasonable position, but,... well, as I said before this is a free world! so,... act as free as you can, guy!

¡Salud!

T O N O

**freddie** · 12th May 06, 02:32 PM

Posted by James: I'm not really happy seeing someone wearing a tartan to which they do not have that genuine blood/regimental/band claim.
What about my situation. I was adopted and wear a tartan connected to my adoption family. I'm proud to wear this tartan, even though I'm not related by blood to the clan. I do however have a second kilt in the tartan of my blood line

**ScotsArmiger** · 21st August 06, 05:52 AM

I've read over some of the posts and the majority are spot on. I am a Scot (born and raised) hence a Scot and a tartan down all lines of my family. Even then I would not dream of wearing anything other than my paternal family name, except if I was ever required to wear my mother's tartan.

If I came across someone wearing my tartan who was not of my name, kin and blood, I would certainly wonder why? If he was disgracing my nation's flag and admitted to being of English decent... Ahem... Aye right son, come ahead ya sassenach...

There are other possibilities outside of family and district tartans. Consider that there are commemorative tartans eg. a Scotland 2000 Commemorative Tartan - I wouldn't wear it myself but then it is probably intended for Scots whose families have never had a tartan and for foreigners who are not Scots at all. There are also several universal tartan's such as Scottish America or even the American Bicentennial Commemorative Tartan.

There's tartans that cover almost everything and these days even the screwball Da Vinci Code Tartan which should appeal to conspiracy nuts - I personally consider that one ridiculous, since it stinks of Hollywood commercialisation.

People do strange things in Tartan though, my cousin has a tartan of his own but prefered to wear the Glasgow Rangers Football Club tartan at his wedding.

Unless you can find an ancestor in your pile who was identifable as a Scot! I would urge you instead to wear a Commemorative or Universal tartan only.

**Moose McLennan** · 21st August 06, 06:38 AM

Originally Posted by ScotsArmiger

... hence a Scot and a tartan down all lines of my family. Even then I would not dream of wearing anything other than my paternal family name, except if I was ever required to wear my mother's tartan....

In an ideal world, this would be the case. I agree with James and others of a traditional bent that its usage as an identifier can add to the interest of tartan.

For years I held off getting a kilt. An order for a kilt in my 'paternal family name' tartan would just have been too expensive (my 'mother's tartan' is often found in cheapo kilts but would not be my choice colourwise).

Eventually, my rationale in buying a used kilt was: If it fits and has a similar colour-scheme, just get one. I ended up with an ex-MOD kilt far better than anything I would ever have dared to buy new, and much better suited to what I wear it for. A kilt in my 'own' tartan will come soon enough I'm sure.

To anyone in a similar situation, the biggest mistake you can make getting a kilt is, well, not getting one at all.

M.

**Riverkilt** · 21st August 06, 07:59 AM

Sorry boys,

That's just a little too "rule bound" for this free spirit. My mother, though very near death now, is the suviving elder of a major branch of my family tree. Her ancestors have a proud heritage and record of service. I am quite honored to wear the tartans of my mother's clans.

In fact, have a hand sewn 16 oz strome from Lochcarron being sewn up by Kathy Lare in the Scott tartan. Should the kilt arrive prior to mother's passing I shall wear it proudly at her services.

Perhaps its because I live among the Navajo, also a people of clans, only matriarchal in their lineage.

To treat another human as "less than" solely because of their sex, or because they are the ancestor of a female, just stands in the way of reason to me.

And, as others have pointed out, the farther back I go into my family tree, the more Scots I discover. Matters not to me whether the genes came to me via the sperm or the egg. They are MY genes now and when I passed them on to my daughter they came from her PATERNAL side.

A woman gives her ancestral genes to her son and the "rule bound" discount them because they are maternal, then when that son passes them on, honor them because they are paternal. Give me a break here folks. Free yourselves from more than bifurcated tyrany.

For me, I plan to continue to honor ALL my ancestral lines.

Ron