Absurd kilt myths

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Arlen,

There is a book on tartans that was published just a few years ago (I'm sorry I can't recall the title). A friend of mine brought it into the museum for me to look at. The author actually made the statement that if you were caught wearing a tartan not your own in America it was considered "bad taste" but in Scotland you could face a "25 pound fine" and cited Lord Lyon as her source. Ridiculous! (But I notice you get off a bit cheaper according to her imaginary law than the one in your story!)

Working in the Scottish Tartans Museum as I do I hear so many tartan myths that I couldn't possibly relate them all. But one I just heard for the first time last week was from a young Scottish woman who was visiting our museum with a group of Scottish students. The woman, who looked to be in her mid-twenties, soberly instructed all the children that if your tartan had red in it, that meant you had bastards in your family.

When our museum staff attempted to dispell her myth, she would have none of it. She was from Scotland, and therefor the expert. We are just dumb Americans playing dress-up, it seems.

[demobud]

[QUOTE]=M. A. C. Newsome;432558]The woman, who looked to be in her mid-twenties, soberly instructed all the children that if your tartan had red in it, that meant you had bastards in your family.

[QUOTE]

Then there must be a LOT of bastards in Scotland, 'cause there's a lot of taratans with red in 'em.

[ccga3359]

Then there must be a LOT of bastards in Scotland, 'cause there's a lot of taratans with red in 'em.

Then why don't all scottish tartans have red in them. Sorry that's the English in me. But wait Canada's unofficial national tartan has a lot of red in it! Matt are you sure she's not American?

[McFarkus]

Then there must be a LOT of bastards in Scotland, 'cause there's a lot of tartans with red in 'em.

I've been doing genealogy for a while and the statement is true - at least with regard to family lines, not numbers of people. It's particularly true in Wales where in their tradition, illegitimate children shared equally in the inheritance with legitimate children.

[Nick the DSM]

so kilts werent worn until the 1500's? i thought itd be earlier, why is that?

[O'Neille]

The woman, who looked to be in her mid-twenties, soberly instructed all the children that if your tartan had red in it, that meant you had bastards in your family.

In her defense, she was probably correct....If your tartan has red....or blue, green, black, white, yellow etc... then you most assuredly have bastards in your family somewhere. Legitimacy is no prerequisite for being a part of a family.

Arlen, thanks for the entertaining story.

[Kiltman]

Arlen,
She was from Scotland, and therefor the expert. We are just dumb Americans playing dress-up, it seems.

This comes very close to a informal ad hominem circumstantial fallacy in logic.
Any other guesses as to how many fallacies are committed here?

[Chef]

...if your tartan had red in it, that meant you had bastards in your family.

How did she know, we've never even met.

As for being a bastard for having red in your tartan, that's a new one on me! Doesn't the Balmoral tartan have a wee red stripe in it?

Well....

Great story Arlen

[Joe Gondek]

Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome View Post
...if your tartan had red in it, that meant you had bastards in your family.

For me its just an accident of birth ,
but for some they are self made men

[Fedgunner]

The woman, who looked to be in her mid-twenties, soberly instructed all the children that if your tartan had red in it, that meant you had bastards in your family.

When our museum staff attempted to dispell her myth, she would have none of it. She was from Scotland, and therefor the expert. We are just dumb Americans playing dress-up, it seems.

Spoken like a true Campbell!

(serious tongue in cheek here)