The Southern herald., 1893-10-06
ORIGIN OF KILT AND TARTAN.



In spite Of elaymores and royal ediets
the Seottish kilt and elan tartan still /
remains the costume Of particular sec
tions Of the Highland country. The
present form Of the kilt dates back no
farther than John Lord, Of Ciaver-
house, who caused the Highlanders to
form the huge plaids (which they
wound round their bodies in
picturesque fashion, as the natives Of
India do to this dayl into the most
eommOdious hilt. with plaid for chest,
back and shoulders. II seems beyond
doubt that the original costume Of the
Highlanders was Of the above primi-
tive description. Whoever invented
the kilt preserved the picturesque
appearance, while gaining decidedly /
in convenience. The fashion Of
"kilting." l. e, forming textile |
fabric in a number Of close, fiat
plaits, dates back in the dim past,
for in many sculptures Of the ancient
people Of the east aud of Egypt we find
evidence that the plating of linen and
woolen fabrics was recognized by the
modistes and tailors of thousands Of
years ago; but the short, manipulated
kilt Of Scotland was a spontaneous
modification of really national cos
tune, For lads and boys few costumes
are at once so picturesque and yet so
manly as the short kilt, with Jacket,
sporran, sl1ein dhue and feathered cap,
The plaid, with which both men and
women Of the Highlands clothed them
selves, was from time immemorial
woven with native-dyed wool into curl
GUS patterns Of eolored lines, forming
various squares, SO that the tartan
Is a genuine outcome Of the primitive
instincts of tribal pride, which dates
to the dimmest past. No doubt
the difference of clan tartans
was originally due 10 geographic
al and local circumstances; for
the women who spun the wool
from the native hocks dyed II
with natural dye stuffs Of the neigh
borhood-the berries and bark Of trees
growing wild on the mountain sides.
And to this fact, no doubt, was due the
) popularity that Campbell should APP
| pear in green and black with a yellow
J line, and Frazer in bright red with
green, gray and white lines.
! The advantages Of this outward diff
E ference in the tribal appearance must
. have early become apparent, and means
j. would naturally have been adopted to
+ enhance the peculiar differences of
, clan tartans, so as to give manifestly
( dissimilar appearance to men of each
/ clan. This design, thanks TO the deft
+ fingers and clever brains Of the women
t folk, was so successfully achieved that
r soon each clansman was transformed
into walking emblem of discord
= should he venture beyond the borders
Of his own tribal domain. Hence
e fairs and other functions, wher'
men Of different localities met
and mingled, soon became mor'
!. or less CORY battlehelds, for each mar
1t regarded an opposing tartan in th'
same light as savage bull looks upor
y red lrag The wearer Of the greer
b; and red striped tartan was seized will
% a wild desire TO make a hole through
the blue and yellow striped plaid, Il
!" the manifest discomfort Of its wearer
Il II became so popular a pastime thi
70 slashing of opposing tartans with clay
In mores and skein dhues that at last |
T, paternal government, sending forth 1T
" edicts from st. James palace, made /
Il Of 10 I
i, the Highlands of Scotland.
es 1t was not long obeyed And re
sumption of the custom brought NOR
i. pronounced coloring and more numer
ny Gus variations. Some OF the tartan
seem to have been specially designe'
h. TO set the heather on fire. Such is tha
all the Macduffs Ito which clan tn
"a Princess Victoria Of Wales has bee
] united by marriage with the duke Q
cy Fife), which is red with far apart bar
th of black and green. The Macfies' tai
tan is also bright red, with broad
he very far apart bands of green an
". small lines of white, the Macgregor
having another alarming combinatio
he of the kind. The Macleod tartan is
sb most trying arrangement of bright ye
low with broad tight black thrca
band, forming black spots where the
nd cross, and thin red lines; while quit
no as bad is the light yellow and brigl
red of the Macmillans, and the eccei
id. trio complication of white, blue, blac
and red of the 0gilvies.
He Some Of the tartans are reserved IL
the chief of the clan and his heir, o
av at all events, his family alone. Chic
ou Of the Highland clans sport two eagle
an feathers in their caps and their sons
single eagles feather. The armori
Vo or crested brooch on the shoulders WI
nd not only used to fasten the plaid, b
On to hold the clan badge, sprig of son
~, native shrub, such as the wild thyn
be and holly of the Drummonds, the broo
ivs of the Forbes and MacKays, the wi
.en myrtle and club moss Of the Campbell
are ivy Of the Gordons and juniper of {
Macleods. Queen.