ironlung said:
If you don't mind me asking...
Not at all. I have posted a combination of my own words (normal text) and excerpts stolen from another site because I'm too lazy to write it all myself (italics).
ironlung said:
What is [a Tartans]...significance?
"Originally, the Scottish Tartan was a distinction of rank or position. It was not identified by weave but by the number of colours in the weave. If only one colour was used it depicted a servant, two, a farmer rank, three, an officer rank, five, a chieftain, six for a poet, and seven for a Chief.
Eventually, clans or families adopted their own tartan, using a range of animal and earth colours which were frequently secret, only known to the weavers of the islands. They included yellows, blues, whites, greens, browns, reds, black and purple."
ironlung said:
...how is [a Tartan]...selected?
Hmm, well, this can be either easy or complicated, and is somewhat of a cloudy issue.
If your Surname is the same as one of the Clan names, then it is easy; you are
entitled to wear that Clan's Tartan (traditionally, it is considered
extremely bad form to wear a Tartan you are not entitled to wear). Otherwise, you should look back through your lineage and select the most recent Clan name. The latter method is how I determined what I was entitled to wear.
For example, my Surname is Buckle. Buckle is not a Clan name (there are many Scottish names which were not large enough to become Clan names). However, the nearest Clan on my mothers side of the family is MacDonald (her maiden name), whilst on my fathers, it is MacEwan (my fathers mothers maiden name), therefore, I am entitled to wear either the MacDonald or MacEwan Tartans.
Note that I said Tartans; plural. Most Tartans are available in two variations; Modern and Ancient. This has nothing to do with the physical age of the piece of material and is indicative only of the 'style'. The colours of Ancient (the original Clan colours) Tartans are usually lighter in colour than Modern. Note that only the hue of the colours change when considering Ancient or Modern Tartans; colours do not change from blue to red etc, and the pattern stays exactly the same.
Depending on its size, a Clan may also have more than one Tartan. In this case, each Tartan's pattern will be different (and often its colours too). For example, MacDonald happened to be one of the biggest Clans. There's the MacDonald of Clanranald Tartan, MacDonald of Staffa, MacDonald of Sleat, MacDonald of Lochmaddy and others as well. The latter portions of these titles are all places in Scotland, so the Tartan title tells you where those particular MacDonalds were from (understandably, a large Clan would be spread all over the place). My own is from the Isles, or Skye in particular.
Just to complicate things even more, remember that some Clans, due to their size, had other Clans as vassals. These vassals gave their allegiance to the chief Clan in the understanding that they would be under their protection. To give you some appreciation of Clan MacDonalds size, these are the Clans which were its vassals:
"Beath, Beaton, Bethune, Bowie, Colson, Connall, Connell, Darroch, Donald, Donaldson, Donillson, Donnelson, Drain, Galbraith, Gilbride, Gorrie, Gowan, Gowrie, Hawthorn, Hewison, Houstoun, Howison, Hughson, Hutcheonson, Hutchinson, Hutchison, Isles, Kellie, Kelly, Kinnell, Mac a' Challies, MacBeth, MacBeath, MacBheath, MacBride, MacCaishe, MacCall, MacCash, MacCeallaich, MacCodrum, MacColl, MacConnell, MacCook, MacCooish, MacCrain, MacCuag, MacCuish, MacCuitein, MacCutcheon, MacDaniell, Macdrain, MacEachern, MacElfrish, MacElheran, MacGorrie, MacGorry, MacGoun, MacGowan, MacGown, MacHugh, MacHutchen, MacHutcheon, MacIan, Macilreach, Macilriach, Macilleriach, Macilrevie, Macilvride, Macilwraith, MacKean, MacKellachie, MacKellaig, MacKelloch, MacKiggan, MacKinnell, MacLairish, MacLardie, MacLardy, MacLarty, MacLaverty, MacLeverty, MacMurchie, MacMurdo, MacMurdoch, MacO'Shannaig, MacQuistan, MacQuisten, MacRaith, MacRorie, MacRory, MacRuer, MacRurie, MacShannachan, MacSorley, MacSporran,
MacSwan, MacWhannell, Martin, May, Murchie, Murchison, Murdoch, Murdoson, O'Drain, O'May,
O'Shannachan, O'Shaig, O'Shannaig, Purcell, Revie, Reoch, Riach, Rorison, Shannon, Sorley, Sporran, Train, Whannel. Clan MacDonald of Clanranald: Allan, Allanson, Currie, MacAllan, MacBurie, MacEachin, MacGeachie, MacGeachin, MacIssac, MacKeachan,Mackechnie, MacKeochan, MacKessock, MacKichan, MacKissock, MacMurrich, MacVarish, MacVurrich, MacVurie. Clan MacDonald of Ardnamurchan: Johnson, Kean, Keene. Clan MacDonald of Glencoe: Henderson, Johnson, Kean, Keene, MacHenry, MacIan, MacKean."
Lots eh?!
As far as I am aware, any of the above Clans, due to their allegiance, would be entitled to wear MacDonald, though no doubt they would virtually always wear their own; it is literally one's identity after all.
After all of that, you may still be wondering why I chose MacDonald as opposed to MacEwan. Preference, nothing more. My father wears MacEwan because he prefers it to MacDonald, and because it is more directly in his own family line. I looked at both at the time I was getting my own kilt, and liked MacDonald better.
Today, there is an increasingly 'grey area' as to what may be worn. The younger generation tends to think "anything goes" and that one should wear whatever Tartan they like, simply because they prefer one style over another. Personally, I am very much against this. But then, I am a very traditional person.
Regards
