Clan tartan

[macwilkin]

Hi all,

I'm new to this thing, what is the deal with tartans, I've seen a few that bear the name of my family name, but not sure about the whole permission thing, and which one or ones are considered to actually be the correct tartans. Any idea where I can get information about this? Also, out of curiosity, would it be typical for a clan to have a specific sort of design or pattern of Sgian Dubh?

Thanks

One possible way is to see if your clan's Chief has recognized certain tartans associated with your clan's name; for example, the Chief of Clan Campbell does not recognize the Campbell of Argyll tartan as an "official" Campbell tartan. Generally a Clan Society web site will have some sort of article about the clan's tartans, usually with illustrations.

I can't say I've ever heard of a "clan sgain dubh", save the ones that are sold by various vendors with the Chief's crest badge on them; again, this would be something to contact your local clan rep about.

What is your family name; perhaps we can help.

Cheers,

Todd

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Another thing to remember is that you do not need permission to wear any tartan. You select which tartan you want to wear, and you wear it. You don't need to ask a soul. And there is no such thing as a "right" to a tartan.

That being said, tartan is symbolic, and so most people will choose a tartan that has a special meaning for them, or that represents something that they feel connected to. The tartan of a clan or family that you descend from is a classic example. But there are tartans for districts, occupations, and other things. There are also tartans designed purely for fashion.

What makes a tartan "official" or not is the decree of some governing body for whatever the tartan represents. For a clan, it would be the chief of that clan. For a state tartan, it would be that state's legislature. For a corporate tartan, it might be the CEO of the company. You get the idea.

So follow Todd's advice and so some research. If your intent is to wear the tartan of your clan, for instance, and you are a Campbell, it would be good to know that the chief of the clan does not approve of the Campbell of Argyle tartan. This doesn't mean that you cannot wear it. But it means that it is not a recognized tartan of the clan, and if your intent is to wear a tartan of the clan, you would be advised to select another one.

In the end it is up to you what tartan you choose to wear, but by doing your research first you can feel comfortable that you have made an educated decision.

Aye,
Matt

[MacWage]

To add to Matt (something I seldom feel a need or qualified to do so):
I have commented before that my take on tartan is that of "team colors." Each tartan has a specific meaning and association and to wear that tartan ties you to that association.

Ex. from sports:

Green and yellow:
Baseball: Oakland A's; NFL football: Green Bay Packers
Old F1: Team Lotus (also black and gold for many years)

At a NASCAR race, red and black: Dale Jr.; orange and black: Tony Stewart
F1: Red-> FERRARI

I could go on with specific details, ad naseum, but point made.
Each sport team has specific identifiers.
For Tartans, each is an identifier. For each of my clan tartans, I bear myself as a representative of that clan. In my Carolina tartan, I represent the Carolinas (US states). In X Marks the Scot, I get to immediately talk of this web forum and its community feel.