Kilts from France

[Dirk Skene]

.......Everyone knows the kilt was invented by an English blacksmith !

That was good

[Morris at Heathfield]

I'm guessing the French connection has less to do with political alliances than with the identification of tartan with kilts.

As the most accepted etymology of the word "tartan" has it coming from the French tiretaine, my guess is that some eager researcher thought, "Aha! (Tartan) kilts originated in France!" Never mind that the word originally meant "linsey-woolsey" at the time it entered the Scots language. And never mind that, even if we only consider the more modern definition of the word "tartan", such patterns have been used in various articles of clothing, apart from the kilt, throughout history.

A similar possibility is that our eager researcher found references by Roman writers regarding the colorful clothing the Gauls were fond of wearing. In modern depictions of the Gauls I have often seen them wearing tartan-patterned mantles and/or short tunics, but they're also always wearing trousers underneath.

Now, if by "kilt", one means "a tartan-patterned mantle" (which is stretching the definition quite a bit), then I think there's a case to be made for giving its origin as continental Europe, if not necessarily France.

[Riverkilt]

Sounds like crapola to me. Check Ham's gallery for some beautiful French tartans though.

Ron

[Lazarus Corrino]

Thanks you guys. I was so annoyed with the host that I forgot to ask where he found that question.
I'm gonna email him a list of some of the things I learned.
They have a thing where if you can prove that he is wrong than he has to buy you a ten dollar beer.

Cheers,
L

[Ancienne Alliance]

I'm guessing the French connection has less to do with political alliances than with the identification of tartan with kilts.

As the most accepted etymology of the word "tartan" has it coming from the French tiretaine, my guess is that some eager researcher thought, "Aha! (Tartan) kilts originated in France!" Never mind that the word originally meant "linsey-woolsey" at the time it entered the Scots language. And never mind that, even if we only consider the more modern definition of the word "tartan", such patterns have been used in various articles of clothing, apart from the kilt, throughout history.

A similar possibility is that our eager researcher found references by Roman writers regarding the colorful clothing the Gauls were fond of wearing. In modern depictions of the Gauls I have often seen them wearing tartan-patterned mantles and/or short tunics, but they're also always wearing trousers underneath.

Now, if by "kilt", one means "a tartan-patterned mantle" (which is stretching the definition quite a bit), then I think there's a case to be made for giving its origin as continental Europe, if not necessarily France.

Thank you for the brilliant explanation.

I knew about tiretaine, I just did'nt want to be the one to mention it...

And it is a historical, well established fact that the Gauls were wearing tartan-patterned clothes. They also had the same druidic religion as the Pics and Scots, and were living in by clannic system.

The thing is, the country they lived in wasn't called France. Not yet. France got it's name from the germanic Franc Tribes that invaded the territory from the north much later in History. And as you mentioned, calling kilts the garments the Gauls wore 2000 years ago is a wee bit exaggerated.

On the whole though, as we can see, it's not 100 per cent crap... considering that Trivial Pursuit is only a game meant to have fun with friends and family.

Best,

Robert

[Iain Robb]

Well, sure, it's all fun and games ... until there's a beer on the line. That makes this serious.

[starbkjrus]

Thanks you guys. I was so annoyed with the host that I forgot to ask where he found that question.
I'm gonna email him a list of some of the things I learned.
They have a thing where if you can prove that he is wrong than he has to buy you a ten dollar beer.

Cheers,
L

Well, sure, it's all fun and games ... until there's a beer on the line. That makes this serious.

I couldn't have said it better Iain. int:

[Ancienne Alliance]

I couldn't have said it better Iain. int:

Excellent !