Austrian tartans

[Mike_Oettle]

At the request of our new member, Herr Doktor, here are the Austrian tartans I have tracked down on the internet.
Firstly there is the Hallstatt tartan, an artefact recovered in an archæoloogical dig:

Another artefact tartan from Austria was found in Styria (Land Steiermark):

This is rather dark – a lighter version apparently commercially available (and apparently what the artefact originally looked like) is this one:

There is also a Carinthian National tartan registered in Edinburgh. Registered by Lochcarron, the registration carries this note: “Only to be used with permission from Mr T Rettl, Freihausgasses 12, Villach, Austria.” Wikipedia tells me that Villach is the second-largest city in Carinthia (Land Kärnten). This is the illustration:

Also from Carinthia is a tartan for the Hirter Karo brewery:

A tartan has been registered for the Austrian Bowhunters Society:

There are also two Austrian family tartans registered in Edinburgh. Angelika Losek registered this one, which is called McLosek, to mark her husband’s 40th birthday:

This one is registered to the King family of Vorarlberg:

Regards,
Mike

[Morris at Heathfield]

I've found a website with actual photographs of specimens (and reconstructions) of the Hallstatt tartan and others here.

For some historical perspective, Hallstatt, in modern times, is a village by a mountain lake in Austria. Near the village is the world's oldest salt mine, and during the early Iron Age the area was a center of wealth, trade, and influence. What is known as the Hallstatt culture flourished in the area of central Europe around 800 BC to 500 BC. Hallstatt culture is believed to be largely Celtic in nature, with some Illyrian influence in the east. It is believed to be from this area that Celtic language and culture spread across much of western Europe, as well as into Galatia (central Turkey). Note that, during the time period in question, the Germanic tribes were confined to Scandinavia and the North Sea coast west and east of the Jutland Peninsula. It wasn't until about the same time as the Anglo-Saxons were flooding into the British Isles that other Germanic peoples (the Bavarians) began pushing into what is now Austria.

I quite like the Styrian tartan, particularly the lighter version, but I would like to see evidence that it, like the Hallstatt tartan(s), comes from an actual artifact rather than, say, Thomas Rettl's imagination.

[Sir William]

I quite like the Styrian tartan, particularly the lighter version, but I would like to see evidence that it, like the Hallstatt tartan(s), comes from an actual artifact rather than, say, Thomas Rettl's imagination.

My thoughts as well.

That said, I also like the Steirmark tartan - primarily because I lived in Graz for a year when I was in college. Maybe one of these days I'll get a kilt in that tartan.

[Herr Doktor]

Mike thank you for starting this thread, the tartans are marvelous! Especially the Austrian Bowhunters Society tartan appeals to me. Now I am no longer satisfied with the tartan I have. Though there must be limits to what one can own. The http://www.kelticos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=215 forum looks to be worth some time spent as well. Too much to learn and so little time.
I will have to read up on Thomas Rettl' before I can have an option to share on the Styrian tartan.

Tschüß!