Feather in your bonnet

[Nathan]

I have read the Lord Lyon's page and am familiar with the custom of only wearing feathers behind one's badge if they are a clan chief 3, branch chieftain 2 or armiger 1 (rarely done).

Given this reality, why do so many photos of people in highland attire feature headdress with feathers? The style I see most often is two feathers each sort of curved outwardly in opposite directions as seen here:



here



and here...



These all could be uniforms of some type either of a pipe band or highland dancer. Is there an exception for groups of this nature? The solo piper isn't with a group, but could be in a band uniform?

These photos are from circa 1930-1950. Thoughts?

[davidlpope]

Those are blackcock feathers. It appears to me that what you're seeing is a civilian imitation of a military uniform item. This is consistent with a previous time when civilian pipebands closely modeled their uniform on those of the Scottish regiments.

Here is an example from the L and M website:



Here's an example of how it is worn on the bonnet from the House of Labhran website:

[Carlo]

An uninformed thought, for the piper and dancers it might have something to do with a hackle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackle I know dreaded wiki .

With the ladies my guess would be that it is a fashion or souvenir photo with no care about anything else than how it looks.

Only my thoughts, might be totally wrong.

As davidlpope writes.

[TheOfficialBren]

With the ladies my guess would be that it is a fashion or souvenir photo with no care about anything else than how it looks.

Only my thoughts, might be totally wrong.

As davidlpope writes.

***
I, too, am a bit grey about this aspect of Highland dress however I remember hearing this feather business elsewhere over the years.

Also, I agree that it could very well be one of those "everything plus the kitchen sink" souvenir photos...the kind that equals tourist tat. Scot land, if I am not mistaken, has been a tourist hotspot since the Victorian Highland Revival. No doubt that what we see on holiday or vacation to Scotland is sometimes the latest incarnation of that. Scotland's tourist industry (just like anywhere else's) has thrived on legends and pagentry intermixed with historically rooted customs and practises...just like anywhere else.

My guess is that some of these may be nice examples of vintage tourist tat...but I still like them.

[creagdhubh]

Those are blackcock feathers. It appears to me that what you're seeing is a civilian imitation of a military uniform item. This is consistent with a previous time when civilian pipebands closely modeled their uniform on those of the Scottish regiments.

Here is an example from the L and M website:



Here's an example of how it is worn on the bonnet from the House of Labhran website:

What David said.

[Nathan]

So the black cockade feather, that would only be suitable in such a uniform correct? who is L&M marketing to? Is this still widely seen? Seems at one point, it was de rigeur. Even the MacDonald tobacco tin lady is wearing it ;)

[TheOfficialBren]

Word! David's explanation seems very logical, too.

[David Thorpe]

I have read the Lord Lyon's page and am familiar with the custom of only wearing feathers behind one's badge if they are a clan chief 3, branch chieftain 2 or armiger 1 (rarely done).

This is in reference to eagle feathers - an entirely different matter from blackcock and hackles.

[Carlo]

So those cock feathers are as accepted as the forums own dandelion?
Guessing that hackles would be used by the army and pipebands.
Would that be right?

[Nathan]

This is in reference to eagle feathers - an entirely different matter from blackcock and hackles.

I'm well aquainted with hackles which are a regimental form often denoting battle honours but I've never seen backcock feathers used in a military context.

So what IS the deal with these blackcock feathers?