Some Thoughts on Non-Scottish Tartans

Some Thoughts on Non-Scottish Tartans
©2009 Matthew A. C. Newsome

I’ve dealt with the subject of non-Scottish tartans in this space before, and generally I have no problem with them, so long as their history is not misrepresented. I certainly do not have a problem with non-Scots wearing the kilt. This month, however, I want to consider the growing phenomenon of tartans for non-Scottish family names.

I thought of this again recently when I came across an advertisement for the Welsh Tartan Centre, in Cardiff, aimed at tartan retailers, asking, “Why not have a ‘Welsh corner’ of your booth at the next Highland Games?” I got to thinking about that question, and as to why we do not have a ‘Welsh corner’ at the Scottish Tartans Museum tent when we attend Highland Games and festivals, or in our gift shop at home.

The reason why is simple. We are not about Welsh heritage. Not that Welsh heritage is not a wonderful thing, and something to be proud of. It’s just not what we do at the Scottish Tartans Museum – our focus is the National Dress of Scotland, its history and traditions; not Wales. Neither I nor any of my staff or volunteers are especially versed in Welsh history and traditions, and so could not really be expected to speak knowledgably to our visitors about their Welsh surname. When people ask about their tartan, they are usually also asking about their heritage. I expect that most people who attend such festivals or have shops that sell tartan goods may have a similar issue.

And then there are the questions people invariably will ask. “I didn’t know the Welsh had clan tartans!” “How old is this tartan?” “Is this an authentic tartan?” In response, I can only tell them the plain truth; and that is that their “Welsh clan tartan” was designed within the past decade by a commercial interest and really doesn’t have anything to do with their family other than the name.

The new Scottish Register of Tartans has this to say in their registration notes: “Despite there being no known tradition of tartan in Wales, [there is] a growing series of commercial Welsh ‘name’ tartans… Their inclusion in this Index does not confer upon them ANY historical or genealogical credibility and the use of the words ‘of Wales’ is not of conventional territorial significance but is purely to identify the source and thus avoid confusion with surnames which have a genuine tartan connection.”

This is rather a hard sell when you are speaking with someone who is interested in wearing a tartan to honor their ancestral heritage, and is very much concerned with history and tradition.

Now, don’t misread me. I’m not saying that the Welsh tartans are bad because they are new, or because they are designed by a commercial interest – not at all. There are many Scottish tartans that fit that bill, as well. Tartan has always been an industry in Scotland, as well as an art, and one cannot discount the influence of the commercial weavers in the history of Scottish national dress. And it is a living tradition, with new tartans being created every year, some slipping in and out of fashion.

Nor am I meaning to single out the Welsh name tartans in particular. One could say the same thing about the many Irish name tartans that are cropping up. Indeed, there seems to be a trend of creating tartans for nationalities outwith Scotland these days, for all kinds of places that have no tartan tradition.

And this, to me, is the real point. The new Scottish tartans that are designed each year are part of an ongoing tradition of weaving and wearing named tartans. It’s part of the Scottish heritage that developed in the Highlands and eventually spread to all of Scotland, and now to wherever Scottish people have settled. Seeing this tradition just pasted onto a culture that has no similar custom of its own seems rather disingenuous. And I think people sense that.

Generally, when someone seeks out a tartan to wear, they want something that is going to connect them with their ancestry. They may realize that their Scottish forebears many centuries ago likely did not wear this exact tartan pattern. But at the same time they know that the practice of wearing a tartan for one’s clan, family or district is something that has become a distinct part of Scottish tradition and by wearing the approved tartan for their clan (whether it is two or 200 years old), they are paying tribute to their heritage. The same tradition does not exist for non-Scottish families.

At the same time, I think that tartans such as the Cornish National, Irish National, Welsh National, German National, etc., have their place. These are ideal for those who are not of Scottish heritage themselves but that partake in Scottish cultural activities and who wish to wear Highland attire. (I always say you don’t have to have Scottish blood to wear the kilt, only a Scottish heart!). These tartans are a fine way of paying tribute to one’s own heritage while taking part in the Highland dress tradition.

But creating a system of “family name tartans” out of thin air – presumably with no input from the families themselves – seems unwarranted. And I believe, whether intentional or not, it can cause a lot of people to assume that such a tradition has existed traditionally in those countries when it fact it has not. Most people understand the relationship of tartans to families and clans in Scotland to be a traditional association, and are very likely to assume the same is true for other countries when they encounter things such as ‘Welsh corners’ in merchant’s tents at their local Scottish festival, selling ties and scarves in the Griffith, Powell, and Llewellyn tartans.

So I have mixed feelings about this recent phenomenon. I suppose time will be the ultimate judge. Maybe it will be a flash in the pan, a fashion fad that will simply be a footnote in a tartan history book. Or maybe 200 years from now people will wear Welsh, Irish, or even Spanish family tartans with just as much pomp and circumstance as they do Scottish tartans today!