Tuesday 30 March 2010

ABC Wednesday, K for Kilt

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with K.



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From Wikipedia:The history of the kilt stretches back to at least late 16th century.

The kilt first appeared as the great kilt, a full-length garment whose upper half could be worn as a cloak draped over the shoulder, or brought up over head as a cloak. The small kilt or walking kilt (similar to the "modern" kilt) did not develop until the late 17th or early 18th century, and is essentially the bottom half of the great kilt.

The nationalism of the kilt is relatively recent. It was only with the Romantic Revival of the early 19th century that the highland kilt was adopted by Lowlanders and the Scottish diaspora as a symbol of national identity. People from other countries with Celtic connections, some Irish, Cornish, Welsh and Manx, have also adopted tartan kilts in recent times, although to a lesser degree.Not every Scotsman or Scotswoman wears a kilt nowadays, but at festivals or special occasions they make a wonderful show in their kilts, while playing their bagpipes. Up until the eighteenth century, clans in Scotland had little or no association with particular tartans.

And tartans that were worn back then, were more likely to be associated with a district rather than a clan.Here are some patterns of tartans used for kilts. I couldn't find out which kilt belongs to which clan. I should like to know more about the clans and their kilts.



25 comments:

Miss_Yves said...

Au-delà de l'intérêt historique, le couleurs et les motifs sont très beaux !
Je me souviens d'avoir acheté un kilt à Guernesey, dans les tons roses, mauves et verts .

Anya said...

Het rokje voor de mannen hahaha...
Leuke foto's en tekst :-)

Fijne avond !!

Rune Eide said...

A very interesting post. I'm very fond of Scotland, and the kilts the their history reminds me in many ways of our own "bunader". Both where heavily used in the rebuilding of national enthusiasm, although female "bunader" in Norway are more common than male ones. But as in the UK, you can wear them at a Royal reception

Carol said...

I have always liked the look of a kilt, especially the great kilt. An interesting post, and a great K.

Renie Burghardt said...

Well, I didn't know anything about kilts, so I learned something new here. Interesintg post, Wil. I love to hear the bagpipes.

Happy Easter!

Hugs,

Renie

Anonymous said...

Interesting post, Wil. Most people I know wonder what the men wore under their kilts and as children all sorts of things was suggested, from shorts to nothing at all.

photowannabe said...

Thanks for the information about the different kilts. I am so fond of the Tartan plaids.
I actually posted a kilt too.

Sylvia K said...

Great post as always, Wil! Love the history of the kilt and what a great word for the K day!! Have a wonderful week!

Sylvia

anthonynorth said...

Interesting post. My Dearest is part Scottish and we have many kilted figures in our house.

Leslie: said...

I actually have a book containing all the Scottish tartans. And there's one there for my married name! :D

Stan Ski said...

Great post - I never thought of Kilt.

Changnoi said...

I like the slideshow!

Vicki Lane said...

Interesting post, Wil! A man looks terrific in a kilt -- if he has good legs with muscular calves.

Hildred said...

Google the tartans and you will find a place online that matches them up with clans and sub clans - very interesting. Ah kilts, they are so romantic (although at one time I imagine they were more practical than romantic). My sister had a Scottish wedding with kilts and pipers and heather straight from Scotland, aswirling all around. I wrote about it on My Reflections blog.

Granny Smith said...

Wonderful history and also the display of plaids on the slide show

Etje said...

Schotland heeft me altijd al geboeid en zeker de klederdracht en hun muziek.

Roger Owen Green said...

Never had the legs for a kilt. Good choice.

KRamblin' Kwith KRoger (ABC team)

Arkansas Patti said...

Have always liked the look of the kilt and love the sound of bagpipes. Somehow, it looks so masculine. Maybe it is the hairy strong legs.

Gattina said...

Each two years we have scottish soldiers coming to Waterloo for the reconstitution of the battle ! It's so funny to see when they go shopping in their costumes ! Of course kids run behind them and ask if they are wearing something under the skirt, lol !
Gattina from the ABC team

Tumblewords: said...

Interesting! A bagpipe school meets here each summer, so kilts are on display. What fun!

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

The kilt is very popular here as you probaly already know, many ancestors of the Kiwis are from Scotland, especially in the south in Dunedin.

Even so, the media still find it very humorous to ask if the wearer wears anything underneath.

Have a Good Easter.

Nydia said...

Kilts=Sean Connery! LOL

I remember Donalds' comics with Uncle wearing his kilts related to family, and always got curious too, about patterns.

Cool post on a very interesting subject!

Kisses from Nydia.

Vagabonde said...

Merci pour cette explication sur les kilts car je n’ étais pas au courant de leur histoire.

Tarun Mitra said...

nice informative article...in India we still call it "Skirt" lol :)

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

My husband is Scottish, but I've never been able to persuade him to wear a kilt. His father used to.