Eclectic
Information about Celtic Culture including history, myths, heraldry, Saints, etc.
Seann Triubhas pronounced “shawn trews” means old trousers and is a Scottish National Dance. It is symbolizes ridding oneself of trousers and getting into a kilt. Follow this link to see a performance of Seann Triubhas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22qjzuum-tQ
Dirk is another name for a dagger. Scottish Highlanders carried dirks.
Caledonia (kaledonia) was an early name for the area that eventually became known as Scotland. It is often used as a reference to Scotland these days. The first time I heard it was in a song by Celtic Women. I thought it an odd name for a man but eventually found out it was a song about love for the country not for a man.
A Tartan is a textile pattern consisting of stripes of varying widths and colors crossed at right angles. Each design (sett) is distinctive and associated with a specific clan. No two clan tartans are identical. Thus, a knowledgeable person can tell what clan you are associated with by the tartan you are wearing. Of course, things have loosened up a bit and some entities have tartans that are not clans at all. For instance, the tartan shown here is the official Carolina tartan.
All of the participants in a Scottish Highland Games wear kilts. Most of them wear tartan kilts like the one pictured above. The pattern of the weave varies according to the clan a Scotsman belongs to (Wallace in this case). There are more than 6600 official tartan patterns.
The Clan Chief determines a given clan’s approved pattern. It is almost the only thing a Clan Chief can decide on his/her own these days. In addition to a kilt, ladies wear a sash. It is conventionally worn over the right shoulder. There are some exceptions. If the lady is a Clan Chief, the sash is to be worn over the left shoulder. If a sash hampers movement or the playing of an instrument, it may be worn over the left shoulder. It is considered improper to wear several tartan patterns at the same time (say an ancient pattern with a hunting pattern).
In everyday use, men and women have begun to wear “kilts” that are not woven in a tartan pattern. These kilts may be solid in color, have pockets, and so forth.
Hogmanay is the New Year’s Eve celebration in Scotland. An important part of the festivities is “first footing”. That is, being the first to cross the threshold of a neighbor or friend’s home bearing a gift (food, drink, etc.). The recipient responds in kind. “First footing” is thought to bring with it good fortune.
Clans or tribes were the way most groups of people were governed in the distant past. However, as the population grew and governing more complex, the clan structure in most areas of the world was replaced by a centralized government. Scotland was the last bastion of clan government in this newer more “civilized” world. Scotland eventually yielded to the central government approach.
However, in Scotland, the clan structure remains a vital force. Indeed, to this day, Scottish Clans gather the world over to show their allegiance to their clan.
Originally, the clans took a common name and banded together for economic and safety reasons. The name of the group was the surname of the Chieftain, say Donald. This name was preceded by “Mac” meaning “son”. Thus, the MacDonald clan means the sons of Donald. Of course, many of those owing allegiance to Clan Donald do not carry the Donald surname. Nonetheless, these families (referred to as septs) consider themselves to be Sons of Donald. To this day, many Scottish people feel they have a stronger allegiance to their clan than they do to any other entity.
The clan crest badge in the accompanying graphic identifies the wearer as a member of the MacDonald clan. Every clan has a badge of this nature as well as a unique tartan (woven cloth with a specific, unique weave/color pattern) which marks the wearer as a member of a given clan.
