You've reminded me of a joke I heard in Inverness about tourists in a particular shop: "Please don't expect us to identify your clan tartan instantly if your surname is Yablonsky"...
@@julianshepherd2038if your business is to sell "clan" tartans, then hell yes everything has a clan tartan. There'd probably be a Korean tartan with thousands of years of "definitely real, trust me mate" history if it'd make money.
I had the problem in reverse. The one time I've been up to Edinburgh (yeah yeah, doing the touristy stuff), I was accosted by a very-insistent salesman from one of the plethora of tartan goods sellers on the Royal Mile. 'You there, madam! We'll have your tartan, I'm certain! What's your surname?' I smiled sweetly through the piddling rain, and replied, with my Very Polish surname. There was a brief moment where our hapless hero's brain 404 bluescreened at the Zs. However, he recovered himself admirably: 'We'll check in the back!' Dear reader, I did not buy a kilt.
I think this format is fine for a shorter video, but with longer (in-depth) videos I prefer seeing your face. You're very animated, it's fun to watch your expressions and body language, and see you rummage around looking for things, etc. It makes the video feel more intimate & personal. OTOH, this might just be me. You do you, Jimmy! (Also, an interesting topic. Thank you for talking abt it and taking a stance against cultural appropriation.)
"Notable Gael, Prince Albert" absolutely sent me to the floor This was so cool, though! I knew that "clan" tartans were an invention of the 19th c., but I wasn't aware of the Welsh expansion.
Great video, very interesting! Coming from bavaria, I know a thing or two about fake traditions and costumes (Oktoberfest...). The style of the video with just pictures was fine for the main part, but it is nicer to see your "talking head" when you're directly addressing the audience.
This isn't a bad format for a good rant, but I do miss your expressive & engaging face-to-camera. And *seeing* you rant is even more fun than just *hearing* you rant...
Great historical information and good use of photos of the tartan fabrics. Quick Good Omens fun fact: The costume designer had a special tartan made just for Aziraphale. The pattern is beautiful, cream and light blue with gold threads. It's his bow tie and printed on his thermos. Later his angelic tartan is seen on the blanket Aziraphale gave to Gabriel to wear.
I once got a lovely tangent from an Irish kilt maker (she used the word kilt, not sure if it's the same word in Irish). She said that Irish kilts aren't patterned (not tartan), but are a twill weave and one color. Still 5+ yards of pleated fabric though! 💜
Also: IIRC Irish kilts are another 19th century invention/adaptation as part of an attempt to create a unified Gaelic identity. Traditional Irish kilt colors are Kelly green or saffron. Then in the late 20th century (again: iirc) county tartans were created for each county in Ireland.
There's a rich and beautiful tradition of Welsh Weaving - brethyn, carthenni, Melinoedd gwlân! I'd love to see another video like this about the Welsh wool tradition, which is an actual thing (with associated tragic history of clothing enslaved people in the US with Welsh woollens at one point), as opposed to the sheer marketing NONSENSE of 'Welsh' tartan!
Excellent episode!! If you think the kilt "history" gets embellished in the UK, you don't want to hear what they say in the USA😅. Thank you for setting things correctly.
The oldest piece of tartan like cloth I can think of is from around 800 BCE. It was found is a salt mine at Hallstatt. It resides at the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria.
Hm, breac just means "speckled." More like a tweed? My MacDonald cousins love wearing the kilts to the Highland Fairs, but they also play the pipes and drums and worship Rob Roy. I'm not so crazy! :D
I like the pictures; they add another layer of understanding and with enshittification gumming up web searches, access to images I might not have found myself. Also shoutout to Verillas and Versatta kilts!
Welsh tartan "not a thing....still not a thing..." I love your solidarity with your fellow expolited and subjugated Celts. Boo! Hiss! to cultural appropriation. Format: I like both, but I prefer whatever is most comfortable to you. Thank you, Jimmy!
The all picture format must be handy for bad hair days. I enjoyed this very much, miss your handsome dial though😁 I’m idly wondering how much history had been altered by posh boys starting ‘a thing’?
I LOVE the blue kilt I picked up in a thrift shop, mostly because it introduced me to Prince George Duke of Kent, fabulous crossdresser and messy bisexual. It's all just fun. Something doesn't have to be *ancient* to be fun history!
Something interesting is that the modern Norwegian word for 'blanket' is "pledd", and is derived from the word plaid. Not really relevant to the broader discussion, but it was something I realised while watching.
My exsquared not only wore a great kilt around events but put on demos on how to pleat and put on. He enjoyed pointing out how big you can make your „pocketses“.
I love tartan! I think it's one of the most beautiful ways to make fabric. As someone who's both in the punk and metal scene where tartan and kilts are very iconic pieces of fashion I love how it's still adored and cherished to this day (even though it's generally not connected to historical practices) :)) Tysm for your rant on the topic, 'twas very interesting!
A video on traditional welsh dress would be cool. like what that blue flannel suit looks like in action. sidenote, never know how to feel about tartan.don't like the college of arms telling people what they can and cant wear, especially for an 1800s invention, but im not a highlander, so what they decide to do with that fabrication or not is completely up to them. The whole thing about how tartans used to be whatever was to hand is cool and id like to explore that more, as its closer to real stuff and further from that posh boy stuff and imperial jingoism.
A fun rant. No problem making the time to watch/listen :) The picture format is fine. I prefer seeing you animated (enthusiastic for those who thought cartoon Jimmy!) but that's just me :)
I like the format, but I think a mix of photos and video is the best (personally). Doesn't have to be a lot of video footage, because I do really like seeing the illustrations of what you are talking about, but it is nice to see you too Jimmy (although, no pressure to be on camera either).
Great video. Love the facts and the honest truth. People into tartan and kilts shouldn't be forced to be purely reënacters. Wear whatever you want because it is comfortable or looks good, and remember that all "traditional" anything had to start with someone doing it first.
Brilliant video, as always! However, given a choice, I'd love to see you in addition to whatever photographic and other visual content you're presenting for us! ;)
Tartan, as a way to weave cloth, is ancient. Specific setts are not. It often depended on what dyes were available and what setts Granny liked. If it was a bad year for Madder, then no red.
Your rants are wonderfully informative. Pictures or video are both cool, I say do whatever is easiest for you. I was chatting with a friend from the local Renaissance Fair one day at a bar and it hit me - it was the first time in about a decade of knowing him that I had ever seen him wear pants. Typically he wore a kilt everywhere but work. He was of Scottish ancestry and had a beautiful piece of plaid made to fold into a great kilt.
Oops. I thought this was a Kilts & Culture video. I’m a proud kilt wearer; nothing but kilts since about 2018. But I’m an American who may have had some Scottish heritage several hundred years back. I don’t claim that I’m reconnecting with some heritage though; I just like the kilt. It’s comfortable and versatile.
Haha, I sold kilts and tartan and all kinds of heraldry stuff in Canada for five years and myself have a Llloyd tartan skirt. Folks tend to latch on to the idea that their crest or coat of arms or tartan are ancient and immutable, but yeah, you can have a tartan made up and registered yourself (as long as you have the $$$$). The Canadian provinces all have tartans! There is at least one tartan for a hockey team! I have a sash in the Scottish Odyssey tartan! Tartan is fun and pretty! Kilts looks great on everyone! And you'll never have to wear pants at a formal event again! But most of it's just made up and that's totally fine.
I knew a bunch of this already, but not that Wales was selling its own tartan kits. As a lady, I like the shawl/big old hat look and would love to know a bit more about it
I actually enjoyed the pictures as a change of pace! Your voice is pleasant to listen to, so you do a nice voice over. (Says a person who listens to Audible books each day!) But I wouldn't want the videos with you in them to go away. That's how we connect with a channel's owner! I enjoyed this topic, so thanks for all the prep it took!
Pictures is also good, but you are also very entertaining to watch when you explain something, especially if the surroundings are interesting or outside. Do whatever suits you best, your videos are all very interesting
Charles Edward Stuart (AKA Bonnie Prince Charlie) was descended from the Sobieski family through his mother, Maria Sobieska. That's why the fraudsters picked the name. He was half Polish, was born in Italy and lived most of his life there. He spoke multiple languages, but not English, Scots or Gaelic. Nationality was a complicated thing for 18th century nobles.
Australians have "good ol' days" events - you would be surprised how many of them prefer to wear colonial era upper-class dress rather than a prison style uniform with a ball and chain!
Hi Jimmy! This was enlightening and gave me the sads. I tracked my maternal grandfather's family back to 1550s Scotland and was excited at how pretty the family tartan is. I was considering buying something, but I'll save my money. I like both formats, but I think the topics you're really passionate about come across better with side pictures and your expressive-ness (is that a word?).
I liked this style of video a lot! I also like the usual in person videos, but I imagine this is easier to make? Thank you for another awesome video! I'd not heard of "Welsh tartan", so this was fascinating! 💜
I think I prefer the videos with you in them, because I personally enjoy watching people be physically excited by whatever they're talking about (even if that excitement is anger or frustration). But I do like the picture-voice-over videos, and wouldn't mind seeing more of them crop up. Especially if they're easier for you to produce - do have mercy and don't make life harder on yourself if you can help it.
I like your use of pictures because you choose ones that illustrate the point you're making, but I also like when you do the video thing, so keep doing whatever works for your purposes each time.
As a knitter, I've read about there being specific family patterns of Aran and Gansey sweaters. I'd heard about clan tartans being a more recent concept, and I can't help but wonder if the same is true about these family sweaters? Either way, I love doing cables.
Yes, I enjoyed the pictures, but even more the exhortation to not appropriate Scottish culture. Thanks for a rather concise addition to the history of kilts.
Suddenly very tempted to go weave myself ten meters of Aggressively Fantasy Colours tartan and then wrap it into an outfit so I can tell people who ask how long people have been wearing fantasy tartan lol. As for the format, I think I do have a slight preference for seeing your face but both are fine. You really managed to keep the pacing and humour that I associate with your videos. Would having hybrid formats where you do an intro and outro "in person" and then switch to images and documents for the, well, more document-driven parts in the middle be an option?
@@linr8260 I just remembered but in the late 60s I made a skirt of this tartan that was mainly neon barbie pink with a few other pinks and beige in it. It was garishly bright and had matching neon pink yarn I used to knit a skinny ribbed top. I probably glowed in the dark...
May I recommend Scottish Odyssey for a proper registered tartan with fantasy implications? Or any of the excellently bright highland dance tartans? They're legit (though obviously modern inventions) but so much fun!
I liked the picture format and your voiceover. The examples and on-screen comments were helpful. Honestly, it didn’t register that it wasn’t video until you posed the question since it was so visual.,
I'm pleased as a recent purchaser of an Owen tartan kilt from WTC that my intentions align with what you line out. It is a nice looking, unusual tartan that will serve me well in looking the way I want to look at events where it makes sense here in the USA. We like new stuff in the USA, though, I suppose. Great, informative video! Diolch yn fawr iawn!
accredited handcrafted kiltmaker here...Well done Jimmy, far too much nonsense spouted about kilts, but..... we're just happy that folks want to wear them, whatever fantasy tartan they choose.. also nice to have a variety of content styles, i llike them all..
The slideshow format worked very well, but count me in as someone who missed your direct address to camera. Maybe just record the intro and outro as video, and then slideshow the rest?
I assumed that the reason why things like ‘Welsh tartan’ and other explicitly non-Scottish tartans exist is so that people can wear highland dress to Scottish themed events (usually weddings) without having to appropriate a Scottish tartan they have no claim to. I’ve been to a few Scottish weddings where this has happened. It seems like a useful compromise? So long as people aren’t, y’know, pretending it’s their own ‘ancient’ clan tartan…
👍 Ah, marketing. I agree, if you’re acknowledging it’s not actually your heritage, have fun. But also (shops) don’t try sell me stuff based on a fictional tie. Be honest, so I don’t feel bullied or cheated.
I loved the Welsh blanket in the beginning. The photos were pretty good, too, as they linked directly to the ppints you were making. I prefer the video, as it comes across as a conversation, where this is more like an information report. But whatever is easiest for you is fine. Not dictating one way or the other!
As a child fifty years ago, a teacher told how the "ancient" Welsh had worn a "crys coch". A long woolen tunic "dyed red" held at the waist with a belt. Couldn't find anything in any of the books I have and Google wanted to sell me rugby shirts. Ant truth in it?
Fabulous video! I like both formats and appreciate the content greatly. The advantage of photos is that we are able to get more visual information from the documents. Either way, I really appreciate you and your channel.
The slideshow style video is okay as a quicker (I assume) video, but I definitely prefer more filmed footage. I have family who have been taken by the clan tartans in a big way and has spent thousands of dollars kitting the whole family out in "our" tartan, our heritage is Scottish so it isn't as terrible as it could be, she doesn't want to know real history, she just wants to be able to play dress ups and have an instant community and sense of belonging.
I think I managed to become aware how much of it is fake before I was ever wealthy enough to burn money buying any tartan. Esp as I learned about the big wrap a long time ago. Buying a kilt is expensive, but buying a feileadh mor makes it look cheap. And living in Australia.... if it's designed for highland Scotland, it's going to be heatstroke time here. So, learning I should be this sub-branch of this other clan for my tartan felt kinda odd, and some research helped me save my pennies.
Psst, if you love the idea of a kilt but don’t want to help yourself to anyone tartan, there’s always the American creation, the Utilikilt! They’re the general shape of the little kilt, but in khaki or camo or maybe denim, and have built in pockets.
Next, you'll be telling me that Scots weren't wearing kilts and blue warpaint at the Battle of Stirling Bridge (which for some reason isn't even a bridge in Braveheart. Only way to enjoy that film is to think of it as a fantasy film, fr).
Nice one Jimmy about time there was some actual history of tartans out there. The format works but your expressions often say more about about the content than the words do . 🙂
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I love this! So genuine ❤ Also, I prefer video format but I admit to listening to your videos more than watching them, so if this is easier, I can't complain
I loved seeing the Welsh tapestry blanket at roughly one minute in. What's the history behind that? Is it from the 17-1800s too? Does the pattern have any significance beyond being nice to look at?
Even though the Scottish clan tartans are a marketing invention, I'm happy to see the Nisbet tartan here (my grandmother was a Nesbitt). I rarely see it, usually in favor of more "popular" clan names/tartans.
I think the pictures did perfectly fine to get the message accross. I didn't even realise it was not a "video" until you mentioned it 😅 happy noices to you too!
Tartan has such a fascinating history, and I hope we see greater interest in other regions of Britain for reviving our own traditional garments, coming from the North of England we had the Maud, which I think would be really nice to bring back as an item of clothing more broadly.
I’ve heard the word kilt is derived from the Norse word for fold. This seems to be an example of the Viking impact on the English language and would suggest that some form of the garment was in use in the highland region during the period of Viking migration. A great kilt can be quite comfortable hiking wear but 9 yards can feel pretty bulky when driving a car.
The photo format work, especially for these fashion heavy episodes. I would like to contend that perhaps all traditional clothing is made up, so maybe if welsh people keep wearing kilts, in two hundred years or so, it will be "traditionally welsh" but at the moment.... No. I would love to hear more about welsh costume!
I really like this video, very interesting! As far as the format, I have to say I think I prefer Video Jimmy… that said, if this is easier and allows, you to produce more content, I am all for that.
Pictures are informative, but looking at your face is very nice too 😁 Nothing wrong with making different sort of videos depending what works best for the subject of the video.
Thank you, Jimmy. I am Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and English in that order. I'm proud of all of my heritages, and love to express them all, from kilt to shawl! I appreciate your dedication to historical accuracy in your videos, and not just jumping on the latest bandwagon. Now, please pardon me as I go to mix my metaphors by saying Alba gu bra'th and Diolch yn fawr in the same sentence.
This is vaguely similar to the problem of what people think of as traditional Bavarian dress - just minus the deliberate suppression/reclaiming aspect in that case. Clear case of invented tradition, that one. (Not necessarily a bad thing, to be clear. I'll happiliy wear a Dirndl myself, I'm just well aware that this tradition is about a hundred years old at most. Doesn't stop me from side-eying the weird touristy versions, though)
Greetings from across the pond! My Welsh Ancestors came to the coal mines of northeastern Pennsylvania and brought with them: the gift of song, the love of poetry, amazing food (especially Welsh biscuits 😋), work ethic, the blessing of springtime daffs, and a sense of humor. I am honored to carry on all of these aspects of my Welsh culture. Never heard tell 12:14 of Welsh tartans or kilts. I do remember stories of traditional dress that you have shown and also woven shawls. Thanks for clarifying this for folks.
You will have to make a video on how to put on 12yards of fabric, and not look like its laundry day. The photo format also works, especially when you have real photos to show. Thanks.
I'm deeply curious what Welsh folks wore in the middle ages and earlier- where can i go to see images or depictions of those clothes? I always turn up 18th century stuff, and that's it.
Loved this, the pictures were a great addition to a wonderful video. I knew people claimed Irish tartans were a thing (sorry, just as fictitious as the Welsh ones I'm afraid), but had not heard about them doing the same in Wales. I shall add it to my list of things to tell people when they ask me about historical and "historical" clothing.
This was really interesting and I liked the format but I also like the video format with you talking to us. Maybe a combo could be done of both together, or one of each. Sorry, not making a lot of sense as I'm tired. My husband has Irish ancestry (well, so do I but I know very little of that side of my family history) and he says that his ancestors had kilts of a type but they are not colourful like the Scots tartans.
I like the new presentation style format for stuff like this - it's very concise, which I enjoy. But still do your normal videos please! I love hearing and seeing you talk about the things you enjoy. Your passion really transfers through the screen then. But this was very good for my concentration, I have to say ! I was really getting a lot of knowledge. Very educational!
Don't worry Jimmy, I enjoy this kind of slideshow video too! 😺 I didn't know that (some) Welsh people are trying to have tartans too, though I do know about the (sadly fake) clan tartan thing. Good thing tartans and kilts stayed afloat throughout the 19th century, though in a markedly different way from the previous centuries 😅😩🙈 Speaking of just about anybody wearing kilt, I remember seeing Jesse Grant (youngest son of Ulysses S. Grant) wearing the whole kilt suit (yeah, the one with the charlie jacket) in a painted family portrait. He was such a cutie patootie in that suit 😺🥰💙✨ (Grant is a Scottish family name, right? ...right??)
When i was young in Glasgow most men would never have thought of wearing a kilt to a wedding, in fact the only men i ever saw in kilts were pipe band members. No one in Orkney would have thought of wearing tartan. There is as far as i know no evidence of tartan being worn on the north isles not that surprising since we only became part of Scotland about 550 something years ago
@@julianshepherd2038 the language that was spoke in orkney (and shetland) was norn, however it was replaced by scots and eventually died out totally by the mid 19th century - norn was already in decline before the islands unification to scotland though, due to the earldom transferring from the norse/orcadian lineage to clan sinclair in caithness (which spoke scots) in the late 1300s!
As someone of mixed Scottish and Welsh heritage, thank you for this video. Indeed, Highland culture has gone through the wringer a couple times; we've had enough, thank you. Didn't know about blue flannel being a particularly Welsh thing though! Nor the red and white stockings. Anyway, yes; plaid is for everyone, but tartans belong to the Scots. As for the video format, the quick succession of photos makes for a snappier pace, but it also feels dated; I'd prefer a side-by-side, with the slideshow on one half of the screen and a video of you narrating it on the other. But that's obviously a completely subjective opinion. You do you, dear Jimmy!
Can I just say that Welsh women tying the kids to the men when they went to the pub is freaking GENIUS!
"Notable Gael Prince Albert"
The snort I let out of me 😂
You've reminded me of a joke I heard in Inverness about tourists in a particular shop: "Please don't expect us to identify your clan tartan instantly if your surname is Yablonsky"...
@@julianshepherd2038if your business is to sell "clan" tartans, then hell yes everything has a clan tartan. There'd probably be a Korean tartan with thousands of years of "definitely real, trust me mate" history if it'd make money.
I had the problem in reverse. The one time I've been up to Edinburgh (yeah yeah, doing the touristy stuff), I was accosted by a very-insistent salesman from one of the plethora of tartan goods sellers on the Royal Mile. 'You there, madam! We'll have your tartan, I'm certain! What's your surname?'
I smiled sweetly through the piddling rain, and replied, with my Very Polish surname.
There was a brief moment where our hapless hero's brain 404 bluescreened at the Zs. However, he recovered himself admirably: 'We'll check in the back!'
Dear reader, I did not buy a kilt.
not dissimilar to how Tiffany and other jewelers would have different charts of birth-stones,
they had a meeting to standardize it in the early 1900's
I think this format is fine for a shorter video, but with longer (in-depth) videos I prefer seeing your face. You're very animated, it's fun to watch your expressions and body language, and see you rummage around looking for things, etc. It makes the video feel more intimate & personal.
OTOH, this might just be me. You do you, Jimmy!
(Also, an interesting topic. Thank you for talking abt it and taking a stance against cultural appropriation.)
I enjoyed the format. I imagine it'd be good for low spoons days when you can't film but need/want to make a video.
"Notable Gael, Prince Albert" absolutely sent me to the floor
This was so cool, though! I knew that "clan" tartans were an invention of the 19th c., but I wasn't aware of the Welsh expansion.
Great video, very interesting! Coming from bavaria, I know a thing or two about fake traditions and costumes (Oktoberfest...).
The style of the video with just pictures was fine for the main part, but it is nicer to see your "talking head" when you're directly addressing the audience.
This isn't a bad format for a good rant, but I do miss your expressive & engaging face-to-camera. And *seeing* you rant is even more fun than just *hearing* you rant...
I wholeheartedly agree! Jimmy's expressive face is a joy to behold! 😊
My sentiments too!
"Happy Welsh noises." ngl, that's literally how my brain interprets spoken Welsh. 😂
Great historical information and good use of photos of the tartan fabrics. Quick Good Omens fun fact: The costume designer had a special tartan made just for Aziraphale. The pattern is beautiful, cream and light blue with gold threads. It's his bow tie and printed on his thermos. Later his angelic tartan is seen on the blanket Aziraphale gave to Gabriel to wear.
I once got a lovely tangent from an Irish kilt maker (she used the word kilt, not sure if it's the same word in Irish). She said that Irish kilts aren't patterned (not tartan), but are a twill weave and one color. Still 5+ yards of pleated fabric though! 💜
Also: IIRC Irish kilts are another 19th century invention/adaptation as part of an attempt to create a unified Gaelic identity. Traditional Irish kilt colors are Kelly green or saffron. Then in the late 20th century (again: iirc) county tartans were created for each county in Ireland.
"Happy Welsh noises." 😂 Thanks for another great video.
Someone should make his'n'hers shawls and stovepipe hats a thing for weddings. That would be a baller move, and at least they're really Welsh.
I've seen some lovely utility kilts, but it is undisputed that they are a modern thing.Never heard about the Welsh claiming kilts as their own
I love seeing utility kilts around town. No reason for such a versatile garment to be lost to history 😊
There's a rich and beautiful tradition of Welsh Weaving - brethyn, carthenni, Melinoedd gwlân! I'd love to see another video like this about the Welsh wool tradition, which is an actual thing (with associated tragic history of clothing enslaved people in the US with Welsh woollens at one point), as opposed to the sheer marketing NONSENSE of 'Welsh' tartan!
Mae fideo arni ar y gorwel!
There is indeed, there have been studies done on the various colors used, which varied according to whether on lived on the seaside or inland.
1) fun rant. learned something new today
2) I like the recording of u chatting with photos popping up beside u. It's more interactive that way
Excellent episode!! If you think the kilt "history" gets embellished in the UK, you don't want to hear what they say in the USA😅. Thank you for setting things correctly.
The oldest piece of tartan like cloth I can think of is from around 800 BCE. It was found is a salt mine at Hallstatt. It resides at the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria.
Hm, breac just means "speckled." More like a tweed? My MacDonald cousins love wearing the kilts to the Highland Fairs, but they also play the pipes and drums and worship Rob Roy. I'm not so crazy! :D
Has several meanings, and is cognate with the Welsh “Brychan”
I like the pictures; they add another layer of understanding and with enshittification gumming up web searches, access to images I might not have found myself. Also shoutout to Verillas and Versatta kilts!
"but men are cowards, and will not do this" 😂 😂 say it louder, Jimmy! You're the best! 🖤
Welsh tartan "not a thing....still not a thing..."
I love your solidarity with your fellow expolited and subjugated Celts. Boo! Hiss! to cultural appropriation.
Format: I like both, but I prefer whatever is most comfortable to you.
Thank you, Jimmy!
The all picture format must be handy for bad hair days. I enjoyed this very much, miss your handsome dial though😁
I’m idly wondering how much history had been altered by posh boys starting ‘a thing’?
I LOVE the blue kilt I picked up in a thrift shop, mostly because it introduced me to Prince George Duke of Kent, fabulous crossdresser and messy bisexual. It's all just fun. Something doesn't have to be *ancient* to be fun history!
Clarification: it was a tartan pattern made for him. ✨
Something interesting is that the modern Norwegian word for 'blanket' is "pledd", and is derived from the word plaid. Not really relevant to the broader discussion, but it was something I realised while watching.
My exsquared not only wore a great kilt around events but put on demos on how to pleat and put on. He enjoyed pointing out how big you can make your „pocketses“.
Watching this while learning to knit Shetland lace.
Yindyssagh! I once made a christening shawl in 2ply wool but not as fine as a Shetland. Well done you.
The occasional slide show is just fine.
Very informative. Thank you much.
I too missed the dragon intro. Otherwise I'm fine with whatever format, I just appreciate what you do.
I love tartan! I think it's one of the most beautiful ways to make fabric. As someone who's both in the punk and metal scene where tartan and kilts are very iconic pieces of fashion I love how it's still adored and cherished to this day (even though it's generally not connected to historical practices) :))
Tysm for your rant on the topic, 'twas very interesting!
A video on traditional welsh dress would be cool. like what that blue flannel suit looks like in action. sidenote, never know how to feel about tartan.don't like the college of arms telling people what they can and cant wear, especially for an 1800s invention, but im not a highlander, so what they decide to do with that fabrication or not is completely up to them. The whole thing about how tartans used to be whatever was to hand is cool and id like to explore that more, as its closer to real stuff and further from that posh boy stuff and imperial jingoism.
A fun rant. No problem making the time to watch/listen :)
The picture format is fine. I prefer seeing you animated (enthusiastic for those who thought cartoon Jimmy!) but that's just me :)
I like the format, but I think a mix of photos and video is the best (personally). Doesn't have to be a lot of video footage, because I do really like seeing the illustrations of what you are talking about, but it is nice to see you too Jimmy (although, no pressure to be on camera either).
Great video. Love the facts and the honest truth. People into tartan and kilts shouldn't be forced to be purely reënacters. Wear whatever you want because it is comfortable or looks good, and remember that all "traditional" anything had to start with someone doing it first.
Brilliant video, as always!
However, given a choice, I'd love to see you in addition to whatever photographic and other visual content you're presenting for us! ;)
Tartan, as a way to weave cloth, is ancient. Specific setts are not. It often depended on what dyes were available and what setts Granny liked. If it was a bad year for Madder, then no red.
Your rants are wonderfully informative. Pictures or video are both cool, I say do whatever is easiest for you.
I was chatting with a friend from the local Renaissance Fair one day at a bar and it hit me - it was the first time in about a decade of knowing him that I had ever seen him wear pants. Typically he wore a kilt everywhere but work. He was of Scottish ancestry and had a beautiful piece of plaid made to fold into a great kilt.
Oops. I thought this was a Kilts & Culture video.
I’m a proud kilt wearer; nothing but kilts since about 2018. But I’m an American who may have had some Scottish heritage several hundred years back. I don’t claim that I’m reconnecting with some heritage though; I just like the kilt. It’s comfortable and versatile.
Haha, I sold kilts and tartan and all kinds of heraldry stuff in Canada for five years and myself have a Llloyd tartan skirt. Folks tend to latch on to the idea that their crest or coat of arms or tartan are ancient and immutable, but yeah, you can have a tartan made up and registered yourself (as long as you have the $$$$). The Canadian provinces all have tartans! There is at least one tartan for a hockey team! I have a sash in the Scottish Odyssey tartan! Tartan is fun and pretty! Kilts looks great on everyone! And you'll never have to wear pants at a formal event again! But most of it's just made up and that's totally fine.
I knew a bunch of this already, but not that Wales was selling its own tartan kits. As a lady, I like the shawl/big old hat look and would love to know a bit more about it
I can guarantee you will never feel more badass than when wearing a big ol' Welsh hat and shawl. I think everyone should try it at least once.
I actually enjoyed the pictures as a change of pace! Your voice is pleasant to listen to, so you do a nice voice over. (Says a person who listens to Audible books each day!)
But I wouldn't want the videos with you in them to go away. That's how we connect with a channel's owner!
I enjoyed this topic, so thanks for all the prep it took!
I was taught that tartans were just what was woven in that area until the Victorians (ahem) standardized it. Ah Victorians. Such cosplayers.
“Gate keeping”
Pictures is also good, but you are also very entertaining to watch when you explain something, especially if the surroundings are interesting or outside. Do whatever suits you best, your videos are all very interesting
The Sobieski Stuart surname made me really laugh since Sobieski is a surname of one of Polish kings of XVII century. So dubble royal
Charles Edward Stuart (AKA Bonnie Prince Charlie) was descended from the Sobieski family through his mother, Maria Sobieska. That's why the fraudsters picked the name. He was half Polish, was born in Italy and lived most of his life there. He spoke multiple languages, but not English, Scots or Gaelic. Nationality was a complicated thing for 18th century nobles.
Australians have "good ol' days" events - you would be surprised how many of them prefer to wear colonial era upper-class dress rather than a prison style uniform with a ball and chain!
Hi Jimmy! This was enlightening and gave me the sads. I tracked my maternal grandfather's family back to 1550s Scotland and was excited at how pretty the family tartan is. I was considering buying something, but I'll save my money.
I like both formats, but I think the topics you're really passionate about come across better with side pictures and your expressive-ness (is that a word?).
The caption 'Notable Gael Prince Albert' made me laugh out lord for real!
I liked this style of video a lot! I also like the usual in person videos, but I imagine this is easier to make?
Thank you for another awesome video! I'd not heard of "Welsh tartan", so this was fascinating! 💜
I think I prefer the videos with you in them, because I personally enjoy watching people be physically excited by whatever they're talking about (even if that excitement is anger or frustration). But I do like the picture-voice-over videos, and wouldn't mind seeing more of them crop up. Especially if they're easier for you to produce - do have mercy and don't make life harder on yourself if you can help it.
"Happy Welsh noises" 😄 Love it!
I haven’t gotten to that bit of the Duolingo course yet - but I can’t wait for the module on happy Welsh noises
I prefer video Jimmy over picture Jimmy, but if at any point the latter means a video instead of not, i wont complain 😊
Love the picture/ rant format, especially if its less production and post production effort for you, which means we may get more content!
I like your use of pictures because you choose ones that illustrate the point you're making, but I also like when you do the video thing, so keep doing whatever works for your purposes each time.
I 100% love that welsh fathers took their kids to the pub…freaking brilliant ❤ that is a good husband material right there
As a knitter, I've read about there being specific family patterns of Aran and Gansey sweaters. I'd heard about clan tartans being a more recent concept, and I can't help but wonder if the same is true about these family sweaters? Either way, I love doing cables.
Yes, the idea of "family cables" to identify drowned fishermen is a modern fabrication.
Yes, I enjoyed the pictures, but even more the exhortation to not appropriate Scottish culture. Thanks for a rather concise addition to the history of kilts.
Suddenly very tempted to go weave myself ten meters of Aggressively Fantasy Colours tartan and then wrap it into an outfit so I can tell people who ask how long people have been wearing fantasy tartan lol.
As for the format, I think I do have a slight preference for seeing your face but both are fine. You really managed to keep the pacing and humour that I associate with your videos.
Would having hybrid formats where you do an intro and outro "in person" and then switch to images and documents for the, well, more document-driven parts in the middle be an option?
Yes and a couple of strands should be lurex and glitter. Maybe one of those LED threads that light up?
@@lenabreijer1311I *could* spin some glittery accent yarns 🤔
@@linr8260 I just remembered but in the late 60s I made a skirt of this tartan that was mainly neon barbie pink with a few other pinks and beige in it. It was garishly bright and had matching neon pink yarn I used to knit a skinny ribbed top. I probably glowed in the dark...
May I recommend Scottish Odyssey for a proper registered tartan with fantasy implications? Or any of the excellently bright highland dance tartans? They're legit (though obviously modern inventions) but so much fun!
I liked the picture format and your voiceover. The examples and on-screen comments were helpful. Honestly, it didn’t register that it wasn’t video until you posed the question since it was so visual.,
I'm pleased as a recent purchaser of an Owen tartan kilt from WTC that my intentions align with what you line out. It is a nice looking, unusual tartan that will serve me well in looking the way I want to look at events where it makes sense here in the USA. We like new stuff in the USA, though, I suppose. Great, informative video! Diolch yn fawr iawn!
I really prefer the video vs the pictures, although the pictures are wonderfully informative. Perhaps a mix of both?
accredited handcrafted kiltmaker here...Well done Jimmy, far too much nonsense spouted about kilts, but..... we're just happy that folks want to wear them, whatever fantasy tartan they choose.. also nice to have a variety of content styles, i llike them all..
The slideshow format worked very well, but count me in as someone who missed your direct address to camera. Maybe just record the intro and outro as video, and then slideshow the rest?
I just miss your animated dragon intro. Anything else is fine. You do you. We're with you!
I assumed that the reason why things like ‘Welsh tartan’ and other explicitly non-Scottish tartans exist is so that people can wear highland dress to Scottish themed events (usually weddings) without having to appropriate a Scottish tartan they have no claim to. I’ve been to a few Scottish weddings where this has happened. It seems like a useful compromise? So long as people aren’t, y’know, pretending it’s their own ‘ancient’ clan tartan…
Very much enjoyed your rant! Periodic rants are good for the soul 👍
👍 Ah, marketing. I agree, if you’re acknowledging it’s not actually your heritage, have fun. But also (shops) don’t try sell me stuff based on a fictional tie. Be honest, so I don’t feel bullied or cheated.
I loved the Welsh blanket in the beginning. The photos were pretty good, too, as they linked directly to the ppints you were making. I prefer the video, as it comes across as a conversation, where this is more like an information report. But whatever is easiest for you is fine. Not dictating one way or the other!
As a child fifty years ago, a teacher told how the "ancient" Welsh had worn a "crys coch". A long woolen tunic "dyed red" held at the waist with a belt.
Couldn't find anything in any of the books I have and Google wanted to sell me rugby shirts.
Ant truth in it?
Nope! But a nice little tale :)
Fabulous video! I like both formats and appreciate the content greatly. The advantage of photos is that we are able to get more visual information from the documents. Either way, I really appreciate you and your channel.
Love this ranty photo format! Also love the regular videos though.
The slideshow style video is okay as a quicker (I assume) video, but I definitely prefer more filmed footage.
I have family who have been taken by the clan tartans in a big way and has spent thousands of dollars kitting the whole family out in "our" tartan, our heritage is Scottish so it isn't as terrible as it could be, she doesn't want to know real history, she just wants to be able to play dress ups and have an instant community and sense of belonging.
I think I managed to become aware how much of it is fake before I was ever wealthy enough to burn money buying any tartan. Esp as I learned about the big wrap a long time ago. Buying a kilt is expensive, but buying a feileadh mor makes it look cheap. And living in Australia.... if it's designed for highland Scotland, it's going to be heatstroke time here. So, learning I should be this sub-branch of this other clan for my tartan felt kinda odd, and some research helped me save my pennies.
Psst, if you love the idea of a kilt but don’t want to help yourself to anyone tartan, there’s always the American creation, the Utilikilt! They’re the general shape of the little kilt, but in khaki or camo or maybe denim, and have built in pockets.
They make amazing leather ones, too. They look great. I so want one. Expensive, though. Definitely a splurge item.
Next, you'll be telling me that Scots weren't wearing kilts and blue warpaint at the Battle of Stirling Bridge (which for some reason isn't even a bridge in Braveheart. Only way to enjoy that film is to think of it as a fantasy film, fr).
Nice one Jimmy about time there was some actual history of tartans out there. The format works but your expressions often say more about about the content than the words do . 🙂
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I love this! So genuine ❤
Also, I prefer video format but I admit to listening to your videos more than watching them, so if this is easier, I can't complain
I loved seeing the Welsh tapestry blanket at roughly one minute in. What's the history behind that? Is it from the 17-1800s too? Does the pattern have any significance beyond being nice to look at?
Even though the Scottish clan tartans are a marketing invention, I'm happy to see the Nisbet tartan here (my grandmother was a Nesbitt). I rarely see it, usually in favor of more "popular" clan names/tartans.
You know it’s serious when jimmy doesn’t show his face
You're good in front of a camera, thats a hell of an asset. Mixing in pictures is good, it keeps people watching.
Like this new format a lot.
I think the pictures did perfectly fine to get the message accross. I didn't even realise it was not a "video" until you mentioned it 😅 happy noices to you too!
Tres Ken Burns. This was fun, but please also do live video things, too.
Tartan has such a fascinating history, and I hope we see greater interest in other regions of Britain for reviving our own traditional garments, coming from the North of England we had the Maud, which I think would be really nice to bring back as an item of clothing more broadly.
I’ve heard the word kilt is derived from the Norse word for fold. This seems to be an example of the Viking impact on the English language and would suggest that some form of the garment was in use in the highland region during the period of Viking migration. A great kilt can be quite comfortable hiking wear but 9 yards can feel pretty bulky when driving a car.
The photo format work, especially for these fashion heavy episodes. I would like to contend that perhaps all traditional clothing is made up, so maybe if welsh people keep wearing kilts, in two hundred years or so, it will be "traditionally welsh" but at the moment.... No. I would love to hear more about welsh costume!
I really like this video, very interesting! As far as the format, I have to say I think I prefer Video Jimmy… that said, if this is easier and allows, you to produce more content, I am all for that.
Pictures are informative, but looking at your face is very nice too 😁
Nothing wrong with making different sort of videos depending what works best for the subject of the video.
Thank you, Jimmy. I am Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and English in that order. I'm proud of all of my heritages, and love to express them all, from kilt to shawl! I appreciate your dedication to historical accuracy in your videos, and not just jumping on the latest bandwagon. Now, please pardon me as I go to mix my metaphors by saying Alba gu bra'th and Diolch yn fawr in the same sentence.
This is vaguely similar to the problem of what people think of as traditional Bavarian dress - just minus the deliberate suppression/reclaiming aspect in that case. Clear case of invented tradition, that one.
(Not necessarily a bad thing, to be clear. I'll happiliy wear a Dirndl myself, I'm just well aware that this tradition is about a hundred years old at most. Doesn't stop me from side-eying the weird touristy versions, though)
Greetings from across the pond! My Welsh Ancestors came to the coal mines of northeastern Pennsylvania and brought with them: the gift of song, the love of poetry, amazing food (especially Welsh biscuits 😋), work ethic, the blessing of springtime daffs, and a sense of humor. I am honored to carry on all of these aspects of my Welsh culture. Never heard tell 12:14 of Welsh tartans or kilts. I do remember stories of traditional dress that you have shown and also woven shawls. Thanks for clarifying this for folks.
You will have to make a video on how to put on 12yards of fabric, and not look like its laundry day. The photo format also works, especially when you have real photos to show. Thanks.
I'm deeply curious what Welsh folks wore in the middle ages and earlier- where can i go to see images or depictions of those clothes? I always turn up 18th century stuff, and that's it.
You can’t, reliably, sadly. We have some images of Welsh people from c14th copies of the laws of Hywel Dda, but that’s basically it
@@TheWelshViking Thank you for your reply! I'll check this Hwyel Dda out.
@@MorganRhysGibbonsThere is also a brief description of Welsh dress of the the late 12th century in the writings of Gerald of Wales.
Loved this, the pictures were a great addition to a wonderful video. I knew people claimed Irish tartans were a thing (sorry, just as fictitious as the Welsh ones I'm afraid), but had not heard about them doing the same in Wales. I shall add it to my list of things to tell people when they ask me about historical and "historical" clothing.
This was really interesting and I liked the format but I also like the video format with you talking to us. Maybe a combo could be done of both together, or one of each. Sorry, not making a lot of sense as I'm tired.
My husband has Irish ancestry (well, so do I but I know very little of that side of my family history) and he says that his ancestors had kilts of a type but they are not colourful like the Scots tartans.
I like the format but my dream format would be for you to sweet talk Terry Gilliam into doing some pythonesque animation.
I like the new presentation style format for stuff like this - it's very concise, which I enjoy. But still do your normal videos please! I love hearing and seeing you talk about the things you enjoy. Your passion really transfers through the screen then. But this was very good for my concentration, I have to say ! I was really getting a lot of knowledge. Very educational!
Don't worry Jimmy, I enjoy this kind of slideshow video too! 😺
I didn't know that (some) Welsh people are trying to have tartans too, though I do know about the (sadly fake) clan tartan thing. Good thing tartans and kilts stayed afloat throughout the 19th century, though in a markedly different way from the previous centuries 😅😩🙈
Speaking of just about anybody wearing kilt, I remember seeing Jesse Grant (youngest son of Ulysses S. Grant) wearing the whole kilt suit (yeah, the one with the charlie jacket) in a painted family portrait. He was such a cutie patootie in that suit 😺🥰💙✨
(Grant is a Scottish family name, right? ...right??)
When i was young in Glasgow most men would never have thought of wearing a kilt to a wedding, in fact the only men i ever saw in kilts were pipe band members. No one in Orkney would have thought of wearing tartan. There is as far as i know no evidence of tartan being worn on the north isles not that surprising since we only became part of Scotland about 550 something years ago
@@julianshepherd2038 the language that was spoke in orkney (and shetland) was norn, however it was replaced by scots and eventually died out totally by the mid 19th century - norn was already in decline before the islands unification to scotland though, due to the earldom transferring from the norse/orcadian lineage to clan sinclair in caithness (which spoke scots) in the late 1300s!
As someone of mixed Scottish and Welsh heritage, thank you for this video. Indeed, Highland culture has gone through the wringer a couple times; we've had enough, thank you. Didn't know about blue flannel being a particularly Welsh thing though! Nor the red and white stockings. Anyway, yes; plaid is for everyone, but tartans belong to the Scots. As for the video format, the quick succession of photos makes for a snappier pace, but it also feels dated; I'd prefer a side-by-side, with the slideshow on one half of the screen and a video of you narrating it on the other. But that's obviously a completely subjective opinion. You do you, dear Jimmy!