Let's talk about kilts

Or in the case of my novels, let's not, because medieval Scots did not wear kilts. Yes, like almost everything else in Braveheart, the kilts were wrong. Mel Gibson lied to you. Of course, those kilts were extra wrong since not only did William Wallace not wear one, the one the characters in the movie wore were wrong in size and drape besides that it was the wrong period. Scots, by the way, also had armor and hair combs. *sigh*

Let me clarify the terms used regarding kilts and what they are made of, which are what I use. A plaid was a piece of cloth, usually of a tartan pattern, 4 to 5 yards long and 50 to 60 inches wide. Because of the size of medieval looms, it took 2 pieces of cloth sewn together to make one. It was often used as a cloak cast about the shoulders. It now refers to the small cloth worn over the left shoulder when wearing a small kilt. Tartan is a pattern of stripes running vertically and horizontally, resulting in square grids. (I am not saying it is wrong to use other terms such as plaid for the pattern, but for discussing kilts, I prefer to use the Scottish terms) 

The earliest piece of tartan found in Scotland was from the 3rd century AD so they predated the medieval period in Scotland and no doubt tartans were woven. However, they had absolutely no 'clan' association. That was an 18th century invention. It is safe to assume that the colors before that invention were those found in easily made dyes such as yellow from the very common gorse flower, blues from woad, and browns and whites from the natural colors of the wool.

Medieval lowland Scots seem mostly to have worn pretty much the same clothes as the people of any other western or northern European nation, with probably some regional variations because of availability. They probably used plaids as cloaks, or that seems likely. Highlanders wore a knee-length tunic called a léine which was also worn by the Irish and, of course, over this they wore a plaid as a cloak. 

There are no references at all to Scots wearing kilts until near the end of the 16th century, when there are descriptions of them worn by Scottish mercenaries fighting in Ireland. The garment from the description seems to have been the great kilt or feileadh mor which is what I think Mel Gibson was trying for in Braveheart. It differed vastly from the small kilt that is worn today as it has been for several centuries. They seem to have worn a léine under the great kilt as a shirt. The tail end of the kilt seems to have often been worn over the shoulder.

How the great kilt was put on is a matter of some disagreement. There are stories that the material was laid out on the floor on top of the belt, the pleats formed by hand, and then the wearer laid down and fastened it around themselves. The problem with this is a practical one. Many homes would not have a room large enough to lay out a cloth 5 yards long, especially without removing the furniture. Another explanation which has no evidence to back it up but sounds practical is that they had loops sewn inside and were drawn up the much as a hoodie can be drawn up. The problem with that, other than the lack of evidence, is that it would really not form pleats. So I honestly do not know and anyone who says they know for sure is being economical with the truth.

The great kilt was amazingly functional. Even in the midst of a Highland winter, that amount of wool cloth would keep you warm. It had enough width to be draped to cover the entire leg and use as a hood to protect the head, but it could also be draped higher so that it did not get wet crossing streams and rivers. Much of the Highlands is marshy moorlands such as Rannoch Moor. If you wore clothing that covered your legs, you would go around with wet clothing. So both the léine with a plaid or a great kilt are practical clothing. Of course, you run into the usual stories about people in earlier periods claiming they were never washed, which is nonsense and would make it extremely uncomfortable to wear. Having clothing full of filth, as well as ticks, etc. was no more comfortable to people in the middle ages and early modern era than they are to us today.

What by far most kilt wearers now wear is a small kilt. It did not come into use until around the start of the 18th century. Essentially the small kilt is the bottom half of the great kilt and more practical if you are wearing it for urban life. However, a small kilt contains about 8 yards of material so it can be very, very hot in the summer. The separate piece that goes over the shoulder is also called a plaid.

The other part of the history of the kilt is, of course, its banning. After the Uprising of 1745,  King George II banned the wearing of any piece of traditional Highland dress, including the kilt, with the purpose of destroying all traces of Highland culture. The penalties were severe: six months' imprisonment for the first offense and transportation for the second. The only exceptions were military brigades such as the Black Watch and even they had to immediately take them off when they were not with their brigade. The ban was not lifted until thirty-five years later in 1782, by which time severe damage had been done to the Highland way of life.

So the kilt has a very interesting history, but not much of it is medieval. I can sincerely promise that you will never find one in one of my medieval novels.

I apologise for the delay in finishing the story the amazing Agnes, Countess of Dunbar and not posting at the first of the month. I have been swamped finishing my latest novel, but I will complete her story in my next post, at the first of August.