THE SCOTTISH  GREAT KILT 

Presented  by 

MUNGO  NAPIER 

LAIRD  OF  MALLARD  LODGE

Ceud mile failte!  A hundred thousand welcomes! Duncan the Crabby*, Highland troublemaker, at your service, and likely also at your purse. It is my honor to share some history of the Highland great kilt, and to show you its relationship to the modern “wee kilt”. So please, sit back, relax, and let us share the pleasures of that most manly of garments, the great kilt.

The Highland great kilt is an un-tailored garment that wraps around the loins, is belted at the waist, hangs to the knees, and is pleated across the bum, with a generous amount of material above the belt that can be pulled up onto the shoulders. The great kilt is known as the féileadh mór  in Gaelic or as the “belted plaide” in Scots English.

(Right) Lord Mungo in full Scottish drag though this outfit is more 17th century than SCA period. The tartan is Campbell, which along with Royal Stewart has become a sort of generic pattern for all of Scotland.

A plaide  is a piece of un-tailored woolen cloth used as a mantle or shawl, a blanket, or wrapped around the body and belted as a great kilt. Plaide describes the cloth, and has nothing to do with any decoration or colors we Americans rather erroneously call “plaid”. When decorated, the plaide is sometimes called a breccan.

Tartan today usually refers to the pattern of crossed lines of different colors we know from kilts and other Scottish goods. In the renaissance period, the term described any cloth with colorful Scottish patterns, by then usually all wool. A tartan pattern is more properly called a sett, though this term is seldom used today except by cloth makers and historians.

Let's start with the whole question of when the féileadh mór was invented. The general feeling among kilt enthusiasts is that the great kilt dates to antiquity, and is something the Scots have always worn. Kilt scholars, however, can only point to 1594 for the first verifiable mention of the great kilt. I used to be on the side of the scholars until Lord Wrad of Ce showed me a Pictish carving of two bards wearing the féileadh mór (below). This has caused me to change my viewpoint, at least as far as the Picts are concerned, which pushes the féileadh mór back into the 9th or 10th century.

However, not all Highlanders were Picts. Beginning in the 5th century CE, an Irish Gaelic-speaking tribe known as the Scoti invaded the Hebrides Islands and then spilled over onto the mainland, particularly into Argyle and Bute. It is likely their main garment was the Irish leine. For men this was a linen shirt extending either to mid-calf or mid-thigh. A women's leine extended to the ankles and was more like a chemise, though probably not as well tailored as later English chemises. Leines for both men and women had large bell sleeves like a choir robe. For nobles these were huge, and probably a nuisance (see below), but this was a mark of status.  This image shows a highland nobleman from the 1300s who also appears to wear a pleated garment above his waist. This is actually dagging on a short jacket called an ionar. These jackets were  tailored garments worn by both Irish and Scottish nobles, and beyond the means of most peasants.

In cold weather both men and women wrapped their upper bodies with a wool mantle or rough cloak known as a plaide. This was similar to the Irish brat, worn by the central figure in the next image. That chap, and the two men to the right, are Irish kerns, elite soldiers often serving as both wingmen and servants to Scottish gallowglass mercenaries in Ireland (the two men to the left). You can spot the kerns by their unique, but really bad haircut, which looks like somebody put a bowl over their heads and cut off everything hanging below the rim. Note that the man is wearing the plaide/brat around his upper body, and it is NOT belted. This is probably how most Hebredian Scots wore the plaide up to near the end of our period of interest. This image dates to about 1521, and by the end of the century, many highlanders were wearing the plaide hanging to their knees, pleated and belted, thus a true kilt.

The first verifiable mention of the great kilt occurs in THE LIFE OF RED HUGH O’DONNEL by Lughaid O’Cleirigh, originally published in 1616. O’Donnell was the Irish Earl of Tirconnaill (now Donegal). In 1594, he hired Scottish mercenaries for another campaign in his perpetual wars to drive the English from Ireland. In modern translation the text says, “Their exterior dress was mottled cloaks of many colours with a fringe to their shins and calves; their belts were over their loins outside their cloaks . . .”

At this point, I'm going to throw up my hands and say, "Wear whatever you want. This is just a game anyway!"

The kilt did not penetrate into the Lowlands until the 19th century. William Wallace, a Lowlander, likely never wore a kilt, despite what Mel Gibson would have you believe (and certainly not that Tarzan-like Hollywood horror from the movie). However, a great kilt on some of his Highland followers in the film might have been possible.

The great kilt is really just a piece of cloth 54 to 60 inches wide and four, five or even six yards long, depending on how much haggis our Scotsman had eaten, and how large his waist and tummy had become. Some people claim the great kilt was nine yards long, but this is absurd, though there is a grain of truth here. Primitive looms of the time could only weave a piece of cloth 28 to 30 inches wide, so the cloth was indeed woven to eight, nine or even twelve yards. Removed from the loom, it was cut into two pieces which were stitched back together side-by-side. Early tartan patterns were simple checks, stripes and tweeds, as the looms lacked a foot treadle needed for more complicated weaves. Most dyes were made from local materials, and the yarns would have often been dyed in muted browns, greens, yellows, black, or natural white. Richer colors like red or deep blue were imported, and were only for the wealthy.

These circa-1630 Scottish soldiers (above) are from the 30 Years War, but are one of the earliest depictions of the kilt. Note the various ways the kilt is worn by three of the men. The musketeer wears tartan "slops".

There were no clan tartans in those early days. A Scotsman wore whatever cloth he could get by purchase, barter or theft (we Scots were great thieves!). However, in isolated glens and on the isles local weavers used the same thread counts and local dyes for generations. Since almost everyone there was part of the same local clan, these weaves were de-facto clan tartans, but without any official status. The first mention of any uniformity comes in the 17th century. Even at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, historians have been able to count only a dozen or so clans that had an "official" tartan. The whole business of clan tartans didn't take off until the early 19th century during the mania for all things "Scotch". Before that time Lowland men would almost never have worn tartan. It was considered uncouth and barbaric. Lowland women, however, seem to have adopted the ersaid, a lovely female version of the great kilt (below).

And what about the "wee kilt" or philabeg (below)? The generally accepted story places its invention at around 1730. Thomas Rawlinson, an Englishman who operated an iron furnace in Glengarie, noted that his workers sweated heavily in their kilts during work. He cut a great kilt in half the long way (or simply unstitched the two halves), and so invented the “wee kilt”. We Scots bristle at the idea of our national dress being invented by an Englishman. Some English also claim to have invented haggis and golf, so this sounds like more cultural imperialism from the south. Thus far, efforts by Scottish researchers to either prove or debunk the Rawlinson story have been fruitless.

But just to toss you another curve ball, take a look at this medieval carving (below) from Paisley Abbey, which seems to show a man wearing a wee kilt (from A SHORT HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH DRESS by R.M.D. Grange).

The “wee kilt” did become popular in the first half of the 18th century. Not only was it easier to put on, it was cheaper than the great kilt, and could be worn with the English waistcoat (vest) and short jacket that were becoming fashionable.

Evolution of the kilt stopped after the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite rising. In 1747 to break the Scottish spirit, the English banned all tartan clothing for both men and boys. Highland regiments in the English army were allowed to wear the kilt. Some rich and powerful lords on good terms with the Crown were exempt from the law, or were able to flaunt it. The ban was lifted in 1782, but much kilt lore and many tartans had been lost by then.

The Scots at first showed little interest in returning to the kilt. Around 1800 there was a great cultural awakening sparked by the songs and poetry of Robert Burns and novels by Sir Walter Scott. Suddenly everyone wanted to be Highlanders. Even Lowlanders were caught up in the fascination with all things “Scotch”. Sadly, it was now the “wee kilt” to which most Scots turned. 

This mania was fueled by the tartan makers, especially Wilson and Sons, who sent salesmen to every clan chief and lord in Scotland. They would ask the chief for a sample of his “clan tartan” and would offer to have the cloth mass produced. If there were no samples, the salesman would examine old family portraits and would pounce on any tartan as the official clan sett. If no tartan was found, the salesman would offer up their sample books and invite the chief to select any still unnamed tartan that looked appealing. Since there were numerous salesmen out at the same time, some setts were chosen by as many as four clans. The Scotts are a canny people, and many knew they were being duped, but few cared -- they were having too much fun playing dress-up.

FOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES AND KILT VENDORS, PLEASE SEE OUR GENERAL PAGE ON SCOTTISH CLOTHING.

* Duncan the Crabby (or Duncan an Crabbit in Scots) is Lord Mungo Napier's great-grandson and lives about 1590. 

 

THE CHAPEAU-à-BEC

A 200-YEAR MILLINERY SUCCESS STORY

PRESENTED  BY 

MUNGO  NAPIER

LAIRD  OF  MALLARD  LODGE,

SOCIETY FOR CREATIVE ANACHRONISM

CLICK  ON  ANY  IMAGE  TO  ENLARGE

THESE ARE LARGE FILES AND TAKE TIME TO LOAD!

This blog entry is a never-presented ZOOM class for an online session of the University of Atlantia. It is based on a live presentation I tested at the Shire of Isenfir's Arts & Science Night in February 2022.

Welcome good friends. I am your host, Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge. This class is all about the chapeau-à-bec, one of the most familiar hats from the Middle Ages. I will introduce you to the hat with a few historical examples, then will demonstrate two simple methods to make this hat for yourself.

The English call this hat a "bycocket", which is a rather smutty term. As the SCA is a family-friendly outfit, I suggest we use the French name "chapeau-à-bec", which means "hat with a beak".

These are definitely NOT "Robin Hood hats". Robin Hood's asssociation with this hat is likely a Howard Pyle invention from his 1883 novel MERRY ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, an early young-adult best seller. Pyle's illustrations became the model for many Robin Hood films, cartoons and television programs.

The earliest example you host has encountered is this illustration from a 1290 version of LE ROMAN D'ALEXANDRE.

The earliest English examples your host has found are from the LUTTRELL PSALTER, which some scholars date to around 1325 or slightly later. There are five examples of the chapeau-à-bec in the psalter, suggesting that the hat was common in England by that time.

Many Italian examples dating to as early as 1338 are among frescoes found in the Camposanto, a cemetery and mausoleum associated with the Cathedral of Pisa and its famous Leaning Tower. In Italy this hat was called a falucca after the small boat with a triangular sail.

Another Italian example is this stunning 1380 fresco showing Saint Helena from the Bascilica of Santa Croce in Florence.

German examples are found in illuminated manuscripts of the 14th and 15th centuries, and on a deck of playing cards which dates from 1455. The figure on this card depicts a "bott" or messenger.

The chapeau-à-bec continued to be shown in French illuminated manuscripts as late as 1487, as seen in this example from LE ROMAN DE LA ROSE.

The latest examples your host has found are from German and Flemish illuminations dating to around 1500.

Chapeau-à-bec hats worn by peasants were likely made from low-grade wool and would rarely have been lined. The most common decoration would have been a feather, but two examples from the LUTTRELL PSALTER are decorated with pilgrim signs, (or pilgrim badges was we erroneously call them today). The unhappy plowman in this image wears his hat backwards, perhaps to not block his vision as he guides the plow.

Middle class hats would probably have been from better grades of wool, and were likely to be lined with linen. The lining gave them a brim with a contrasting color. Note that this example has a chin strap or cord to keep the hat from being lost.

Hats for nobles were often made from the best wool and linen, or might be from more costly fabrics like velvet lined with silk. Nobles' hats are often shown with elaborate bling such as piping, embroidery and especially ermine trim.

When the chapeau-à-bec became fashionable among the wealthy, the beak often grew much longer, sometimes as long as the rest of the hat. The crown was sometimes very tall, similar to a sugar loaf hat but with the brim and beak.

During the 16th century, the hat shrank to a lower crown, sometimes flat on top, and a shorter rounded bill, similar to a "Tyrolean" hat. Without the long beak, it could no longer be called a "chapeau-à-bec". Such hats are shown in Peiter Bruegel the Elder's mid-century genre paintings such as "The Peasant Wedding" or "Hunters in the Snow".

Even today, fancy low-crowned chapeau-à-bec hats are worn for British ceremonies, such as the opening of Parliament in the House of Lords. This version is called a "cap of maintenance", and is worn by certain nobles or specially appointed officers. It is almost always worn with its point to the rear.

In all SCA kingdoms, a "cap of maintenance gules trimmed ermine", or a "cap of maintenance gules trimmed argent goutty de sang", are reserved regalia worn only by the Order of the Pelican. In some kingdoms caps of other colors with ermine trim may also be reserved regalia. Before making such a hat, check with a senior herald to avoid embarrassment. In the SCA these hats can vary in shape. Our example (above) is a standardized heralidc charge.

Now let's turn our attention to making a chapeau-à-bec. Actual medieval methods for making the hat are not known for certain, but either of my methods will make an acceptable hat for general SCA use. 

The first method is to sew the hat from two pieces of coat-weight wool. Suit-weight wool is not thick enough to make a good hat unless lined. As there are several possible variations, I suggest making some test hats from cheap craft felt to see which options you like best before chopping up an expensive piece of wool.

A template is archived among the Shire of Isenfir's A&S pages at isenfir.atlantia.sca.org . The template comes in two pieces you must tape or glue together, as it is too wide for most printers. I suggest using the paper template to make a more durable template from light cardboard. My template will fit most adult head sizes. If you make a hat for a child, resize the template using your printer software.

 

Two diagonal lines marked "brim fold lines" are for your choice of a 3 or 4-inch high brim back (or between if you wish). Which height you choose will determine how the hat sits in relation to your ears. It does not change the over-all hat height which is determined by where the crown sits atop your bean. I prefer a 3-inch brim. Anything below 3 inches, or above 4 inches does not look right.

If you cut your fabric to the descending vertical line, the finished hat will have "ditch" between the back of the brim and the crown. This is actually seen in some period illustrations, but to me unattractive. Cutting to one or the other optional lines will make the brim sit closer to the crown for a more finished look.

Mark your crown pieces on the back side of your wool. The back is the side that shows the most weave, while the front is the fuzzy side (on some wool there is little difference). Make all your cuts inside your marks, especially along the brim, as the back side will actually show on the finished hat's brim. Be sure to make the two pieces mirror images, or you will end up with a fuzzy side on half your hat, and a weave side on the other. Tsk, tsk.

Pin the two halves together fuzzy-side to fuzzy-side. Trim off any overhang until the two pieces have the same edges. Begin sewing from the point, moving around the crown until you reach the brim fold line. Turn the hat outside-in, and finish your stitching. This will hide your brim stitches between the brim and the crown. I prefer hand stitching (sewing machines and I don't get along very well), but machine sewing is o.k. as most your stitches will be hidden.  

Finish by ironing all the seams flat. Flip up the brim and iron the brim fold to a tight crease. Add a feather to the crown just behind the brim, or other decoration, and your hat is finished. Note: My hats are not as curved as they appear in these illustrations; my wig head is rather small and adds to the curve.

Lined hats are actually fairly simple. If you line with wool, cut two additional pieces to the same size as the crown pieces, as described earlier. With most wool there is no need to hem the edge. Stack your pieces from bottom to top, first a lining with fuzzy side down, crown fuzzy side up, crown fuzzy side down, lining fuzzy side up. This will put the more attractive fuzzy wool facing out on both the crown and brim.

Linen and other fabrics will need to have their bottom edge hemmed. Make the lining pieces slightly oversized, hem the bottom, then pin the lining to the crown pieces and trim. The order for sewing the pieces is lining with the hem facing up first, then crown with fuzzy side up, crown with fuzzy side down, lining with hem facing down. Make sure your hem and crown pieces are aligned exactly along the bottom edge. Sew around the crown as described earlier for the unlined hat. Finally, sew the two lining pieces to their respective crown pieces along the open brim edges. 

Iron all the seams flat. Flip up the brim to the desired height and iron the brim fold crease. Add a feather or other decoration and it is ready to wear.

Method 2 uses commercial felt hat blanks called "cones". I bought several from Jedrzejko via Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/Jedrzejko). Similar cones are also available from Lawliet on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Lawliet-Cloche-millinery-Fascinators-Block/dp/B01N0IH64U?th=1). Both seem to be of excellent quality, but Jedrzejko offers more colors. Lawliet's gray is a heavier 120g weight, and their pink is just 80g (but pink is not very medieval!). I suggest you avoid these two colors. The rest of Lawliet's cones, and all of Jedrzejko's are 100g wool.

My cones were not quite even around the bottom. Flatten the edges together, and rotate them until you get the best match. Trim away any uneven spots.

Iron a crease about 5 or 6 inches long where you decide the hat's centerline and beak will be. Iron the rear end for 3 or 4 inches, depending on your brim height preference. Fold the brim up at the back up and iron the brim fold line at the rear only.

.

Clip away a narrow "V" down from the brim at the rear. Fold the brim down and sew the two pieces back together. Then flip the brim back up.

Finally, iron the brim fold down to the point on each side. There may be a very wide V-shaped dip right above the rear seam. If this bothers you, trim the brim edge straight from the rear seam forward on each side (under the feather in the above example). Due to the fabric being bent against its natural curl, you may see some wobbles along the brim line. These should disappear when the hat is on your head.

Please send any questions or comments to my email at the above address.

CASTLES IN VIRGINIA 

PRESENTED  BY   MUNGO  NAPIER, LAIRD  OF  MALLARD  LODGE

CLICK  ON  ANY  PHOTO  TO  ENLARGE

This page is a collection of residential castles, relocated historic buildings, and recreated period structures. The purpose is to spotlight buildings from which medieval re-enactors can learn about life in the days of old, or just have some fun.

The decision of what to include in this list was somewhat arbitrary and personal. I chose buildings that consciously imitate European residential/military castles, but excluded Victorian or baronial-style homes that are called “castles” simply because they are large and happen to have a tower. Also eliminated were military academies, armories, prisons, Pythian lodges and other civic buildings decorated in a faux-medieval style.

I welcome suggestions and photos to expand this list, but the final decision of what to include is my own.

Some of these sites are open to the public, usually for a modest admission fee. Please respect the privacy of residential castles and enjoy them from the roadside.

RESIDENTIAL CASTLES

Rose Tower (above), Franklin County (Crown Lands). This delightful tower, the first part of a planned larger home, is a private residence near Martinsville. It is on private property and far from any paved roads. Please respect the owners' privacy. (Photo submitted by the owner.)

John Gabel’s Tower, 3160 Wades Gap Road, Boones Mill, Franklin County (Crown Lands). This is a round stone tower used as a retreat. (Photo needed.)

Melrose Castle, Route 602, Casanova (Barony of Stierbach). A mid-19th century stone house, it features battlements and a three-story tower. A private residence, it is not open to the public. (Photo from Wikipedia Commons by Jerrye and Roy Klotz, MD.)

Keen’s Castle, Rockingham County (Shire of Isenfir). A recently-built private home with castle-like features: battlements, large corner towers along the front and small turrets on the rear corners. (Photo needed.)

Bull Run Castle (above), 24637 James Madison Hwy. (U.S. 15), Aldie, (Barony of Stierbach). A private residence, but visible from the shoulder of northbound U.S. Highway 15. (Photo by Lord Mungo Napier.)

Royal Orchard Castle (aka Scott’s Castle), 501 Royal Orchard Drive, Afton, (Shire of Isenfir). Royal Orchard Castle is a private residence that is definitely NOT open to the public. The owners do not appreciate public interest, and employ private security guards. Briefly visible in the winter along the ridge line from westbound I-64 on the north side of the freeway at milemarker 102.5. This photo is about as close as you will ever get. (Screen capture from Google Maps.)

Swananoa, near the junction of Routes 610 and 250, Afton (Shire of Isenfir). This is a marvelous replica of a 16th century Italian villa. It is open to the public for guided tours (web site: https://skyline-swannanoa-inc.square.site ). (Photo from Wikipedia Commons by Colchicine.)

REPLANTED  HISTORIC  HOUSES

Agecroft Hall, 4305 Sulgrave Road, Richmond (Barony of Caer Mear). This 1920s mansion was built with materials salvaged from the original 15th century Agecroft Hall in Lancashire, England. It is interpreted and furnished to represent the late Elizabethan period. Rooms on the guided tour include the parlor, bedrooms, estate office and a priest hole. A detached kitchen is separate from the guided tour. The spacious Elizabethan gardens are spectacular in season. There is even a really charming gift shop. Agecroft is open to the public for a modest admission fee and is a must-see destination for all Scadians (web site: http://www.agecrofthall.com ). (Photo by Lord Mungo Napier.)

Virginia House, 4301 Sulgrave Road, Richmond (Barony of Caer Mear). Like the adjacent Agecroft Hall, Virginia House was built using salvaged materials from an English medieval structure, in this case Warwick Priory in Warwickshire. Today it serves as the headquarters of the Virginia Historical Society. Virginia House is open for tours by appointment for a modest admission fee (web site: http://www.vahistorical.org/your-visit/virginia-house ). (Photo from Wikipedia Commons, courtesy of the Virginia Historical Society.)

The English Farmhouse House at the Frontier Culture Museum, 1290 Richmond Road, Staunton (Barony of Black Diamond). The English House is actually a late 17th century building salvaged from England. Of half-timber/wattle-and-daub construction, it is furnished and interpreted as a typical middle-class English farm structure. It is filled with replica furniture, and features a working kitchen with a costumed docent (in season). Rural material culture of 17th century was not much different from the early 1500s, so this house is worthy of a visit, especially for re-enactors (web site: http://www.frontiermuseum.org ). (Photos by Lord Mungo Napier.)

REPLICA  HISTORIC  BUILDINGS

The Robertson Windmill ( https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/locations/ewing-field/ ), Ewing Field, Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg (Barony of Tir-y-Don). The Robertson Windmill is a replica “post mill”, an English design common during the late middle ages. Milling technology did not change much until the late 18th century with the invention of the so-called “automatic mill” and its internal conveyors, so the Robertson Windmill is not unlike those from our period. In the photo the mill is only partially assembled when it was in storage at Great Hopes Plantation. Your author promises an updated photo after his next Colonial Williamsburg visit. (Photo by Lord Mungo Napier.)

Henricus State Park, 251 Henricus Park Road, Chester (Barony of Caer Mear). This park recreates the village and fort founded here in 1611, with replica houses, furnishings and domestic stuff similar to that of the late Elizabethan period (web site: http://henricus.org ). (Photo from Wikipedia Commons by Jerrye and Roy Klotz, MD.)

Jamestown Settlement, Route 31 S., Jamestown  (Barony of Tir-y-Don). This living history park and museum includes a replica of the original Jamestown 1607 fort, with several structures and furnishings similar to those of England during the late Elizabethan period. Also displayed are replicas of the three ships that brought the first colonists to Jamestown (web site: https://www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-settlement/ ). (Left photo from Wikipedia Commons by TASMA3197; right photo by Lord Mungo Napier.)