Исследовательская работа "Шотландский килт: прошлое и настоящее"

Муниципальное общеобразовательное учреждение
"Средняя общеобразовательная школа № 10"

Исследовательская работа

Шоландский килт: прошлое и настоящее

Автор: Рубец Василиса

 ученица 5 "Б" класса

Руководитель: Цыцаркина Наталья Сергеевна

Учитель английского языка

г. Печора

2013 г.

Introduction

Kilt is a typically Scottish icon. It’s the thing that can hardly be found in any other nation. By sight, it resembles a skirt, by meaning it’s freedom, courage of the Scotts.

The theme of the work is Scottish kilt: the past and the present.

The aim – to prove that the kilt isn’t only part of Scottish history, but the one of its present and future.

The object – Scottish national costume

The subject – presence and future of a kilt

Tasks: - to collect and study information

• to single out the types of a kilt
• to give the examples of present “life” of a kilt

Methods of our research work – syntheses and analyses

1.1 History of emergence of a kilt.

Kilt not simply element of a historical Scottish man's suit. It is centuries-old tradition. Attribute of courage, symbol of freedom of mind and body(Application 1)

The 1st version

The kilt arose at the beginning of the 17th century in mountain Scotland. Originally the kilt represented not a shity skirt pleated, and the plaid draped round hips. These plaids had width of 5 feet (1.5 meters), length of 18 feet (5.5 meters) and were produced from checked woolen fabric which we call "Scotswoman", but actually it is called "tartan" .

 In  Highland Scotland, with its rainy climate and a mountainous relief, the kilt was irreplaceable.   It gave freedom of movement, warmed, could be quickly dried. At  night it turned  into a warm blanket.   When in fight the maximum freedom of movements was required, it was possible to dump a kilt and rush easily in attack, so to speak, without trousers.   So, the well-known fight of clans in 1544 between Frayzer, Makdonald and Kamerun received the name Blar-na-Leine that in translation "Fight of Shirts" means.

(2nd version)

At the beginning of the eighteenth century rich Scottish mountaineers wore long shirts and the trousers, poor were limited to shirts. Both that and others carried plaids, and the first used it as the outerwear, poor were wrapped in it entirely and tied a belt. The kilt was invented for the workers by the English Quaker by the name of Thomas Rolinson – the clothes in which it would be convenient to bring down the wood were necessary to it. It simply separated a plaid from a skirt, doing the last by a separate detail of clothes. The innovation was considered so cheap and convenient that in some decades the majority of woodcutters and shepherds of Scotland wore the clothes invented by the Englishman – in it it was convenient to go on the mountains and to lie in heather thickets. The similar version of the invention of a kilt was printed in one of newspapers in 1768 and didn't cause objections in contemporaries. We will note that then the mountain nobility didn't carry kilts as it was considered as clothes of commoners.

 The mountain clothes became a symbol of Scotland despite the fact that its carrying was forbidden as it symbolized the Scottish independence. British were afraid that Catholic clans will rise as it was in 1698,1725 and 1745, production тартана was forbidden, violators banished to America. Kilt and tartan survived because to the mountaineers who have entered the British army, it was authorized to wear the national clothes.

1.2 Tartan

 Sheep wool from which it was produced tartan, once painted vegetable dyes from a lichen, bark of trees, berry juice and roots of plants. And  as only certain species of plants grew  in a certain  territory, weavers were limited to a narrow set of paints. Traditional colors of tartan of  the Scottish clans were so fixed.

 By the coloring  of tartan it was possible to learn not only an origin, but also a social standing of the person. It was determined by quantity of colours in fabric: one - the servant, two - the farmer, three - the officer, five - the military leader, six - the poet, seven - the leader. Today exists about 700 drawings (sets) of tartan, and the new one’s continue to be invented.(Application 2)

1.3 How to wear a kilt

 There are two types of a kilt - "Big" (Great Kilt, Breacan Feile) and Small (Little kilt, Feileadh Beg) - between them a huge difference. Historical «a big  kilt» is to you not simply skirt pleated, this bulky attire, like the Roman toga in which muffled from the top to knees.(Application 3)

Put on a big kilt the next remarkable way. Fabric - a multimeter piece in human growth - is displayed by width on the earth. From the end of a piece your width in hips is measured (approximately) - this piece remains straight. Other material is tightened and keeps within folds. Then under the put fabric the belt by a buckle to the right is enclosed. Then on fabric it is necessary to lay down the person up, to wrap up it round itself (at first left, folded, the end, then smooth right) and to fix a belt. To rise, straighten hanging-down top part and to drape it round a trunk - usually one end stretch through a back, another through a breast and is pinned with a buckle on a shoulder.

"The small kilt" is that we usually call today “kilt”. According to the legend the small kilt was invented in 1725 by Englishman Rolinson working as the managing director at steel foundry. For convenience of workers he suggested to leave only lower part of a kilt. So there was a prototype  of a modern Scottish "man's skirts".

 The usual kilt reaches a knee and its floors are fixed in front of special by a decorative pin (kilt pin). With a kilt wear long, to knees, socks - one-color or checkered. Traditional socks have no top elastic band and are kept long (to meter by length) garters with brushes. Them wind round anklebones, as ties of the Russian bast shoes.

Under a sock thrust “a black  dagger” (dirk or sgian dubh). In front on a belt leather cough sporran is suspended. Sporran carry strictly in front that he helped a kilt not to be lifted up from a wind in the most responsible place.

 Pay attention: kilt - a man's type of clothes. Female skirts from tartan were sewed and worn differently. Presently Scottish skirts for women call "kilts" conditionally, by analogy. Therefore "the man's kilt" is a tautology, and "a female kilt" - the modern variation of traditional men's wear adapted for women.

1.4 From history to future of a kilt

 Interest to kilts is warmed up not only interest to history and national exotic. Many consider that thanks to democratization of clothes and growth of attention of consumers to comfort the kilt waits the big future. Propogandist of a kilt make and actively advertize practical models of kilts from the modern fabrics, adapted for work and rest. Modern kilts are supplied with a large number of convenient pockets and remind nothing museum pieces. Buyers and producers perceive them absolutely seriously. We will give the floor to buyers - men, "dared to live with convenience."

The word ''kilt'' occurs from ''kjilt'' old Scandinavian word which  means ''folded'' and came from Vikings who wore similar clothes, but without tartan.

The kilt or the Scottish skirt as it is often incorrectly called, is associated with Scotland. The kilt begins the history since the 7th century AD. In the Scottish settlement Nigg the stone with the image of the person is stored in a kilt, the image is dated this period. The first written mention of a kilt appeared only in the 16th century, the bishop Lesley wrote to Rome about the Scottish mountaineers: "Their clothes are practical and generally very well are suitable for war, instead of for ornament... Everything, both the nobility, and commoners, carry capes of one look (the nobility prefers capes from fabric of several flowers). They long and freely fall, but at desire can be skillfully collected by folds".

Why in this letter it is spoken about capes? The matter is that the medieval kilt represented a huge cloth. It was draped in folds round a waist and fixed by a wide leather belt, and the top free part was thrown through a shoulder and fixed by a brooch. Such kilt was called a great kilt (feilidh-mhor or breacan-feile on Gaelic,  language of Celts).

Initially the kilt was carried only by mountaineers. In the Top Scotland (Highlands), with its rainy climate and a mountainous relief, it was irreplaceable: it gave freedom of movements, it warmed, quickly it dried that couldn't be told about trousers. For the night it turned into a warm blanket. When in fight the maximum freedom of movements was required, a kilt it was possible to dump and rush easily in attack, so to speak, without trousers. Great kilt, was usually put on over a long woolen shirt, at wealthy people it was accepted to put on one more short linen shirt of thin manufacture.

There was a period in the history when Scots were forbidden to carry a kilt. It happened in 1745 when in fight on the plateau Kulloden (Culloden) y of Inverness (Inverness) Scots lost chances of independence then the English authorities carried out the Disarmament Act. Leaders of clans were put before a difficult choice — or to adopt the English legislation, or to refuse the lands. The right to judge the citizens was taken away from them, was forbidden to bear arms. In addition, carrying a kilt underwent a ban also. "Neither the man, nor the boy has no right to carry under any pretext a plaid, a kilt, belts on a shoulder or any other part of mountain clothes. It is forbidden to use tartan for production of plaids and outerwear".

Punishments for disobedience were severe — for the first violation six-months imprisonment, for the second — deportation in a colony for a period of seven years was necessary. The authorities in every way tried to support performance of the decrees, but to achieve it was very difficult. Tartan, having turned into an independence symbol, strongly I became fashionable among aristocrats. And even the Scottish lords sported in the tartena, without looking at any ban. The authorities, more and more realizing a vanity of the efforts, preferred not to pay to it attention. And in 36 years the Scottish mountaineers could wear the suit again freely.

After aristocrats the kilt was accepted also by flat inhabitants of Scotland, and all Scottish clan abroad. Other modern representatives of Celtic group: Irish, Welshmen, inhabitants of the Isle of Man, too accepted carrying a kilt.

Now the modern or small kilt is very demanded around the world, and in many respects thanks to the Scottish fashion designer Edward Duncan. It began fight for that all men carried a kilt: "We will leave trousers to women, the skirt was thought up by men, and the skirt in any relation is better".

And doctors from the Parisian Institute of Beauty declared: "From the medical point of view, the summer clothes have to be such which would leave as much as possible open body for air access. Skirt in this regard — an irreplaceable article of clothing for persons of any floor".

Now the kilt is made in many countries of the world including in Russia, however still the most qualitative kilts are made in Scotland where the system is well adjusted and features on which it is necessary to make kilts are well-known. In order that quality of this element of national clothes remained at high level, for it the special quality standards to which all producers of kilts are obliged to follow were defined.

By the way, to carry a kilt is comfortable at any season.

1.5 Kinds of a kilt

Kilts happen: There are two types of a kilt – "big" and "small" - between them a big difference. Historical "the big kilt" is very bulky attire in which muffled from the top to knees. And "The small kilt" is and there is that usually call today "a man's skirt", and it appeared much later a "big" kilt. By the way cowards under a kilt, traditionally never put on.

 The kilt for every day — is the facilitated version of a traditional kilt. For its tailoring no more than 5 yards (or near 4,5м) fabrics which are put in folds are used. These kilts are mainly from wool substitutes. The cost of such kilt is not high, it doesn't demand special care and it can even be washed accurately. Such qualities do this casual kilt very convenient for daily carrying.(Application 4)

Traditional kilt — national clothes of the Scottish men and quite difficult subject of tailoring. It is the historical kilt changed and adapted for modern conditions. The traditional Scottish kilt what we see it today, was introduced in the 18th century. It is surely made from tartan.(Application 5)

About 2,5 meters of fabric that does it very easy and convenient are spent for tailoring of an alternative kilt. Fabric is used plashchevy, thanks to it the alternative kilt is steady against wear, moisture and pollution. Is ideally suited for thrill-seekers, travelers and fans of hunting.(Application 6)

The alternative kilt perfectly looks on a scene, especially on performers of aggressive music.

The female kilt isn't a kilt, as that. It is the most ordinary skirt with a hint on a kilt. It is made as well as for men from tartan, differs the small sizes, has absolutely other design. Folds on a female kilt not deep, them much less. Such kilt is, as a rule, higher than a knee and is processed by the coquette above.(Application 7)

1.6 Where to wear a kilt:

Today, the majority of Scots kilt used as part of an official or a wedding suit, wears it everyday sufficiently small number of people. In many places you can see the Scottish kilts during sporting events Highlanders(Application 8) , as well as music and dance performances. Scottish national costume.(Application 9)

In the British Army , as well as in the armies of some other Commonwealth countries , the kilt is still a part of military uniforms (often for shows and parades ) in hostilities has not been used since the Second World War.

1)wedding(Application 10)

Suit of the groom, unlike a wedding dress of the bride, sources of the Scottish folklore describe much in more detail. By tradition, it has to include a traditional jacket, a tie or a butterfly, a zone bag — cough (sporran), and certainly a kilt from traditional tartan.

2) during traditional games of mountaineers, festivals and solemn dinner

1.7 Kilt in movies

LOUIS DE FUNES in the movie "Fantomas against Scotland Yard" (1967). The commissioner Zhyuv and his workmate only are on an evening reception to the Scottish lord Reshli in kilts. Skirts for some reason colors of a known South Scottish sort Kannigemov: brown-red cage in a white-black strip.

CHRISTOPHER LAMBERT in the movie "Mountaineer" (1986). The immortal soldier Connor Maklaud carries a big kilt of flowers of a real clan Maklaudov: blue-green cage and yellow-red strips.(Application 11)

MEL GIBSON in the movie "Brave Heart" (1995). The XIII century, the Scottish nobleman William Wallace — the fighter for independence of Scotland. It in a kilt of personal brown-gray flowers though тартан Uollesov was in a red-black cage with a yellow strip. However, in life the nobility of Scotland then didn't carry kilts(Application 12)

LIAM NEESON in the movie "Rob Roy" (1995). The XVIII century, the nobleman Rob Roy from a clan Makgregorov — the Scottish Robin Hood. Big kilts as on it, then any more didn't carry, and the coloring is excellent from patrimonial (red with green). Costumiers thought up that brown color symbolizes mountains, and blue — the sky. (Application 13)

SAMUEL L. Jackson in the movie "Formula 51" (2001). The chemist Elmo Makelra comes from the USA to England. It carries a brown-green-black kilt of a sort Makelroyev who once were owners of his ancestors in the New World, and intends to buy their patrimonial lock. (Application 14)

FORREST WHITAKER in the movie "Last King of Scotland" (2006). The Ugandiysky dictator Idi Amin in the gray-black-green kilt similar to smart regimentals of the Scottish shooters. In the countries of Africa as a part of the British Empire the full dress often copied elements of the imperial.(Application 15)

List of literature

1. http://www.liveinternet.ru/community/1148378/post83563353/
2. http://www.vokrugsveta.ru/vs/article/8217/
3. http://celtica.narod.ru/clothing/kilt.html
4. http://agni-sophia.org/?p=459
5. http://mykilt.ru/interesting-about-suit/history-of-kilt
6. http://dolinaotvetov.ru/question/pochemu-shotlandci-nosyat-ubki
7. http://mykilt.ru/interesting-about-suit/history-of-kilt

Kilt is a typically Scottish icon. It’s the thing that can hardly be found in any other nation. By sight, it resembles a skirt, by meaning it’s freedom, courage of the Scotts.

The theme of the work is Scottish kilt: the past and the present.

The aim – to prove that the kilt isn’t only part of Scottish history, but the one of its present and future.

The object – Scottish national costume

The subject – presence and future of a kilt

Tasks: - to collect and study information

• to single out the types of a kilt
• to give the examples of present “life” of a kilt

Methods of our research work – syntheses and analyses.

In  Highland Scotland, with its rainy climate and a mountainous relief, the kilt was irreplaceable.   It gave freedom of movement, warmed, could be quickly dried. At  night it turned  into a warm blanket. When the maximum freedom of movements was required in a fight, it was possible to take off a kilt and rush into attack. According to one of the versions a kilt was invented for the workers by the English Quaker, Thomas Rolinson.

The invention was considered so cheap and convenient that the majority of woodcutters and shepherds of Scotland wore a kilt. A kilt is made of tartan, woolen cloth. By its coloring it was possible to learn an origin and a social rank of a person. Today about 700 drawings of tartan exists.

Traditionally there are two types of a kilt: a small one and a big. But its number increased with time. So we can single out the following kinds: a kilt for every day, traditional kilt, the alternative kilt, the female kilt.

Today, Scots kilt is mainly used as a part of an official or a wedding suit sufficiently small number of people wears it everyday. In many places you can see the Scottish kilts during sporting events of  Highlanders , as well as music and dance performances, part of the Scottish national costume.

In  British Army , as well as in the armies of some other countries of Commonwealth , the kilt is still a part of military uniforms (often for shows and parades ).

Nowadays a kilt is becomimg more and more popular – we can see it at different festivals, rock concerts, movies(Highlander, Rob Roy, Fantomas against Scotland Yard). A lot of celebrities choose a kilt to wear at different ceremonies. Among them we can name  -Vin Dizel, Robby Williams, Prince Charlse.

Having analysed a lot information we’ve come to the conclusion that a kilt has bright presence and is becoming part of international community.