The Latin _braccæ_ is generally understood to be equivalent to our
_breeks_. There are, however, traces of the Latin word being used in
a wider sense to mean a loose flowing garment. Bishop Leslie here
applies it to the plaid or tartan, and, as it would seem, on the
ground of the variegated colours expressed by the Gaelic _breac_. This
is felt even in the use of the Latin word. We find _braccæ_ described
as _pictæ_ and _virgatæ_, coloured and striped. Perhaps the original
_braccæ_, which so took the attention of the Romans when they met
the Gauls, were striped and parti-coloured, and so gave rise to the
name. In Irish _breacan_ still means a plaid. It would seem, then,
that the Latin word is borrowed from Celtic. The modern word _breeks_
or _breeches_ is a double plural, and stands for _brec_, plural of
Anglo-Saxon _broc_. This last reminds us of Celtic _brog_, a shoe.
_Broc_ can hardly be derived from either _breac_ or _brog_, for we
find corresponding forms in all the Teutonic dialects. Neither can
_broc_ mean speckled, for we have _freck_, _freckle_, to represent
_breac_. The Teutonic words, together with _brog_, may thus be cognate
terms expressing the sense of _cover_ or _protect_, perhaps allied to
Anglo-Saxon _beorgan_. Comp. _bark_, the covering of a tree. _Brock_
in modern English and Scots means a badger; but this is clearly
the Gaelic _broc_. The animal was so named from its colour—pie or
speckle.[20]
It has been held that this particular account, while establishing the
use of tartans by the chiefs or nobles, proves them to have been by
no means common wear. But, taken in conjunction with the writings of
Buchanan, a few years later, the interpretation seems to be that, while
the leaders preferred the more brilliantly coloured patterns, the
rank and file had quieter designs, at once more economical and more
serviceable.
George Buchanan in his _History_, published in 1582, furnishes a
detailed account of the dress and arms of the Highlanders. He writes:—
They delight in variegated garments, especially stripped, and their
favourite colours are purple and blue. Their ancestors wore plaids of
many different colours, and numbers still retain this custom, but the
majority, now, in their dress, prefer a dark brown, imitating nearly
the leaves of the heather, that when lying upon the heath in the day,
they may not be discovered by the appearance of their clothes; in
these, wrapped rather than covered, they brave the severest storms
in the open air, and sometimes lay themselves down to sleep even in
the midst of snow. In their houses, also, they lie upon the ground;
strewing fern, or heath, on the floor, with the roots downward and the
leaves turned up. In this manner they form a bed so pleasant, that it
may vie in softness with the finest down, while in salubrity it far
exceeds it; for heath, naturally possessing the power of absorption,
drinks up the superfluous moisture, and restores strength to the
fatigued nerves, so that those who lie down languid and weary in
the evening, arise in the morning vigorous and sprightly. They have
all, not only the greatest contempt for pillows, or blankets, but,
in general, an affectation of uncultivated roughness, and hardihood,
so that when choice, or necessity induces them to travel in other
countries, they throw aside the pillows, and blankets of their hosts,
and wrapping themselves round with their own plaids, thus go to sleep,
afraid lest these barbarian luxuries, as they term them, should
contaminate their native simple hardiness. Their defensive armour
consists of an iron headpiece and a coat of mail, formed of small
iron rings, and frequently reaching to the heels. Their weapons are,
for the most part, a bow, and arrows barbed with iron, which cannot
be extracted without widely enlarging the orifice of the wound; but
a few carry swords or Lochaber axes. Instead of a trumpet they use
a bagpipe. They are exceedingly fond of music, and employ harps of
a peculiar kind, some of which are strung with brass, and some with
catgut. In playing they strike the wires either with a quill, or with
their nails, suffered to grow long for the purpose; but their grand
ambition is to adorn their harps with great quantities of silver and
gems, those who are too poor to afford jewels substituting crystals in
their stead. Their songs are not inelegant, and, in general, celebrate
the praises of brave men; their bards seldom choosing any other
subject.[21]
In the Acts and Proceedings of the General Assembly of the Kirk of
Scotland for the year 1575 the following ordinance against the use of
sumptuous clothing by Ministers and Readers of the Church is recorded:—
The Generall Assembly haldin and begun the 6 day of August 1575, in
the Ovir Tolbuith of Edenburgh: wher ther was present the Bischops of
Galloway, Dunkeld, Brechine, Dumblane, Glasgow, and the Bischop of
the Yles, Superintendents of Angus and Lowthiane, Commissioners of
Countreyes and Townes, with the Ministers. Mr Robert Pont (Provest of
Trinity College), Moderatour.
* * * * *
The brether appointit to pen thair judgement anent the habite of the
Ministers and thair wyfes, presentit the same to the Assemblie, quhilk
was found good; and all the brether serving the functioun of the Kirk,
ordaynes to conforme themselves and thair wyves therto, and ordainit
effectuouslie to follow the same: Quherof the tenor followes in thir
wordes.
Forsameikle as a comely and decent apparrell is requisite in all,
namelie in the Ministers and sick as beares functioun in the Kirk:
First we think all kynd of brodering vnseimlie, all bagaries of
velvett on gownes, hoses, or coat, and all superfluous and vaine
cutting out, steiking with silks; all kynd of costlie sewing on
pasments, or sumptuous or large steiking with silks; all kynd of
costlie sewing or variant hews in sarks, all kynd of light and variant
hewes in cloathing, as red, blew, yellow, and sicklyke, quhilk
declares the lightnes of the mynd; all wearing of rings, bracelets,
buttons of silver, gold, or vther mettall; all kynd of superfluitie
of cloath in makeing of hose; all vsing of plaids in the Kirk be
Reidars or Ministers, namelie in tyme of thair ministry and vsing
thair office: all kynd of gowning, coating or doubliting, or breiches
of velvett, satine, taffettie, or sicklyke; all costlie gilting of
whingers and knyves, or sicklyke; all silk hatts, or hatts of divers
and light collours: Bot that thair haill habite be of grave collour,
as black, russet, sad gray, sad broune or searges, wirssett chamlet,
growgrame lytes wirssett, or sicklyke: and to be short, that the good
word of God be them and thair immoderatenes be not slanderit; and
thair wifes to be subiect to the same ordour.[22]
The Council Register of the Burgh of Aberdeen contains entries
prohibiting the use of plaids, which appear to have attained
considerable vogue in a district by no means Highland; and the reason
annexed to the second of these seems to indicate a praiseworthy
courtesy on the part of the city fathers:—
_5th October 1576._—It is statut and ordanit be the provest,
baillies, consell, witht consent of the communitie present for the
tyme, being conuenit on the gill court day, and that na burges of
gild nor dekin of craft quhatsumeuir withtin this burght, be fund
werand ane plaid fra the feist of Sanct Martein nixt to cum in ony
time thairefter withtin the burtht, under the pain of fourtie s. to be
uptakin onforgewin fra the persouns apprehendit wering the said plaid
efter the forsaid feist of Sanct Martein, and the plaid to be gewin to
the hospitall to thair support, that ar pleset thairin.
_6th June 1621._—The said day the prowest, baillies, and counsall
considdering the inciuill forme of behaweour of a great manye wemen in
this burght, of gude qualitie, quha resortis both to kirk and mercat
with thair playddis about thair headis, and be thair exampill the
meaner sort of wemen vses the samen forme of incivilitie, quhilk gewis
offence to strangeris and occasioun to thame to speik reprochefullie
of all wemen generallie within this burght; for remeid quharof, it is
statute and ordanit that na wemen within this burght of quhatsumeuir
rank, qualitie, or degrie they be of, presvme or tak vpon hand to
resort to kirk or mercat with thair playddis about their heidis, vnder
the paines following, to be exactit of the contravenar without fauour,
_toties quoties_: viz. xiii. sh. iiij. d. of the wyiff of ilk burges
of gild, and sex sh. aucht d. of ilk craftisman, and this act to be
intimat out of the pulpit of baith the kirkis on Sonday nixt, and
thaireftir to hawe effect and executioun in tyme comeing.[23]
In view of what the old writers point out, that the early dress of
the Irish people bore a close resemblance to that of the Scottish
Highlanders, the description given by John Derricke in 1581 is valuable
as attesting the prevalence in his time of the two forms of the
dress—the kilt and the trews. It runs thus:—