Robert Burns and the Global Spirit of Tartan
Well as we’re not long past new year, many of us around the world have sung in unison the words of what has become a global anthem, Auld Lang Syne. This song, this beautiful song was the embodiment of all that our National Bard stood for. He was an internationalist and a man who loved nothing more than to extend love, friendship and kindness beyond the borders of Scotland. That’s why this song resonates with so many of us wherever we are from on this planet. We all have places, people and memories that stay in our heart and Auld Lang Syne calls for us to remember them.
Tartans and cultural belonging
As a company in the business of tartan and as indigenous Scots (although DNA now shows us that few of us are entirely ‘indigenous’ to the countries we call home) we do tartan with a twist. Our tartans are much more aligned to the aspirations of Burns and we hope he would approve of how we design them, how we use them and the feelings of belonging, identity and the profound feelings of friendship and cultural belonging that they instil in those involved in their design and those who wear them.
Like much of the poetry of Burns and the words of Auld Lang Syne, tartan is rooted in Scotland, but our tartans are a love letter to the world and a way of expressing friendship, kindness and shared heritage. Much of the design process of our nation state tartans has involved intercultural round table events with representatives and communities from across the globe, with diaspora communities and with politicians, poets, refugees, asylum seekers and so many others.
Over the last 230 years since the death of Burns, his songs and poems have resonated far far beyond Scotland’s borders. He could not possibly have known as a national poet and lyricist writing in a minority language (Scots) how he would impact the psyches of many millions of people of all cultures and colours.
We had a wee visit up to Princes Street this past Hogmanay; taking in the multi-cultural throng of humans from around the globe who come to our country to stand in the freezing cold, listen to our music, sing our songs and intertwine arms and hands with strangers and celebrate the bringing in of a new year. It is quite something. Never has there been a better time to celebrate interculturalism with some of the prejudicial politics going on around the world during this difficult time in human history. Robert Burns was a passionate egalitarian, deeply believing in human equality and the rights of common people and celebrating universal humanity. We in Scotland and around the world would do well to keep this in head and heart.
Which of our tartans would Burns love best?
We had a round robin survey in the workshop to explore which one of our tartans Burns would choose if he were still with us. There are so many that would resonate with him:
Brigadoon – a well referenced bridge in Burns Poetry and a mythical Scottish Village.
Queen of Scots – a more beautiful tartan you never will find than this and dedicated to our most famous monarch.
The Ayrshire Tartan - obviously as is the birthplace of the man himself.
The Auld Alliance - He might have covertly gravitated to the celebration of Franco-Scots friendship and solidarity (whilst not a Jacobean, he had clearly had sympathies for the cause)
Atlantic Alliance - as an outspoken supporter of the struggle for American Democracy in the 18th Century. What he would make of current world events today – one can only surmise.
Indeed any one of our district tartans would have held appeal since he travelled extensively across the Highlands and the Borders. We’re a wee bit chuffed that he spent so much time here in the Scottish Borders and there’s hardly a small town in the South that doesn’t host a plaque citing Burns as having stayed there. The Borders is well referenced in his poetry and songs not least the Selkirk Grace which many of us will either hear or recite this coming Burns Night.
Wearing tartan on Burns Night?
If you’d like yourself a sash, a shawl, a scarf or a dandy bow-tie in anyone of these tartans or any of our other 120 tartans, do get in touch.
Slàinte mhath (pronounced slan-ju-va) from all at International Tartans wherever you are out there in the big wide world. If you want to come visit us, let us tell you there will be a welcome on the hillside and the kettle will be warm. We did our best to incorporate a wee bit Scots Language and a wee bit of the Gaelic into our post. Let us know what you think.
PS: Click on any of the hyperlinks within our post to take you to the relevant pages on our website.