Scottish Clans
Llewellyn Tartans & Clan
The Welsh name of Llywellyn mainly rooted from the successes of the Welsh king Llywellyn the Great during the 11th century. Although it was widely used during the medieval period, it is believed that variations of the name were used even in the early Middle Ages, mainly Llewelyn, which gives the impression that the name was linked to the Welsh coat of arms, with the welsh name for lion being llew. This further reinforces the belief that Llywelyn the Great incorporated the four lions into his coat of arms after inheriting it from his father, Iowerth ap Owain. After Llywellyn the Great, there was a lineage of Welsh princes with Llywellyn in their name ending with Llewellyn the Last.
Who Wears Llewellyn Tartan? - Associated Names
First of all to explain why there are so many tartans, way over 2000 in fact. There are an awful lot of Scottish clans to start with and on top of this each clan can have many different tartans and names associated with it.
- Llewallyn
- Flewellyn
- Lewellen
- Lywellen
Llewellyn Tartans
1 variationsEach tartan can have multiple variations, the most common of which are Ancient, Modern, Weathered, Hunting and Dress
About tartan variations
- Ancient
- Modern
- Weathered
- Hunting
- One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if
Ancient Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer colours typical of the Ancient tartans, mossy greens and sky blues, a more orangey red and some would say showing off the pattern to much greater effect as as the contrasts are much brighter than the Modern tartans. The pattern or sett remains the same across all variations of a single tartan, and only the shades or tones vary.
Helpful Advice
Post 1860 chemical dyes replaced the natural animal and vegetable dyes and the Modern Tartans were born with their stronger and bolder colours. The soft greens and blues become bottle green and navy blue, reds are scarlet.
Modern Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer colours typical of the Ancient tartans. Post 1860 chemical dyes replaced the natural animal and vegetable dyes and the Modern Tartans were born with their stronger and bolder colours. The soft greens and blues become bottle green and navy blue, reds are scarlet.
Helpful Advice
The Modern tartans are often the more subtle combinations such as the classic Black Watch Modern
Weathered Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer, more earthy colours typical of the Weathered tartans, reminiscent of bolder colours subjected to wind, rain and sunshine producing beautiful faded tones, olive greens and browns, and very light blues with reds that are more pink than red.
Helpful Advice
Some mills refer to the Weathered tartans as Muted.
Hunting Tartan
The Hunting Tartans are the camouflage tartans and some clans don't have these variations because they are already predominantly green or brown and don't need amendment to blend in with nature's colours. The Black Watch or Gunn tartans are examples of these, whereas a tartan such as the Fraser is predominantly red and would not provide much cover for men out hunting.
Helpful Advice
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if you need an exact match we suggest you order a swatch to double check.
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if Tartan
The Dress Tartans were designed as the name suggests for celebrations and highland dance. The sett or pattern of the tartan remains the same and the main colour is changed to white, or extra white is added to the pattern to give it a brighter, more "fancy" appearance. The Scots do like to bend the rules and occasionally instead of white thread, yellow is used and this is where the rather wild MacLeod Dress Modern and Barclay Dress Modern came from.
Helpful Advice
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if you need an exact match we suggest you order a swatch to double check.
From the Start
Llewellyn Clan Origins & History
Explore the History
How it all started
The Welsh name of Llywellyn mainly rooted from the successes of the Welsh king Llywellyn the Great during the 11th century. Although it was widely used during the medieval period, it is believed that variations of the name were used even in the early Middle Ages, mainly Llewelyn, which gives the impression that the name was linked to the Welsh coat of arms, with the welsh name for lion being llew. This further reinforces the belief that Llywelyn the Great incorporated the four lions into his coat of arms after inheriting it from his father, Iowerth ap Owain. After Llywellyn the Great, there was a lineage of Welsh princes with Llywellyn in their name ending with Llewellyn the Last.
What's in the tartan?
The Llywellyn Welsh tartan is mainly a deep burgundy colour with both black and white accents running throughout.
Criccieth Castle
Criccieth Castle is a native Celtic Welsh castle found on the headland between two beaches in the town of Criccieth in North Wales, sitting of a rocky peninsula looking out over Tremadog Bay. The castle is believed to have been built by Llywelyn the Great during the 13th century with his grandson Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, or Llywelyn the Last, later adding to the exterior of the fortress. However, once Edward I invaded Wales he took over the castle and continued to make a few improvements of his own. Today, you can visit the picturesque ruins of the ruined Criccieth Castle allowing you to walk in the footsteps of your Welsh ancestors!
The name Llywellyn derived from the Welsh word of 'llyw', meaning 'leader' or sometimes 'lion-like.'
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