District
Cornish Tartans Page
It is a much overlooked fact that all Celts have tartans, not just the Scots. The national tartan of Kernow (Cornwall) is as follows: White on Black for St. Piran's Banner (The Patron Saint of Cornwall), Black and Gold were the colours of the ancient Cornish kings, Red is for the beak and legs of the Chough, the Cornish National bird, Blue is for the sea surrounding Cornwall.
Cornish Tartans
2 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
- Dress
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.
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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.
Dress 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
Cornish Tartan Origins & History
Explore the history
How it all started
Territories
It is a much overlooked fact that all Celts have tartans, not just the Scots. The national tartan of Kernow (Cornwall) is as follows: White on Black for St. Piran's Banner (The Patron Saint of Cornwall), Black and Gold were the colours of the ancient Cornish kings, Red is for the beak and legs of the Chough, the Cornish National bird, Blue is for the sea surrounding Cornwall.
Clan Chief
The Cornish Tartans are district tartans and therefore do not have a Clan Chief.
What's in the name?
The Cornish Hunting tartan was designed in 1984 as a subdued alternative to the rather bright Cornish National Tartan. The Hunting Tartan incorporates all the colours of the original National Tartan but with a dark green background. It is also said that Royal Blue and Gold were the colours of the Cornish Wrestlers.
Cornwall
The relatively small county of Cornwall boasts a Celtic heritage dating back many centuries. Carved bench ends found in churches at Altemun and St Winnow depict men wearing kilts and playing bagpipes from 1510. The tartan is a bit more modern, designed in 1965 by Ernest Morton-NanceCeltic Nations
Cornwall is one of the six remaining territories where Celtic traditions are still upheld. Other territories include, Scotland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Wales and Brittany.
The motto of Cornwall is Onen hag oll which means one and all.
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