Scots fought 'in bright yellow war shirts not Braveheart kilts'

Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | 28 Jun 2009 | Simon Johnson

[constitutiongirl]

I periodically look through “Janson’s History of Art” and this piece is in that book. The bit about the saffron shirt was also in a piece of lit I read but I just can’t remember which one. I don’t believe I ever learned that it was actually urine-colored.

[MARTIAL MONK]

I actually remember being shocked that a man would run around nekkid on a battlefield.

Somebody could get hurt that way. Really hurt.

[pandoraou812]

When I get mine I will loan it to you.

[Citizen Soldier]

I bought a book in Scotland recommended to me by my s-i-l's father (Scottish) called The Highland Clearances and it is extremely interesting how the Scots clansmen were driven off their lands so the English absentee landowners could have enough grazing land, especially if they refused to leave their homes they had them set on fire. My family is descended from the MacDonald clan and I went to Glencoe during that visit, beautiful place.

[Dysart]

Thanks for the tip. I just found a very good copy on Amazon for 1.99+3.99 shipping, and Looks to be right up me alley.

[devolve]

.

LOL!

P-Shirts!

[Ann de IL]

I also read the book and really enjoyed it. It gave me a better idea of my history and actually explained some family attitudes I had wondered about. However, I must warn you that the author of the book is the same Jim Webb who is in congress and he is a Rat. He seems to have turned his back on the values he held dear when he was writing the book. In fact he was very critical of Sarah Palin during the run up to the election. I was totally disheartened when I found out who he was, just wanted to warn you.

[goat granny]

That's interesting. When I raised Angora Goats, I got into natural dye for fibers. There were small company's that only dealt in naturals. That's where I found out that some colors are derived from dries bugs...Even using natural dye's fixatives are used. I think they were called mordants..A fixative for some dyes were copper pennies...Those older than us were a heck of a lot smarter..I think when my father died (1987) born in 1901, his generation took a lot of knowledge with them..

[devolve]

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE

[DollyCali]

wow ,, so cool.. thanks to you & potlatch for the great graphics you share here!

[bluegirl]

I believe you are correct. Urine was probably used as a chemical assistant, a mordant, rather than as the source of color. It would have been used with a plant dye. I don’t what plants are native to Scotland, but there are quite a few yellow flowers that dye well. Where I live coreopsis and marigolds give great yellows.

[bluegirl]

The term 'saffron', as used to describe Irish and Scottish leinte, is used to describe the color of the linen. The color is actually derived from weld, a plant that yields a light, clear yellow:

The truth is that the old English saffron does not mean crocus but any yellow colour, and generally distinguishes the weld, still retained in many parts of England and the very plant the Irish call Buídhe Mór, or Great Yellow. With this they dye their linen and fine woolen stuffs with different degrees of colour and fix the colour with urine. The yellow thus obtained is bright and lasting. (J. C. Walker, Materials used by the Ancient Irish, quoted in Brid Mahon, p. 118-119)

http://mama.indstate.edu/users/morgan/Dyes1.htm

[devolve]

[goat granny]

On the farm we had a large black walnut tree and the fruit of the tree made a great brown dye. The walnut was inside of a green outer skin, I had to put on my stopping boots and step on the green outer skin to bust it open. Than you would soak the walnut skin in water for a couple of weeks. Adding water to the bucket as it evaporated..Gave the most beautiful brown that resembled the color or mink...It had to be strained through cheese cloth because of the debris and then you could dry out the walnuts skins and have great black walnuts for baking. Those black walnut shells were so tough, I could only break them using a vise to get to the meat of the nut...

[goat granny]

Interesting post, I would like to know the genius that first discovered all this stuff...Who would think horse urine would set a dye made out of a flower or some other plant...It would have never occurred to me and then how do you get the horse to pee on command....it boggles the mind..

[budwiesest]

So the guy who invented Butterscotch wore a pee stained t-shirt?

[SunkenCiv]

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[sauropod]

Hmmm...Brings a whole new dimension to the saying “getting pissed.”

[CholeraJoe]

Back in the 40's drug companies paid preg. women to collect their urine.

That practice continues until the present day. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) used in the treatment of infertility is collected from the urine of post-menopausal women.

The drug Premarin used for hormone replacement in post-menopausal women is produced from the urine of pregnant mares. When studies were published implicating Premarin in breast and uterine cancer, demand fell resulting in the slaughter of many herds.

[wildbill]

Well, if the yellow war shirt tunic was “the badge of the chieftaines” it is highly unlikely that the rest of the army wore them, isn’t it?

Armies generally need some way to ID their leaders, so a bright yellow tunic might well have served as a visual rally point on a confused battleground.

If you saw the yellow running away, then it was time to get out of the battle. Could even have been the source for yellow being associated with cowardliness. ( I never cared much for generals)