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Off-Kilter Tradition 06-06-2006
The Shorthorn
The Texas Scottish Festival offers a twist on old-world tradition
Story by: Emily Aberg
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The Shorthorn: Evan Sheets | Members of the Society for Creative Anachronism recreate Middle Ages combat during a performance Saturday. |
Dallas architect Sean Garman received his first kilt as a present from his girlfriend.
“I was so confused by it at first,” he said.
Eventually Garman warmed up to the idea of wearing the kilt. Now the architect, who helped design the Chemistry and Physics Building which opened earlier this year, tries to wear the liberating garment whenever he can.
Garman volunteered at last weekend’s 20th Annual Texas Scottish Festival and Highland Games held at Maverick Stadium for Utilikilts, a Seattle-based clothing company. Steven Villegas, who started the business in 2000, said he believes the pragmatic qualities and comfort of a well-made kilt will make it a staple garment in the work force and in everyday men’s fashion.
“Think of what would happen in this country if policemen wore kilts,” said Villegas. “They’d still have their authority as policemen, but there would be no more stigma of ‘the man.’ ”
The festival featured traditional events such as a folk dance competition, golf tournament and Scotch whisky tasting. The festival is also well-known for hosting vendors and musical acts whose products and sounds focus on improvising traditions rather than preserving them. Utilikilts’ designs deliberately stray from the traditional wool tartan style and include a workman’s kilt and a silken exercise or running kilt.
Jewelers, swordsmen and costume retailers set up booths to sell items to the surrounding customers.
On one end of the festival, participants could hear contemporary music while at the other, bands played traditional Scottish folk songs. Brothers Hamish and Angus Richardson of the Australian rock group BROTHER, one of the highlights of the music bill this year, describe their sound as “mongrel music” rather than Celtic, referring to their use of didgeridoos and bagpipes.
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While the progressive members of the Utilikilts booth crusaded against societal stigmas and the music tent billowed with the sounds of global fusion, the genealogy booths next door offered patrons a chance to brush up on family history. Representatives from hundreds of Scottish clans and families set up booths, appealing to the festival’s more conservative attendees.
Mary Anne Carlisle joined her family’s clan, the family Bruce, because of her natural interest in family history and genealogy.
“Our goal is to keep traditions alive,” she said. “Traditions are mostly symbolic and consist of knowing the family crest and certain family traditions. But the more you know about your family’s history, the more it becomes a source of pride.”
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