The Isle of Man  - an island in the Irish sea, situated off the coasts of England, Scotland and Ireland - has the oldest know Parliament in the world. The Tynwald was established in 979 AD and still functions today as it did centuries ago.

The Isle of Man is steeped in history - ruled and fought over by the Norse, the Scots and the English. Today, it is technically not part of the United Kingdom, but a “possession” of the Crown itself. Its position and status is unique, with some of its own, quite distinctive laws and traditions. Most recently it has established some controversial tax shelter laws which keep it outside the legal jurisdiction of the British mainland. These laws were put into effect in an effort to prop up the economy of the small island when the tourist trade sharply dropped due to easier and more convenient access to resorts on the Continent. The population of Man is under 100,000 persons.

Its folklore in large part is derived mainly from Celtic legends and beliefs (as opposed to those of their one-time Norse rulers), and its ancient (and extinct) language - Manx - is very closely related to Scots Gaelic (in particular) as well as the Irish tongue. Though the last native speaker died in the late 20th Century, there has been a determined effort to bring it back - and it is now being taught to a new generation of Manx children. On the political front, there is a small, but vocal group who are determined to bring full independence to the Isle - something it has never known.

Man is considered one of the 7 (Celtic) Nations - Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, Galicia…and The Isle of Man

Confederate Memorial Tartan: Though it may seem odd to some that there is a Tartan commemorating the Confederate States from the American Civil War era, one needs to understand the ethnic make-up of the South in those days.

From earliest colonial days many Scots (Highland and otherwise) had emigrated to the New World colonies a great many settling in North and South Carolina and Georgia. Some came over as indentured servants and slaves after the failed Rising of 1745, but many had come over with sometimes their entire villages and communities intact. Flora MacDonald, famous for her encounter with Bonnie Prince Charlie during the 45, settled in the South with her husband, and oddly enough, during the American Revolution joined the Hanovarians (The same Monarchs that had crushed Scotlands Highland culture), and ultimately fled back to Scotland when the English were defeated and the colonies lost forever. Whole regiments of Scots fought on both sides during that 8 year struggle.

It has been estimated that by the time of the American Civil War, fully 75% of the white population of southern states were of Celtic lineage (not all Scots of course). As in the North, there were Scottish and Highland brigades and regiments in the South, though they never seemed to have faced each other in battle during the war. The well-known Rebel Yell of charging confederate soldiers, which apparently terrorized Union troops to no end, is thought by some to have originated from the equally well-know battle cries of Scottish clan armies of days long gone.

On a darker notes, it is supposed that the notorious and hateful symbol of the Ku Klux Klan The Fiery Cross is a bastardization of the Highland way of gathering clans for battle in Scotland. In clan territories, when the Chief decided it was time for conflict, he sent a herald out across their territory holding aloft a Fiery Cross (which according to some was not actually ablaze, but merely burned at its edges), and shouting the name of the usual clan meeting place. The fiery cross of Highland fame was only the symbol and legitimacy of the heralds position to gather the warriors as quickly as possible. Its use in the South was of a decidedly different nature.

To this day there are still large communities of Scottish-Americans in the South, and indeed one of the largest of all Highland Games in the world takes place in Georgia.

Clan Chattan:  Clan Chattan is not in actual fact a clan, but instead something wholly unique in the history of the Highlands it is a confederation of clans, and the only one. Its nominal head is the Chief of the MacKenzies, though the Macphersons have always bitterly contested this notion. The matter was settled by the Lord Lyon, King of Arms in 1672 who declared the MacKenzies the rightful leaders.

The name is derived from St. Cattan. Other prominent clans in the federation included MacBeans, MacPhails, Shaws, Farquaharsons, MacQueens, Davidsons, and others.

Probably the most famous incident involving Clan Chattan is the Battle of the North Inch of Perth a terrible event, sometimes misunderstand as being a fine example of Highland chivalry. It was anything but. The battle was staged apparently for the amusement of King, Robert III. It was conducted between the Macphersons and the Davidsons both clans were constantly at odds with each other within the confederation, apparently starting out as a matter of who shall command the right wing of Clan Chattan in wartime. This position on the field of battle held great importance to Highlanders of all clans (in the 45, infighting over this position caused a serious delay in unleashing the Highland charge against Hanovarian troops at Culloden).

After many years of conflict between these two clans, it finally came to a head in 1396 when the Scottish king decreed that they should settle their differences once and for all with a pitched battle. 30 men from each side were chosen and before many royals the two clans had at it. In the end all of the Davidsons were killed but one. A gory spectacle that while tempering further fights within the confederation, left a bitter taste for a long time to come.

Douglas:  This very famous Scottish name originates from the Gaelic for black water dubh glas and was a descriptive place name. Perhaps the most famous of Douglas name-bearers was James. He fought along side Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Independence and was one of the great Scottish patriots. Overshadowed in historical references by The Bruce and William Wallace, he was no less a true warrior-hero of his day. When The Bruce died, James fulfilled his pledge to bring the Kings heart to the Holy Land for burial. With a band of followers they made off for the continent, but James fell in battle with the Moors in Spain. The Black Douglas charged the overwhelming enemy forces, casting The Bruces heart ahead of them. Amazing enough, though James was killed, the heart was returned to Scotland where it rests to this day.

The following generations of Douglas were renowned fighters bringing battle to the English not only on the battlefields of Britain, but in Europe as well. Still and all, they often fell afoul of the Kings of Scotland who thought the family much too powerful for their own good they were often imprisoned, banned, executed and their lands and titles seized.

Be that as it may, the family still exists to the present day.

MacLean:  A rather dramatically named character - Gillian of the Battle Axe - is often considered to be the progenitor of the MacLean name and clan in the 13^th century.

The clan supported The Bruce in the Wars of Independence, and were given titles to lands on the isle of Mull - where they immediately came into conflict with the MacKinnon's of Mull. Much bloodshed followed, with the MacLean's coming out on top.

Fervent Royalists, the clan was out for the Stewarts at Flodden where the Chief fell in battle. They were out again for Charles and Montrose; for King James VII at the battle of Killikrankie; the rebellion of 1715, and finally for Bonnie Prince Charlie during the '45.

There were many powerful offshoots of the clan and the principal seat of power was Duart Castle on Mull - and the tartan shown here is one of the many thus styled MacLean of Duart.

Ogilvy:  The Ogilvy name is very old, and some of the earliest records trace the current lines from about 1150. The name itself seems to originate from a land grant - Ocel Fa, which means "high plain".

The family was involved in many notorious feuds over the centuries, including one with the very powerful Campbells (who burned down one of the main residences of the Ogilvy chief), but more disastrously with a branch of the Lindsay clan. A resultant clan battle in the mid 17th century left many Ogivly's dead.

In-fighting between claimants to the chieftainship resulted in two feuding sects within the clan; both parties grew powerful over the years, until the issue was finally settled by royal charter.

Many Ogilvy's were staunch Jacobites and were out in the rebellion of 1715, as well as the '45. In the 1780's the clan chief, Lord Ogilvy was pardoned by the crown for his part in the last rising - his comportment and youth used as reasons for a rather late clemency.

Knights Templar:  The Knights Templars and their history are shrouded in mystery to many - with many false assumptions being made about them, then as now. Suffice to say that in the year 1307, the French King, Philip, decided that the opportunity to seize the vast fortune of this successful order had arrived. On Friday the 13^th, he struck...massacring many of the brotherhood, and driving others underground and into exile. The Grand Master was taken prisoner, horribly tortured and finally burned at the stake as a heretic. The Templar's great fortunes were seized and their power on the continent broken.

Many Templars fled to Scotland, where Robert the Bruce, ex-communicated by the Pope, was not averse to having well-connected allies (as put upon as they may have been) and warriors on his side in these turbulent times. He welcomed them openly.

According to John J. Robertson in his book Born in Blood (1989, M. Evans and CO., NY) the Knights Templar are more than likely the actual forerunners of the Free Masons - their cryptic signals and arcane rituals well-suited to a religious/military order (as opposed to any building tradesmen) that was not only trying to keep a low profile, but which had previously needed such safeguards during the heyday of their financial and political transactions across Europe and the Middle East. Besides being warrior/monks, they were essentially bankers and guarantors par excellence during very dangerous times.

Today one of the branches of the Masons is called Scottish Rites - and there is also an organization of the Knights Templars in Scotland.

The Tartan shown here is one of many produced in Scotland that is made for organizations, corporations and businesses - a common practice these days.

Menzies:  The name of the clan Menzies is believed to be of ancient Norman origin, derived from Sir Robert de Mayneris Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland from about 1249. They received much of their initial lands (and as did many other chiefs) from Robert the Bruce, whom they supported in the Wars of Independence. The clan opposed the onslaught of Montrose in the 1640s, and after killing one of his trumpeters/heralds, had their land laid waste by the followers of Charles 1st for their troubles.

In the rebellion of 1715 the Menzies clan fought against the government once again. Though the clan officially stayed out of the 45, their chief nevertheless made a famous gift of a beautiful white horse to Bonnie Prince Charlie and many of the clan fought under Menzies of Shian all the same for the Young Pretender.

The pronunciation of the name is somewhat in dispute. One of the longest held versions is that it is pronounced as mingis and others say that in ancient times it was pronounced something like men-yees the z apparently not having the sound we usually associate with it today at least not in the Gaelic speaking Highlands.

There are many tartans ascribed to the name naturally, and we have chosen an interesting one this time: it being black and white.

Jacobite:  The term Jacobite originated in the Latin for James -Jacobus - and was first used to distinguish the followers of James VII (and II), who reigned briefly in the 17th Century. Following his overthrow, followers of the Stuart cause in Scotland (and those exiles in Europe) began to identify themselves by this moniker - but most earnestly with their support of his son, James III (The Old Pretender), and culminating with Bonnie Prince Charlie. It is a term that is still used to this day with a very small, but active following.

The tartan is possibly one of the few identifiable ones from the late 17th - early 18th century (though not necessarily the design shown here). Followers of the cause during the uprising in support of the exiled Stuart king in 1715 were encouraged to wear the pattern as some part of their clothing (not necessarily in kilt or belted plaid form, but perhaps sash, banner, trews, waistcoats, jackets, etc.) as a sign of solidarity to the cause - though how many actually did so is unknown. It is not likely that any but the most well-off Jacobites bothered to obtain the material (and it is doubtful that it was handed out for free - though possible in very small batches), instead most simply wore the tartans that they usually wore (an astonishingly wide variety of patterns - even within clans themselves). After all, it was their everyday clothing.

Followers of the Jacobite cause most often wore a White Cockade in their bonnets as an identifying insignia (as opposed to the numerous and specific plant badges generally worn by clansmen in battle in order to identify one clan from another). Indeed the White Cockade (merely an elaborate white ribbon), now famous in song, pipe tune and poetry, is more widely identified as a Jacobite symbol than the specialized tartan itself.

Macbeth:  The name Macbeth brings to mind, almost instantly, the Scottish Play as written by Shakespeare to commemorate and honor James VI-Is ascension to the English throne in 1603 - for the Scot was now monarch of both kingdoms. However, in altering the facts of the ancient Kings life, he has done a great disservice, not to literature, but to history.

Macbeth did not kill Duncan in a cold-blooded assassination scheme hatched by his deranged power-mad wife, but instead defeated his predecessor in battle in 1040.

Many have suggested that the real reason Macbeth contested Duncans right to rule was his very own legitimate rights of ascension (he was said to have been a grandson of King Kenneth II) at least by what was considered the ancient laws of the time. In this case, Pictish matrilineal descent. According to those laws, uncle to nephew, or cousin to cousin had the most legitimate right to claim the throne. It was rumored that Duncan wished to institute a policy of primogeniture thereby insuring his eldest son would replace him. This was against all tradition at the time, and a hotly contested issue. With this in mind, Macbeth struck.

Macbeth by all accounts ruled quite well for his 17 year reign until defeated in battle by Duncans son soon to sit upon the throne of Scotland as Malcolm III.

Other variations and related names are: MacBheatha (who were traditional physicians to the Lords of the Isles, hence their name which means Son of Life); Bethune; Beaton; and Beatty.

The District of Galloway:  Though not as well known or as popular as family tartans, the history of district tartans is older and originally more authentic in design (though not the tartans currently available). Popular notion has it that individual clans could identify themselves by the pattern of the tartans they wore. This is not accurate - in order to identify each other in battle, clansmen wore specific plant "badges" that were attached to their bonnets. For example the Buchanan clan wore a sprig of oak in their blue bonnets; the Ferguson clan, little sunflower, etc.

What commonly determined the coloring and design of tartans, pre-1746, were what local plant and vegetable dyes were available in each area. This determined a general color scheme though not a set pattern, as most cloth in the Highlands of those days were home spun and design left to the imagination of the weaver. A general popularity of patterns did come into use in specific regions, and though to trained eyes one might have been able to tell what general area clan folk might be from, identification of individual clans would have been difficult if not impossible.

Though the Chief of the Grants in the 18th century actually set down on paper his wish that there be a specific pattern to the Grant tartan and that all members of his clan should wear it for identification, it was not until the raising of Highland regiments that set patterns finally came into being. Definite clan tartans were just beginning when Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived in Scotland in 1745 - and the rest as they say is history.

Many family tartans that are commonly worn today were set down just previous to, and a direct result of George IV's visit to Scotland in 1822. He let it be known that he wished the Highland Chiefs and their retinue to attend him in their own tartans and all their Highland regalia. Since many of the tartans had vanished from memory, thanks in large part to the draconian proscription of the wearing tartan after the '45, many weavers scrambled frantically to find existing examples of patterns, as well as accounts from memory of various designs. When none could be found, they were simply made up.

A recent trend has been to make, or re-make as the case may be, tartans ascribed to districts - as well as cities, individuals, organizations, etc. - but we should not mistake these new district tartans as being representative of setts worn in those areas.

Galloway is a region in the South West of Scotland - not the Highlands at all. The area did however have Scots-Gaelic speakers still living there up till the 17th century.

Wallace:  The name Wallace is now famous throughout the world, thanks in large part to Mel Gibson's film Braveheart - the tale of William Wallace, regarded by many as one of Scotland's greatest heroes. There are two commonly held opinions as to the origin of the surname Wallace. Some say it originated in the Latin word representing denizens of the ancient kingdom of the Strathclyde Britons: "wallensis". Another theory is that the name comes from the Anglo-Norman French term, "le waleis" - meaning, "stranger" or even "foreigner", and denoted people who were either of Scots, Welsh or Breton origin.

Cunningham:  The name Cunningham originated in the south-west of Scotland in the Ayrshire region, and while not a Highland name has a tartan ascribed to it nevertheless - as do many non-Highland surnames. The current name itself came about when an English scribe misinterpreted the original Gaelic name - Cuinneagáin - which meant "milk-pail". The scribe added the suffix "ham" - an English word - which means "village". The name is numerous in Ireland, mainly, though not exclusively, as a result of 17th century Scottish immigration into Ulster.