The rationale in the tartan

- - -

700 Years!

The tartan commemorates the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath - 6th April 2020 - a letter in Latin submitted to Pope John XXII in 1320. Written on behalf of the earls, barons and nobles, and the community of the whole Kingdom of Scotland.

 

The letter asks the Pope to recognise Scotland's independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country's lawful king.

 

-

 

The 7 colour tartan visibly portrays the artefact itself :

• Light tan with the narrow black stripes represents the document (...the 'Letter'), and the literary work.
• Green and red represents the seals and signatories.
• The white pivot represents the recipient of the letter Pope John XXII.
• The scarlet pivot (...the 'Blood of the Scots'), represents the Scots of old who died fighting for freedom.
• The broad black stripe becomes a memorial of remembrance for those who fell on the Scottish battlefields.

 

The thread counts in the two opposing pivots are created from the two relevant dates: 6th April 1320 and 6th April 2020 - thus the numeracy in the tartan spans seven centuries.

 

32 threads in the dark red pays tribute to Robert the Bruce who was crowned king at the age of 32.

 

100 threads span the complete width of the light tan field, representing the famous excerpt from the Declaration of Arbroath “for, as long as a hundred of us remain alive…”

 

The tartans’ registered sett is adjusted for weaving with 29 threads in the dark red, remembering the hero king Robert the Bruce who died in 1329.

 

 

THE RATIONALE IN DETAIL

 

The threads woven into the tartan span the eons of time… with the 7 colours alluding to 7 centuries.

- - -
 
The past emanates from the scarlet pivot.
Six scarlet threads, four black threads and thirteen red threads …with a further twenty green threads - represents the year 6th April 1320 - the date the Declaration of Arbroath was finally sealed and dispatched to the Pope.

- - -
 
The present emanates from the white (or pale gold) pivot.
Six white threads, four black threads and twenty light tan threads …with a further twenty black threads - represents the year 6th April 2020 - the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath.

- - -
 
The two light tan threads becomes a division between those two dates in time… between the past and the present.

- - -
 
32 dark red threads remain between the red and green, paying tribute to King Robert the Bruce who was crowned king of Scotland in 1306. Born on the 11th July 1274, he was 32 years old at the time of his Coronation.

- - -
 
The complete width of the light tan field - including the two thin black stripes (pivoting on the white stripe) - amounts to a total of 100 threads …representing the parchment and the famous excerpt from the Declaration of Arbroath: “for, as long as a hundred of us remain alive…” These stripes visibly represent the ink and written word, and the literary work of the letter itself. The two black stripes amount to 7 (being 2 and 5 threads) which also alludes to the document, being 700 years old.

- - -
 
Thus the tartan creates a geometric pattern in the sett which visually represents the Declaration of Arbroath artefact.
 

 

FURTHER MEANINGS IN THE WEAVE…

- - -

The scarlet stripe represents the Scots of old who died fighting for freedom - and specifically their shed blood - during the wars of Scottish independence. A series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. The broad black stripe then becomes a respectful memorial to remember them.

- - -

The red and green in the tartan is a tribute to the signatories in the document, representing the seals - in red and green wax - and the earls, barons and nobles in support of king Robert the Bruce.

- - -

The white stripe - which is woven as a very pale gold - represents Pope John XXII (and his spiritual garb), the intended recipient of the Declaration of Arbroath. The golden tone of this colour combined with the light tan creates a gold shimmer in the tartan. The thicker of the two black stripes - within the tan and black fields together - cross over to create a representation of the crucifix.

- - -

The shades in the tartan, with combinations produced by the 7 colours, create a colour palette that is inspired by the Declaration of Arbroath letter. The pale green shade acknowledge the modern day estate and the grass in the grounds of the Arbroath Abbey; with the pale red shades reflecting the old red sandstone of the building.

- - -

The tartan was named Declaration of Arbroath 7th Centennial Anniversary in order to consolidate its relevance for at least another 100 years.

- - -

You can see the tartan registration here:

https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=12809