Since I am all about tartans this week at the manor, this little bit
of tartan trivia caught my eye. Sorry, Mel. As much as I loved the
hunky kilt clad clansmen in the movie, (the mullet did drive me a
little nuts, though) it seems the medieval Bravehearts of Sturling
Bridge and Bannockburn did not actually wear tartan kilts in battle,
like the one pictured below, designed especially for the film.
Historian Fergus Cannan in his new book, Scottish Arms and Armor,
claims the clansmen actually wore bright yellow linen tunics into
battle. Apparently, the tunics were dyed with horse urine (sorry if
you're trying to enjoy your morning Cheerios) to achieve the rich color.
I'm sure this lovely aroma also helped to repel the English, who as we
know from Monty Python, smelled like elderberries.
