Word WeavEr
Grandpa related that his clan’s ancestral home was Blair Atholl in Perthshire, Central Scotland which I visited in 1998. Grandpa Murray told me about Gaelic legends and history during my childhood. The Gaelic Blair refers to the plain and Atholl which means ‘new Ireland’ is the name of the surrounding district.
The Scottish tartan was the cloth of Scottish warrior clans and each pattern signifies a tribe’s genealogy. The weaving continues to this day with intricate and infinite variations and continues to carry historical significance. There are different Murray clans and the tartan shown is from the Murray clan of Blair Atholl.
In Polynesian culture, oratory is an art form, as with carving and dance. Ancient legends, songs, and whakapapa are committed to memory and passed down through generations. Although we were not taught the Cook Islands languages – I enjoyed listening to our parents speaking their musical tongue.
Weaving also has creative and cultural significance. The preparation of fibres takes time, as does the writer’s search for the right combination of words. Rangaranga anga tuatua means weaver of words – or word weaver. My weaving of poetry and stories is informed by the combined heritage of the Highland tartan and a pandanus mat.
Order is the shape upon which beauty depends
Pearl Buck
Here’s to it!The fighting sheen of it.The swing, the line of it.The dark, the red of it.Every thread of it.
