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World Otter Day
"It is utterly, notterly, possibly true
that my otter you’ll find at your local zoo.
My otter is totally, otterly wild,
I’m afraid you may never see him, my child."
~ Wild Otter, Joanna Marple
Amongst other famous literary otters, like Kenneth Grahame's "Otter" from The Wind in the Willows and Henry Williamson's "Tarka," there is one species of Scottish otter that has been immortalized in both literature and zoological nomenclature. Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli, an Iraqi subspecies of the smooth-coated otter, is named after Scottish author and naturalist Gavin Maxwell. Maxwell chronicled his time on the west coast of Scotland with his wild otter "Mijbil" in his 1960 book Ring of Bright Water, which was later released as a film in 1969. The colors of this tartan represent otters and the lochs, streams, and seas where they live and play. Known for their amusing antics, a group of otters is called a bevy, family, lodge, or romp, and when in water, they are referred to as a raft! Otter antics include keeping a favorite rock! Sea otters, in particular, are known to have a preferred rock that they keep with them to crack open shellfish and other hard-shelled prey. They often store this favorite rock in a special pouch of loose skin under their armpits, along with any food they find! 💙 🖤🤍 🤎 🦦 🦦 🦦
From the designers website:
JustKiltme.com is pleased to announce the launch of the exclusive Eurasian Otter Tartan! The official name in Gaelic Breacan Dobhran was designed by the proprietor who has claim to the title Baron Of Otter; a kilt/ tartan expert and historian whose clan bears the Otter on their Arms, Clan Balfour. The Otter Tartan is in deference to clan Balfour and it’s branches Arms along with clans and families that bear the Otter in Heraldry from Lutrell, Fullerton, MacBeath; along with numerous others who have the Otter in their Heraldry and Clan mythology. The Tartan also pays deference to the Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Breton and Norse heraldry, mythology and Legends that include Otters, the Lochs, Streams and Sea where the Dyfrgi (Water dogs) live and play in lore.
The colours Black, Brown, White and Blue pay homage to the wee creatures that delight us so; and the legend of brenin dyfrgwn saith dyfrgi du. Otter king seven black otters. Found in Irish, Welsh and Scottish legend and tales of ‘Otter Kings’ who were accompanied by seven black otters. When captured, these beasts would grant any wish in exchange for their freedom. But their skins were also prized for their ability to render a warrior invincible, and were thought to provide protection against drowning. Luckily, the Otter Kings were hard to kill, their only vulnerable point being a small point below their chin. The tartan also pays homage the whole kinship of the clans, septs, surnames associated with Otters, the love of Otters, a true Dobhran Coibhneil (Gaelic) Carennydd y Dyfrgi (Welsh) Kindred of Otters.
A special Heraldic Arms have been created for the Tartan and the Kindred designed by Chris Onyeaghor, with the motto of vivet vita ad plenissimam “Live Life To The Fullest” which Otters do.
Monies raised from the sale of the Kilt will help benefit Otter Conservation Efforts of The International Otter Survival Fund https://www.otter.org/Public/ and for the Otter Habitat at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium https://www.columbuszoo.org/
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The word otter derives from the Old English word otor or oter, which ultimately stems from the same word which gave rise to the English word "water."
There are great number of otter species adapted to their particular environments in the ocean or rivers, but a large number of species are now extinct.
Norse mythology tells of the dwarf Ótr habitually taking the form of an otter. The myth of "Otter's Ransom" is the starting point of the Volsunga saga.
In Irish mythology, the character Lí Ban was turned from a woman into a mermaid, half human and half salmon, and given three hundred years of life to roam the oceans. Her lapdog assumed the form of an otter and shared her prolonged lifetime and her extensive wanderings.
In some Native American cultures, otters are considered totem animals.
And in popular Korean mythology, it is told that people who see an otter (soodal) will attract 'rain clouds' for the rest of their lives!
In Japanese folklore, clever otters fool humans in the same way as foxes.
An otter's den is called a holt or couch. Male otters are called dogs or boars, females are called bitches or sows, and their offspring are called pups. A group of otters are known as bevy, family, lodge, romp (being descriptive of their often playful nature) or, when in water, raft!
To visit the designer's site for this tartan, click the otter!