Photo from the Kitchen Witch-UK
Marriage for love is truly a modern contrivance. Pre-television era Celts, believed one spouse was pretty much as good as another (the breathing or still warm approach), so marriages were simplified by the practice of Handfasting.
The logistics were simple. Each year at the Lughnasadh festival, men would line up on one side of a high wall, women on the other. At a gate was a space large enough for a hand to pass through. One by one, a hand went in one side, on the other, a hand held on, sight unseen (supposedly). The newly joined couple then tied a ribbon around their wrists (origin of tying the knot). The couple then were considered married and would live together for a year and a day, to see if they were compatible. If all was well - fine, if they found themselves incompatable they arrived at the next year's festival stood back to back and walked away from each other, signifying their marriage was over. Each was then free to get back in line and try again.
As the christian church reached Ireland it worked overtime to eradicate this practice. It must not have been easy, as for over 600 years various church councils, synods and ruling bodies condemned the practice.
Handfasting was legally practiced in Britain until 1753, Scotland and the Channel Islands allowed handfasting until the Revised Marriage (Scottish) Act of 1939.
Toad
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We did a handfasting at our wedding. I researched ancient Scottish rituals and my BIL even spoke in Gaelic :O)
I had not heard of the origin of this practice...very interesting. Sorry, I'd have to have a look myself. ;)
Imagine how much you could sell a pair of ex-ray glasses for at one of these events?
I suspect there was a lot of "I'll be 4th in line" kind of stuff going on. Most likely, chance had little to do with your choice.
I just read this aloud to my spouse of 19 years, she looked at me all doe eyed and said that she'd still take my hand, today. I Immediately started looking for my axe....
In (high-church) Episcopal weddings, the priest wraps his or her stole around the joined hands of the couple before pronouncing them married--perhaps a continuation of the old Celtic tradition?
I embroidered my own handfasting cloth, and as we were married by a Unitarian pastor, he was happy to let us write our own handfasting ceremony into the wedding. My husband played the bagpipes as he walked to the outdoor altar, and a full bagpipe band escorted me to the altar to meet him. It was wonderful!
We also had a handfasting ceremony performed by the druid at our 5th century Irish re-enactment group... in the woods, in a ring of trees.
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