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Scottish Customs
When Christianity came to Scotland, it encountered countless already-ancient beliefs & practices it condemned as pagan & tried to eradicate. Yet many were so deeply rooted that the Church proved powerless against them.
Scottish Customs offers readers a smooth path to understanding those enduring folkways, with special emphasis on Druidic origins, Christian modifications, and survival into modern times.
Here is a world where poetry and ritual dignified all the major turning points of life and many of its most common occurrences. Here, also, is the struggle of that world with an invisible one, where physical laws of cause and effect did not apply.
Magic resided in many everyday objects and actions, and in the darkness around the peasant huts, devils, fairies and witches swarmed, threatening the happiness and even the very existence of pious mortals.
To help her bring these two worlds to life, the author Sheila Livingstone uses numerous extracts from medieval and modern Scottish poetry and prose.
Organized in handbook form under such topics as Birth and Marriage, and such subtopics as Changelings and Love Prophecies , this concise and accessible work will prove invaluable to students of Scottish history and lore and to readers of Scottish ancestry who wish to delve into the riches of their heritage.
Scottish Customs offers readers a smooth path to understanding those enduring folkways, with special emphasis on Druidic origins, Christian modifications, and survival into modern times.
Here is a world where poetry and ritual dignified all the major turning points of life and many of its most common occurrences. Here, also, is the struggle of that world with an invisible one, where physical laws of cause and effect did not apply.
Magic resided in many everyday objects and actions, and in the darkness around the peasant huts, devils, fairies and witches swarmed, threatening the happiness and even the very existence of pious mortals.
To help her bring these two worlds to life, the author Sheila Livingstone uses numerous extracts from medieval and modern Scottish poetry and prose.
Organized in handbook form under such topics as Birth and Marriage, and such subtopics as Changelings and Love Prophecies , this concise and accessible work will prove invaluable to students of Scottish history and lore and to readers of Scottish ancestry who wish to delve into the riches of their heritage.
- GenresScotlandNonfiction
150 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 6, 2025
Scottish Customs is a book that explores the origins of Scottish superstitions and customs whether practiced in the past or even nowadays.
The author chose to separate the book into sections based upon milestones and these sections are furthermore divided into subsections based upon various aspects of said milestone so if you are looking for a particular subject than you can easily flip through the chapter or maybe lucky if you find it in the index in the back.
The book is supplemented with records, traditional ballads and other contributions to help illustrate a point although sometimes the selection is the whole subsection.
At the same time the reader will find a glossary that includes some of the Scottish words along with its meaning although there are others that didn't make it as far. And there is definitely no pronunciation guide for any of the words.
As much as the information would be interesting it was presented in a dry and repetitive fashion while the organization was atrocious such as putting birth before marriage.
All in all it does provide readers with an insight into Scottish culture but not one I would return to for a second read.
The author chose to separate the book into sections based upon milestones and these sections are furthermore divided into subsections based upon various aspects of said milestone so if you are looking for a particular subject than you can easily flip through the chapter or maybe lucky if you find it in the index in the back.
The book is supplemented with records, traditional ballads and other contributions to help illustrate a point although sometimes the selection is the whole subsection.
At the same time the reader will find a glossary that includes some of the Scottish words along with its meaning although there are others that didn't make it as far. And there is definitely no pronunciation guide for any of the words.
As much as the information would be interesting it was presented in a dry and repetitive fashion while the organization was atrocious such as putting birth before marriage.
All in all it does provide readers with an insight into Scottish culture but not one I would return to for a second read.
September 29, 2018
When I moved to Scotland, I found it to be a quite distinctive modern society. On the one hand, I adored a movie like Braveheart or compositions of Dougie Maclean, while on the other hand, I enjoyed Danny Boyle's Trainspotting 1 and 2. They portray two diametrically opposite pictures of Scottish history. This book gives you a clear picture of the Scottish culture(which has largely obscured in the modern society). I loved reading every single page of this book. Sheila Livingstone gives a vivid description of the customs, festivals and long lost history of Scottish culture.
July 9, 2024
A fascinating read - particularly as some of these customs are present in our modern world, especially as a reconnection to nature is now more popular.
Some of my ancestors were fishermen - the number of superstitions they followed was incredible. I am not sure how they remembered them all!
Every ritual seemed to involve drinking, eating & connecting with family & community. It was such an interesting glimpse into the life of my Scottish ancestors - I really enjoyed reading this book.
Some of my ancestors were fishermen - the number of superstitions they followed was incredible. I am not sure how they remembered them all!
Every ritual seemed to involve drinking, eating & connecting with family & community. It was such an interesting glimpse into the life of my Scottish ancestors - I really enjoyed reading this book.
September 2, 2024
A clever compendium of Scottish customs, superstitions, and behaviors across that country's history. This book includes literary references, a bibliography, and a glossary of Scots English terminology.
dnf
February 10, 2021DNF
May 9, 2023
Interesting!
April 6, 2025
This book is about drinking that is what you will hear the most
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews