A highly readable and absorbing anthology of traditional Scottish customs and rites of passage, Scottish Customs from the Cradle to the Grave draws upon a broad range of literary and oral sources. Scotland has been fortunate to have written accounts of intrepid early travellers such as Martin Martin, Edward Burt and John Lane Buchanan, and extracts from their writing are found alongside modern interviews made by Margaret Bennett and researchers from the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University. This expanded edition includes a large amount of new material. The result is a detailed and comprehensive picture of social behaviour in Scotland over the last 400 years. The book is divided into three sections, each covering a stage in the cycle of life: Childbirth and infancy; Love, courtship and marriage; Death The first edition was originally published by Polygon and was joint runner-up of the 1993 Katharine Briggs Folklore Award.
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"'Yet again Margaret Bennett has produced a fascinating book...excellent value for money' - J.C. Massy, Lore and Language; 'Margaret Bennett has given us another magic book, brought together from many books of the past as will as hitherto unpublished interview material, private manuscripts, wonderful miniatures of folklore, wise and charming commentary on human personality in a dazzling profusion' --Owen Dudley Edwards"
About the Author
Margaret Bennett was born on the island of Skye. She is well known as a singer but has also published widely in the field of Scottish studies, especially on folkore. She previously taught in the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University and currently teaches at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. She lectures widely in the UK and North America.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By P. Thompson
Format:Paperback
Bought as a present for an ex-midwife as this book had been suggested by a number of medical bodies as a good read and for an understanding of the history of childbirth. The book also contains chapters relating to love and marriage and death. I had a quick dip into this book and looks fascinating - some interesting stories and customs that will make you chuckle.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a book to be lifted and dipped into at random. It gives the reader a wide insight into the traditional goings on throughout Scotland. It's lighthearted and a bit of fun and lets the non Scot see that we can indeed laugh at ourselves. As a Scot I found it interesting to note the difference in the customs of the West of Scotland to that of the East of Scotland. A book to be used during the tea break or as a reference source.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars
16 reviews
71 of 72 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a relief!
10 May 2001
By Andrew Casad
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
As someone of Scottish descent and a student of Anthropology and History, I really appreciated this text. There are a myriad of books available that purport to tell about Scottish customs, or focus on some narrow aspect of Scottish life, such as clan associations. This book, however, addresses the whole gamet of life of the Scottish folk, from motherhood and child-rearing, through the rites of passage into adulthood, and finally the passage from life into eternal life. Bennett draws upon a wide selection of historical sources, disparite in both locale and time period. Relying not only upon the historical record, but utilizing her expertise as a folklorist, Bennett elicits ethnogrpahic data which she presents and uses to draw her conclusions. She paints a vivid picture of life in Scotland that offers new and insightful ways in which to look at Scottish cultural practices. I highly recommend this lucid, yet academic and well-researched book regarding Scottish customs to anyone wishing to get beyond the surface aspects of the fascinating and vibrant traditional Scottish cultural patterns.
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scottish Customs
28 Mar 2008
By K. Murphy
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'd say the previous reviewer covered this one pretty well. This is a well-written guide to the customs and culture of Scotland literally from the cradle to the grave, looking at motherhood, childhood, courting and youthful romance, some recent and modern marital traditions, real 'Highland Weddings', the Scottish attitudes towards death, burial rites, and the associated bodies of spirituality and folklore for all of these topics. The bulk of the book's text is the writings of Scots (or foreign observers of their customs), mostly in the 19th and 20th Centuries, though some of the book's content goes back as far as the later Middle Ages. This means that most of it is the memories and first-hand experiences of people who have lived the unique customs of Scotland. I greatly enjoyed this book, and anyone interested in the culture of recent-modern Scotland will as well.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Accessible, comprehensive book about Scottish life and beliefs
18 July 2008
By Marinish
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is the real deal - it's based on multiple conversations with real Scottish people, who shared their most intimate life stories as well as the stories of their parents, grandparents and earlier ancestors. Anyone who wants to truly "get" Scottish culture (which has changed, of course, but still reflects its history), needs to add this book to the library.
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4.2 out of 5 stars
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