Yes, I pretty much managed to end up writing the best part of a book in the end, around 30,000 words or so. It kind of took on a life of it's own, but that's what you get when you try to be thorough, I guess. And even then, I know there's more I could've added, given enough time and resources. But anyway, seeing as that completes the life cycle on Tairis, for now, I've split off the articles on Death and Burial, and Birth and Baptism, and lumped them all together under a new section called 'Life Passages'.
So with that caveat in mind, here:
- Part One - covering the earliest evidence, early Irish law and sacred marriages etc.
- Part Two - covering informal marriages in Ireland and Scotland, as well as handfasting
- Part Three - covering the later evidence for marriage customs in Scotland and the Isle of Man
- Part Four - covering the later evidence for marriage customs in Ireland
- Part Five - covering the early evidence for attitudes towards sex and sexuality
- Part Six - giving some thoughts of ritual elements and rites to add to a reconstructionist ritual
Given the length of it, I've had to repeat bits here and there in the hopes that while the whole thing should be cohesive, each article can stand on its own (ish). And while yes, I've proofread it, there are still probably some clangers I've missed, so hopefully it will all make sense. After so many thousands of words, my fingers sometimes end up not quite doing what my brain tells them to.
With that, enjoy. I'm not sure what I'm going to move on to next...I rather fear I may have to clean the house tomorrow while Rosie's at nursery.
Oh, the horror!