SC - Smithsonian dinner

[Stefan li Rous]

Lars asked:
> Okay, can someone send me the details on this fact, privately? Our minister 
> here, who is an SCA minister as well, prides himself on his research and I 
> could **swear** that he told me that "jumping the broom" originated in 
> Ireland. His explanation was it had to do with avoiding "Right of First 
> Night" by the English landowners. It was a custom meant to seal the couple in 
> the eyes of the community, but since they were not "legally" married, the 
> "husband" got to have first night, therefore first intercourse, and therefore 
> no problems with legitimacy lines. Generally, the "legal" ceremony was 
> arranged for months after the fact, when the "wife" was presumed or very 
> obviously pregnant, and therefore the landowner could not or did not want to 
> enjoy the "first night" benefits.

I can't confirm or deny the part about the broom. But I can confirm
the other custom. However it was not as common as some folks would
like to believe and from fairly early on the new husband could buy
the right back from the landowner.

For more info, and other interesting tidbits, check this file in the
LIFE-STEPS section of my files:
p-customs-msg     (21K) 12/21/93    Unusual period customs.
- -- 
Lord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas           stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****