A rèiteach () was a
betrothal
An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
ceremony in the older
Gaelic culture of the
Scottish highlands
The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland S ...
. It is also attested in Gaelic-speaking
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
Etymology
The Gaelic word ''rèiteach'', which was written ''réiteach'' until the spelling reform, means "agreement", "settlement" or "reconciliation" generally, and "wedding arrangement" in particular. ''Rèiteach'' also has the meanings "level place" and "disentangling", and the original sense may have to do with the idea of clearing away obstacles.
(''Réiteach'' is also the
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
word for "agreement" or "solution", but the Irish dictionaries make no mention of the ceremony.)
Traditions
The custom was still in practice in the first part of the 20th century, and involved the groom's party visiting the bride's house with an offer.
[Margaret Bennett, ''Scottish Customs: From the Cradle to the Grave'']
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Sometimes the rèiteach was divided into two parts, ''an rèiteach beag'' (the small rèiteach) or ''a' chiad rèiteach'' (the first rèiteach), which was more private and simple, and ''an rèiteach mòr'' (the big rèiteach), at which the details and practical issues were worked out.[Alexander Fenton (ed), ''An Introduction to Scottish Ethnology'']
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In one tradition the suitor would ask his prospective father-in-law for some gift, perhaps a boat or a cow, which was understood as a code for the daughter.[Donald John Gillies, ''The Truth About St Kilda: An Islander’s Memoir']
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/ref> An informant from Harris
Harris may refer to:
Places Canada
* Harris, Ontario
* Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine)
* Harris, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan
Scotland
* Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle of ...
remembers:
In another tradition, at the ''rèiteach mòr'', the groom would be presented with a series of "false brides", whom he would have to reject politely until the real bride was offered.
Literature and popular culture
The custom has become known in the English-speaking world through the novel and films '' Whisky Galore''. In both the 1949 film and the 2016 remake, the rèiteach is depicted as a ritual in which bride and groom drink whisky from a quaich
A quaich , archaically quaigh or quoich, is a special kind of shallow two-handled drinking cup or bowl of a type traditional in Scotland. It derives from the Scottish Gaelic (), meaning a cup.
History
According to the 1911 ''Encyclopædia ...
in the presence of the whole community, after which there is drinking and dancing. The importance of whisky for the ceremony is a key element in the plot. In the original novel, Compton Mackenzie
Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie, (17 January 1883 – 30 November 1972) was a Scottish writer of fiction, biography, histories and a memoir, as well as a cultural commentator, raconteur and lifelong Scottish nationalist. He was one of th ...
writes:
In 1922 the Gaelic playwright produced a play entitled ''Réiteach Móraig'' (Morag's rèiteach), a companion to his play ''Pòsadh Móraig'' (Morag's wedding).
The Scottish Celtic rock
Celtic rock is a genre of folk rock, as well as a form of Celtic fusion which incorporates Celtic music, instrumentation and themes into a rock music context. It has been extremely prolific since the early 1970s and can be seen as a key foundatio ...
group Runrig
Runrig were a Scottish Celtic rock band formed on the Isle of Skye in 1973. From its inception, the band's line-up included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The line-up during most of the 1980s and 1990s (the band's most succe ...
have a song entitled "A reiteach" in their 2008 live album '' Year of the Flood''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reiteach
Scottish culture
Scottish Gaelic language
Marriage, unions and partnerships in Scotland
Engagement
Marriage in Canada