SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 702 Title : The Buik o Ruth: 15 - Levirate Merridge Author(s): A S Borrowman Copyright holder(s): Mrs Lorna F Borrowman Text 'Levirate' comes frae the Latyne, a guidbrither: a guidbrither wha is a guidman's (in Sudron: husband's) brither. It is deponit in Deuteronomy XXV: 5-10, gif a man dee, leain nae son, his brither, gif he leeves on the samin mailin, is tae merry his widow-wife, the auld son tae tak the name and the heirskip o the deed man. Gin the brither o the deed man willna merry the widow-wife, the aylers o the brugh maun be conveent, whan the widow-wife maun pu aff ane o his shoon, and spit in his face tae shaw ill-wull. This was gie auldfanglt whan the Buik o Ruth cam tae be scrievit. Algates, whan Ruth was scrievit, the fowk fasht themsels mair wi the name o the faimly, (a man leevit throwe his bairns) and wi mailins, graithin, and plenishin and the needcessity o keepin aa for the clan. In Ruth IV we jalouse that the guidwife is pairt o the haudin. Boaz merries Ruth as GOEL, (hainer) nae as LEVIR (brither o the deed man) whilk he wasna. The merridge was naething by-common, and was anerlie a peerie pairt o the excambion. The neist o kin by his nay-say drees nae ill-wull, and the maitter o his shoon is anerlie a survivance o a wont-tae-be o by-gaun days. The richt tae walk aa owre a mailin belangit tae the awner, and tae the awner anerlie. The shae was the taken o awnerheid. Tae tak the shae was tae tak seisin o the grund. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience Adults (18+): General public: Informed lay people: Males: Females: Audience size: 100+ Text details Method of composition: Typed Year of composition: 1974 Word count: 264 General description: Explanation of the concept of Levirate Marriage Text medium Book: Text publication details Published: Publisher: Gordon Wright Publication year: 1979 Place of publication: Edinburgh ISBN/ISSN: SBN 903065 30 4 Edition: 1st Part of larger text: Contained in: The Buik o Ruth and ither wark in Lallans Editor: Author: Alex S. Borrowman Page numbers: 42 Text setting Religious/ceremonial: Text type Prose: nonfiction: Author Author details Author id: 755 Forenames: A Initials: S Surname: Borrowman Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1910 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Parish Minister Place of birth: Stirling Region of birth: Stirling Birthplace CSD dialect area: Stlg Country of birth: Scotland Father's occupation: Shop assistant Father's place of birth: Stirling Father's region of birth: Stirling Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Stlg Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Dress maker Mother's place of birth: Dunblane Mother's region of birth: E & SE Perthshire Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Per Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: all circumstances Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Language: German Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: for literary purposes