Scottish Customs from the Cradle to the Grave

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.

Reviews of Scottish Customs from the Cradle to the Grave

"'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'Margaret Bennett has given us another magic book, brought together from many books of the past as will as hitherto unpublished interview material, private manuscripts, wonderful miniatures of folklore, wise and charming commentary on human personality in a dazzling profusion' – Owen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"