Irish wedding ceremonies with swords

It's interesting:
"On behalf of the bride and groom, I'd like to thank everyone for coming here today. Some of you have travelled considerable distances in order to be here and celebrate Paul and Linda’s happy day. Africa, Continental Europe, the Americas and Asia are not actually places where anyone has travelled from, but I hear that Uncle Jim and Auntie Morag had a 5 hour drive down from Glasgow."

From four-leaf clovers to Celtic knots, Irish cultural traditions have pervaded the cultures of the world. However, the distinct Irish wedding ceremonies are less commonly used, though by no means are they any less entertaining or easy to incorporate into any special day. Many of these traditions involve swords because of the traditional warlike nature of the Irish people and the symbolism involved with the protective weapons.

1. Bride on Left

   • The traditional means of a man gaining a wife in ancient Ireland was to capture her. This required him to take her by brute strength, which often required a sword. This also would mean that retribution was possible until the bride was pregnant. Because of this threat, brides had to stand on the left of the groom during the ceremony so he could reach and use the sword on his right side. To carry on this tradition, the groom may fasten a sword to the right-hand side of his clothes, either with a holster or sash.

   Groom's Arrival

   • Another way a sword can be incorporated into a traditional Irish wedding is to hand the groom a ceremonial Celtic sword when he arrives at the altar that he holds point down. This can be held by the groom for the duration of the ceremony or can be handed off to a groomsman.

   Pagan Acceptance

   • In the pagan Celtic marriage ceremony, where Druids instead of a priest lead the marriage ritual, the bride calls her companion, or groom, to the altar. The groom holds a ceremonial Celtic sword and, if he assents to this, he raises it point up to the ceiling. This show of assent can be used in an Irish ceremony, with the groom handing the sword off to a groomsman as he steps up on the altar.

   Protection

   • The individual giving the blessing to the marriage, whether priest or druid, generally offers a triple blessing for the couple: protection, health and support. As part of the ritual, the druid or priest wears a sword on his waist while sprinkling water around the couple three times, thus ensuring protection in the bride and groom's future lives.

Source: www.ehow.com

Tags: Irish wedding, Irish wedding ceremonies, wedding ceremonies, bride groom, Celtic sword, ceremonial Celtic, ceremonial Celtic sword