SCA Betrothal and Wedding Vows

Our formal persona betrothal took place at Caid's Fall Crown Tournament, 20 September 1997. We obtained the permission and/or blessing of King Joseph of Caid, and of Baron Thurstan and Baroness Allaine of Dreiburgen. Then Seosaidh, Chief of Clann Fhaoilcheire, bound our arms together with the following charge:

Now you are bound,
one to the other,
with a tie not easy to break.
Take this time of binding
before the final vows are made
to learn what you need to know
to grow in wisdom and love
that your marriage might be strong
that your love might last.

On the night of the following feast of Saint Valentine, Rodhlann and Muirghein took the following vows (adapted from "A King's Wedding" in "A Reformed Druid Anthology" by Michael Scharding):

Chief: Let the couple to be joined be brought forward.

[Processional: R. should be on M.'s right at the altar.]

C: Ye have come before me today to have your lives joined.

[C. picks up aspergillum.]

C: [To R.] I ask thee, Rodhlánn, if thou wilt be joined to this woman?

R: Aye.

C: [To M.] I ask thee, Muirghein, if thou wilt be joined to this man?

M: Aye.

C: [To both] I ask ye both together if ye will be joined to each other?

Both: Aye.

[C. sprinkles both.]

C: [Handing a piece of bread to R.] As food itself, so art thou to her.

[Handing a piece of bread to M.] As food itself, so art thou to him.

[Handing a piece of bread to each] As food itself, so are ye to each other.

C: [Handing cup to R.] As drink itself, so art thou to her.

[Handing cup to M.] As drink itself, so art thou to him.

[Handing cup to each] As drink itself, so are ye to each other.

[R. and M. extend arms. C. binds them, starting from underneath, behind thumbs.]

C: [To R.] With this arm shalt thou hold her, with the other shalt thou protect and comfort her.

[To M.] With this arm shalt thou hold him, with the other shalt thou protect and comfort him.

[C. unbinds arms.]

C: Give these rings as a symbol of thy bond, one to the other.

R: [takes ring and places on M's finger.] By my honor and my soul, in the sight of all that I hold sacred, I bind myself to thee, from this life to the next.

M: [takes ring and places on R's finger.] On my honor and by that which I hold sacred, I bind myself to thee, from this life to the next.

[C. picks up aspergillum.]

C: [Sprinkles R.] As life itself, so art thou to her.

[Sprinkles M.] As life itself, so art thou to him.

[Sprinkles both] As life itself, so are ye to each other.

C: Thou art now one in the sight of the Gods. When They look upon the one, They see the other, however distant. When They look upon the twain, They see but one.

May the Gods shower Their blessings upon thee throughout thy life, may Danu smile upon thee and make thy life fruitful, and may Lugh light thy path through brightest day and darkest night and shine on thee always.

Consecrate thy union with a kiss.