Document 702

The Buik o Ruth: 15 - Levirate Merridge

Author(s): A S Borrowman

Copyright holder(s): Mrs Lorna F Borrowman

'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.

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The Buik o Ruth: 15 - Levirate Merridge