The Form and Function of Ritual Dialogue in the Marriage Traditions of Celtic-Language Cultures

Neill Martin’s The Form and Function of Ritual Dialogue in the Marriage Traditions of Celtic-Language Cultures provides an interesting overview on the subject of ritual marriage dialogues in various Celtic-language societies, including Breton, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish Gaelic, with a few sidebars on the related Manx and Cape Breton Island cultures, as well as the existence of similar institutions in other, non-Celtic-speaking societies. He focuses on the use of ritual dialogue, particularly in the matchmaking and betrothal phase, which may involve a verbal contest between poets, along the lines of the flyting in Scottish tradition.