Untangling the cultural roots of Ceotha’s Celtic handfasting cords

This post will answer questions surrounding the cultural and religious origins of handfasting, who can participate in it, and how the designs of my cords incorporate aspects of tradition whilst recognising handfasting as a very open practice.

I encourage anyone thinking about making my handfasting cords part of their ceremony to reach out with questions. This means I often receive queries from customers about whether handfasting is appropriate in the context of their celebration, and many from customers who are aware of the risk of cultural appropriation or insensitivity when incorporating a practice from outside their own background. This is a really important question, and a sensible approach, as more people are now aware that it is possible to misuse or wrongly assert ownership of a cultural practice that one is new to.

In this post, I want to both reassure you about whether there is a ‘correct’ way to do handfasting (spoiler: there isn’t!), and sound a note of caution about representations of handfasting as an unchanging, rigid tradition. I’ll touch on the history of handfasting, including what we know (and what we don’t know!) about its cultural origins. I’ll talk about how it has intersected with different religious traditions through its use in many different kinds of marriage ceremony. And I’ll give you an insight into what influences my designs, and how they can accommodate your preferences as a truly personal symbol of your love.

We work with couples to create bespoke handfasting cords

Early history

Handfasting has existed for a very long time. It is thought to have emerged from other ways of making contracts through joining hands. In Britain and Ireland, handfasting may have been linked to Celtic beliefs and practices, but we cannot confirm this through archaeological evidence. Written accounts appeared during Medieval and Early Modern period, when romance and marriage happened in a very different cultural context to our own.

So much of the history of handfasting is unknown, and in my past post on the subject I point towards some sources by historians that may be interesting to anyone who wants to dig into this further. But what I want to emphasise here is that we can speculate about how handfasting would have been associated with spiritual beliefs (both pagan and older Christian ones) but we have very little to go on. We can only imagine what it may have meant to those who joined their lives in this way.

We can see how it has been used over the centuries since, and what it has come to mean in our modern context.

Handfasting’s have became a popular practice of late!

History since

Since the Medieval period, handfasting in the British Isles and Ireland has both happened alongside Christian marriage rituals and as an alternative to them. It was initially associated with betrothal, and with the idea of a union that was freely chosen by both parties. In 17th century Scotland, handfastings began to be treated as trial marriages, as depicted in the novels of Walter Scott. This gave them a clandestine, illicit quality, and an association with elopement that remains to this day.

In the 20th century, handfasting was adopted by various neopagan movements, and began to be associated with 60s counterculture, hippies, and rock’n’roll (Jim Morrison even held one with Patricia Kennealy). These were people using an interpretation of the past to produce something new and original, to express themselves beyond the traditional idea of love and marriage.

Handfasting draws on many centuries of flexible, inclusive practices that were personal to the people involved as well as reflecting changing cultural norms. Above all, it affirmed that those marrying were making the choice to be together.

My designs

Historical handfastings were not performed with a special type of cord, but with whatever was available; in the Middle Ages it was the joining of hands rather than the tying of a cord that was at the centre of the ceremony (sometimes with ribbons or gimmal rings – depicting joined hands – exchanged afterwards). The very idea of a decorative cord is a modern innovation. This is where I come in as an artisan.

I am inspired by Celtic art in both choice of materials and how I use them, but my designs are my own original creations. I have recently become aware of people copying my designs, often claiming they are ‘traditional Celtic designs’ in the process. I love the fact that our studio is contributing to how modern handfasting is developing, but this mislabeling is factually incorrect. It also erases me as an artist who is consciously engaging with handfasting as a tradition, and with the Celtic aesthetic tradition – not simply making replicas.

Our designs are inspired by Celtic knot art

As an experienced artist with a wealth of expertise, it is important to me to craft beautiful cords that really represent the bond between partners. I want to share this historically inclusive practice with everyone, and show that handfasting can be part of so many celebrations: church or temple ceremonies, pagan or Wiccan ceremonies, registry weddings, engagements, anniversaries, and family blending. As a practice grounded in marriage outside traditional settings, it should include all genders and sexualities. It can represent the love between multiple partners, and weave in the love and support of kin and chosen family alike. It has never been limited to Celtic culture or heritage, and there are no wrong or right ways to do it. If it represents the love between people who have chosen each other, that is traditional enough.

Handfasting is an inclusive open practice

Cultural appropriation?

Sensitivity to and curiosity about handfasting is very welcome, and it is a good thing to approach any practice you are learning about with questions. I would encourage you especially to be cautious of any claims about handfasting as unchanged for centuries.

It’s not possible to speak with certainty about a single origin of this beautiful practice, which has been used in very diverse ways and adapted to many different contexts. You need not worry that incorporating it into your own ceremony is cultural appropriation. It is a very flexible and inclusive practice.

As an artisan, I have designed my cords with this flexibility in mind. I can customise them to your specifications, and on this website and my social media channels I love to provide inspiration for both cords and ceremonies. I hope you’ll reach out if you are thinking of making handfasting a part of your celebration, as it continues to change and grow.