Tradition and Customs Quotes in Outlander

It's super hard for a man at this time to get married if he doesn't have money and a career. Times never seem to change in some ways, and even though Jamie has a lot going for him, he often gets teased for being a poor nobody.

If Laoghaire were a girl of status, she might be able to wed outside the clan in order to forge an alliance with another clan. But Laoghaire is pretty common, so her father will only let her marry within the clan.

There's a traditional hunt at the Gathering of Castle Leoch, and men and women each have their traditional places: men carrying spears and other weapons, women serving food. We wonder how they'd act if someone like Katniss Everdeen showed up with a bow and arrow? Claire seems content to sit on the sidelines… until her medical assistance is needed.

The show—or in this case, the games of the Gathering—must go on, even after a funeral. A little death isn't anything to keep Scotsmen from celebrating this exciting tradition. Heck, it might even be a part of the tradition. We can't imagine that boar hunt goes off without a hitch every time.

If you tried to pay your landlord with a goat, you'd probably be evicted, but it's totally an acceptable custom to pay your rent with livestock in 18th-century Scotland.

To Claire, a man and a woman sleeping in the same room without being married isn't exactly commonplace, but it's not as scandalous as it is to Jamie in the 18th-century. At this time, the custom is for men and women to be apart until marriage.

Not having Internet, people have to deliver hand-written messages by foot in the 18th century. It's custom to include a little present as well. Not only is the gift Hugh Munro gives to Claire symbolic (she could be seen as a creature suspended in time herself), but it's a lot nicer than attaching a funny .gif to an e-mail.

There are many more ways to die in 18th-century Scotland than there are in 20th-century Scotland. Axe to the head, gunshot wound, infection, wolf attack… the list goes on. So Jamie makes a good point for traditional subservience in a husband-wife relationship—especially this one. Jamie just knows more about battle and, well, life than Claire does in this time period, so it's important from her to trust his judgment.

Jamie is referring to the fact that Ian married Jenny even though she wasn't a virgin (even though she was, but Jamie doesn't know that yet). A woman who isn't a virgin isn't a desirable mate, so Jamie views Ian's marrying Jenny as an act of charity. Needless to say, that doesn't sit well with her.

It seems that possession of personal property is an offense punishable by death. Given that people seem to get away with murder, rape, and all sorts of other crimes all the time, we find this a little backward.