Friday, April 06, 2007

No title.



So there it is, shame we can`t all see things in the same light
.
However, remembering the old adage, of not throwing out the baby with the bathwater, here is a quote from the current Dalai Lama.


'Your prime purpose on earth is to help one another. If you can't help one another at least don't hurt one another.' - Dalai Lama


Because we shouldn`t forget that whilst religious organisations have often abused the unwary, and exploited the innocents, there have been those whose lives and works have indeed been exemplary, not all have sought the velvet cushions and golden thrones of hiearchal rule.



"A cat is worth a groat (four pence). At birth she is worth a penny, two pence after she has opened her eyes, and a groat if she has caught a mouse. "



Suprisingly the above was an actual law in Wales, during the tenth century (A.D.), there were few principal laws in Wales, not many of them relating to religion.

The King at that time, Hywel Dda, or "Hughie the good", was particularly fond of hunting and feasting,(and beautiful women).
He saw little use for a kingdom that would require a large percentage of its` people to be engaged in law and religion.

Instead he preferred a kingdom of mountains, oaken forests, well-ordered farms and healthy flocks of sheep, fit and hardy goats, herds of full-fleshed cattle, happy pigs, contented chickens and ducks, wild boar, pheasants, fat geese and granaries that were full, with surplus for those in need.

He also decreed that women could own property, and that all children, who were born "outside" of marriage had all the rights of those born "inside" marriage.




He did once, it is said, visit the Vatican, but there are conflicting stories as to the purpose of his trip...But that is another tale.






Ah well, since then have been some changes. (Click on the "No title", for an insight into the laws and the man who wrote them, more than ten centuries past, and ruled that in his land, women would be equal to men.)

Note: I have slightly amended this post, since first writing. Especially the link at the title, which now shows a slightly more balanced insight into tenth century Britain.)

9 comments:

Mariamariacuchita said...

Wow...love the part about the laws not including religious directives.

slcslc said...

Thanks for the education, I like this "hughie the good".

Sam Van Dweller said...

cool blog! thanks for visiting my site www.positive-evolution.org.uk and commenting on my guestbook. love only love xoxox

The Future Was Yesterday said...

"A cat is worth a groat (four pence). At birth she is worth a penny, two pence after she has opened her eyes, and a groat if she has caught a mouse. "
I'm no student of history, but I seem recall hearing that before. Didn't they have a severe rodent problem of some kind, at the time?

landsker said...

Thanks for sharing time and reading a little about "Old Europe". "Europa vieja".

Hywel Dda certainly knew that the churches were more concerned with power and wealth, rather than the status of the poor.

Although his friends called him "Hughie the good", it is also said that his enemies thought it sensible to say nothing.


Yes, most of europe was well inhabited by rodents, the most famous being the rats of Hamelin, and their nemesis, the pied piper.

Talking of pipes, Dreadywarrior, ...I find myself at the other end of the gas pipeline, near Milford Haven.

Mariamariacuchita said...

My dog is worth more than a groat, i can tell you that.

Coffee Messiah said...

Very interesting and Thanks for the link & visit! ; )

landsker said...

Ah Maria,...Perdoname,
It was the cats that were worth a groat, a good dog was worth six groats, and I`m sure your "perrito" would be worth a mountain of groats.

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