LL-L "Traditions" 2005.09.01 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 01.SEP.2005 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Gary Taylor <gary_taylor_98 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Traditions

Hi Críostóir

you wrote:

"Jellied eels are eaten with
relish in parts of Essex and London but hardly
anywhere else."

And how many people from Essex/London do you know???
Were you sat up North wearing your flatcap and reading
a copy of "pigeon fanciers" as you wrote this one? ;)

First time I ever tried eels was in Germany about a
year ago and they were delicious - not sure I'd try
them jellied though - I'll have to look in my Cockney
cookbook and think about it.

Gary

http://hometown.aol.com/taylor16471/myhomepage/index.html

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From: heather rendall <HeatherRendall at compuserve.com>
Subject: LL-L "Traditions" 2005.08.31 (08) [E]

Message text written by INTERNET:lowlands-l at LOWLANDS-L.NET
>There must be further reasons as to why Lowlandic peoples do not,
on the whole, eat horse meat.<

Look at the county badge of Kent, in England. It is a white horse on a red
background.
The leader/s of the supposed Jutes who colonised Kent were Hengst and Horsa
i.e. Horse and Horse ????!!!!!

Such names were totemic i.e. the chief who walked under the dragon was
called the Dragon. the chief who walked under the horse was called the
Horse.

We know from Irish ritual that the crowning of a king involved the flaying
of a horse and then the king's (ritual) bathing in the caldron in which the
horse flesh was stewing. The meat was then either handed out to the
followers or taken and buried ceremoniously.

The origin of the taboo against eating horse could be either

it was part of ancient ritual that could only be touched/eaten by the king
and his followers

OR

that it was part of a ritual indulged in by all and therefore was banned by
the Christian Church in early medieval times.

It has been pointed out before (hasn't it?) some superstitions reverse
themselves between Britain and the Continent - i.e. a black cat lucky in
England; unlucky in France. Woden - powerless in England, so the word
Wednesday was allowed to be used: so powerful in Germany that  Wodenstag
had to be replaced by Mittwoch. etc

The Church was very adroit at turning belief into superstition and then
supressing it or diverting attention away from it.

So it could be that the church devised a taboo to break a pagan custom that
was too strong.

Heather

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From: heather rendall <HeatherRendall at compuserve.com>
Subject: LL-L "Traditions" 2005.08.31 (07) [E]

Message text written by INTERNET:lowlands-l at LOWLANDS-L.NET
>
This type of gable decoration can also be found in Northern Poland and
throughout the Baltic countries, namely everywhere Saxons settled.  Is
there any sign of them in Britain?<

Yes they can be seen v v frequently, sometimes stylised to point of not
being recognisable.
Strangely enough, Victorian builders in the 19th century often finished
with horsehead finials and these can be seen in many towns in Britain.

Builders also still retain customs to do with erecting buildings and roofs
in particular. Don't they hang a bush from the chimney?

Heather

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Traditions

Thanks for all those really interesting explanations, Heather.

I never looked for those crossed horse heads in England, probably because I 
didn't look for them and they seemed ordinary at the time.  They are often 
very much stylized in Northern Germany as well.

By the way, it tends to be next to this gable protrusion that storks like to 
build their nests on top of houses (many of which are still thatched), and 
this is considered a very auspicious omen, something very desirable.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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