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 Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:29 pm
Many of the seemingly innocent things we do or say nowdays come from very strange and sometimes gross origins. For example, the 'ladies first' actions and sayings come from something rather mean in my opinion. I've heard two versions so I'll put them both, I don't know if they're right but it's what I've heard.
1. When a man back in the middle ages was dying of sickness, wounds or anything else that can kill a person, before he died the people around him would kill his wife so that the man knew he lasted longer or for some reason like that.
2. In nobility, assassination by other nobles was a problem back in the middle ages. So when a male noble was to get in a carraige, there would be a chance that there would be an assassin waiting inside to kill him. So he'd allow the woman to climb in first, sure it was seen as chivalrous, but it meant that as soon as the door was opened, if there was an assassin, they'd strike and kill the woman not the man.
And so I want to know, does anyone else know anything else that we see as innocent and nice, that came from a shady past?
I have another one for Christmas trees but I won't post that till I get a few more replies.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:32 pm
Oh, I know one. In the middle ages, it was believed that when you sneezed your soul left the body. Thus saying "God Bless You" was originally a serious prayer that God would make sure the soul was safely returned.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:40 pm
I know people used to be afraid of photography because if you had a picture taken of you they believed it would take your soul and imprint it in the photo, but thats something a lot of people know.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:59 pm
I've made that last one my philosophy to avoid photos ^^
Okay Christmas tree time! This one is rather gross so I'm going to put it in white, that way people who don't like this sort of thing don't have to read it. Just highlight it if you do!
Back before any major cities started appearing in Europe (years before the supposed birth of Christ), most of Europe was just small towns an villages. They had a weird set of rules. Once a year there would be a contest of strengths and skills. The young men came and competed for what is an okay prize I suppose. Whoever wins is declared, effectively 'King' of the village and for a whole year they can have whatever they want, no-one can say no to them for anything. Sure that sounds like it's great but it comes at a cost. At the end of the year, the village elders take the 'King' out into the woods and nail him to a tree. I don't know if they kill him before they do this or whether he's still alive. Then then begin to butcher him, removing all his internal organs and decorating the tree with the organs. The heart is nailed above his head (the star) the intestines are wrapped around the tree (tinsel) and the other parts are hung up too (all the other ornaments that go on a tree). Personally I think the village elders were just bitter that they never won so they set this up but either way this is where Christmas trees came from.
Okay there it is!
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 5:23 pm
Althera I've made that last one my philosophy to avoid photos ^^ Okay Christmas tree time! This one is rather gross so I'm going to put it in white, that way people who don't like this sort of thing don't have to read it. Just highlight it if you do! Back before any major cities started appearing in Europe (years before the supposed birth of Christ), most of Europe was just small towns an villages. They had a weird set of rules. Once a year there would be a contest of strengths and skills. The young men came and competed for what is an okay prize I suppose. Whoever wins is declared, effectively 'King' of the village and for a whole year they can have whatever they want, no-one can say no to them for anything. Sure that sounds like it's great but it comes at a cost. At the end of the year, the village elders take the 'King' out into the woods and nail him to a tree. I don't know if they kill him before they do this or whether he's still alive. Then then begin to butcher him, removing all his internal organs and decorating the tree with the organs. The heart is nailed above his head (the star) the intestines are wrapped around the tree (tinsel) and the other parts are hung up too (all the other ornaments that go on a tree). Personally I think the village elders were just bitter that they never won so they set this up but either way this is where Christmas trees came from.Okay there it is! TMI is all I'm going to say.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:07 pm
Quote: I've made that last one my philosophy to avoid photos ^^ Okay Christmas tree time! This one is rather gross so I'm going to put it in white, that way people who don't like this sort of thing don't have to read it. Just highlight it if you do!
Back before any major cities started appearing in Europe (years before the supposed birth of Christ), most of Europe was just small towns an villages. They had a weird set of rules. Once a year there would be a contest of strengths and skills. The young men came and competed for what is an okay prize I suppose. Whoever wins is declared, effectively 'King' of the village and for a whole year they can have whatever they want, no-one can say no to them for anything. Sure that sounds like it's great but it comes at a cost. At the end of the year, the village elders take the 'King' out into the woods and nail him to a tree. I don't know if they kill him before they do this or whether he's still alive. Then then begin to butcher him, removing all his internal organs and decorating the tree with the organs. The heart is nailed above his head (the star) the intestines are wrapped around the tree (tinsel) and the other parts are hung up too (all the other ornaments that go on a tree). Personally I think the village elders were just bitter that they never won so they set this up but either way this is where Christmas trees came from. Okay there it is! whats the source on that>? i dont doubt you... but i had never heard that one before... although , i had heard about the ladies first one. heres one... this is more of a "why we say this" anyone heard the phrase "whole nine yards" going the whole nine yards? well, it originally referred to the celtic isles. the traditional length of a kilt was nine yards of fabric. putting it on was a rather large time commitment, and once you started, you finished. thus, going the whole nine yards...
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:25 pm
eww.. they were disgusting
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:57 pm
the childrens rhyme, 'ring around the rosie', actually is referring to the black plag, several hundred years ago.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 9:00 pm
Well, this isn't shady, but I know where the saying 'humble pie' came from.
There were two types of pie in the old old days. Umble (sp?)(which was some part of the digestive or respiratory system in a deer) pie. Back then it was a pun on words. So instead of saying give him 'umble pie' they, in all their wit, changed it to 'humble pie'.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 9:06 pm
My source on the Christmas tree one was an old teacher of mine. He's travelled around the world alot so he's learn quite a few things on the way.
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:21 am
Hmm, I always forget little facts like these. All I can come up with is that people used to drink wine and beer for the sole reason that the alcohol kept it free from bacteria, since running water was uncommon in most cities.
Common knowledge though..
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:15 am
Hmmm... Well I don't know how much of this is true but I you said "what was nice but had a shady background" So.. (You people probabbly already know this one anyway) In the Disney movie Snow white and the Seven dwarves is that there were named after then seven common stages of heroin use.
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:35 am
Actually, if I'm not mistaken. Christmas trees originated from the Yule log that numerous civilizations BC would bring inside each winter. They would dance around the tree, decorate it with flowers and such as and pour their wishes for a healthy and happy winter and a quick spring to come. Then they would burn the log.
For anyone curious, YES, this was what's known as sympathetic magic.
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:38 am
Now, there may have been one civilization that performed the ritual you supplied, but that's not where the modern christmas tree comes from. See... Yule was a widespread celebration. And back when the Christians were trying to convert all the pagans to their religion, they were having a rough go of it. So they offered up similar holidays and traditions (that were harmless in their eyes) and such to ease the conversion. Other holidays and traditions such as Beltain and Samhain were marked as acts of the devil. It's something of a miracle they survived the centuries.
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 12:58 pm
[[Ooh. These are really interesting. Here's my one:
The English nursery rhyme,
"Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockleshells
And pretty maids all in a row. "
Is rumoured to refer to Mary I of Scotland. The garden line refers to controlling Scotland. Silver bells refers to her strict Catholicism. Cockleshells in those days was used as an insult and meant that her husband cheated on her. Finally, the line about pretty maids all in a row refers to the fact that Mary had many miscarriages and stillbirths and used to bury all her dead babies in a row.
However, there are those who believe it refers to Mary I of England and Bloody Mary instead. I just thought it was interesting to think that as a child, I used to sing that song quite often.. and I was actually referring to dead babies and affairs.
neutral ]] 
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