poor widow was:[Sca-cooks] Rotten meat and spices...

[Laura C. Minnick]

At 04:09 PM 4/18/2005, you wrote:
>where there is anything there is always room for growth.  A poor but 
>honest man for one of the daughters<sometimes love and economics are not 
>linked<g>>,

Perhaps you misunderstood me. There is more to marriage then than there 
often is now. When we say that a medieval girl didn't have enough money to 
marry, it isn't just dowry. There is a fee called merchet, that must be 
paid to the lord when a peasant woman marries. If she marries a man from 
another area, the couple must come up with yet more money, to pay a fee 
called foremariage (essentially a payment to the woman's lord, as 
compensation for the loss of her labor when she moves to her husband's 
village).

>he would have to work hard, but 3 pigs can be 20 in a short time<unless 
>all are male>

In the story we were referring to, the widow had three sows. Having them 
bred to a boar will cost her money, though it appears that sometimes the 
owners of the male animal would accept a portion of the litter. But there 
are court cases on record of arguments between peasants over breeding right 
and claim on the results of such arrangements. The fact that she has three 
sows puts her at a distinct disadvantage. If she had three boars, she could 
let them out to stud, and collect money for doing so. If she had some of 
each of course, there wouldn't be an issue.

>can always take in a begger boy for room and board, would not be easy, but 
>a 10-12 year old orphan is worth more thhan his keep, and anyone over 6 is 
>able to help a great deal.

Well, the story does not mention such an arrangement. And 'help' is not 
necessarily income-producing.

Our modern concepts of beggars and orphans in the middle ages seems to be 
influenced more my fairy tales in our childhood than the medieval reality. 
Children who were orphaned were sometimes taken in by their godparents, but 
more frequently by relatives or neighbors who hoped to have access and use 
of land or property left to the child, or to gain by holding their 
wardship. Other children might be cared for by local clergy, foundling's 
homes, and other institutions. But a poor widow would be unlikely to take 
in an orphan unless there was a blood tie (her dead sister's son, for example)

>   If you dream the world has more than one way to win<g>.

An admirable sentiment, but a modern one.

'Lainie
___________________________________________________________________________
O it is excellent to have a giant's strength; but it is tyrannous To use it 
like a giant--Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, Act II