Cross-posted from britarch for you all. I shall post the
replies over to britarch, or you could CC it to
[log in to unmask] Please do not reply to me, but to
the list(s).
jacqui
--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Vince here:
Mick Aston made a throw away remark on last Sundays TT
about the fact that people don't eat horses. That's true in
UK as far as I know, but certainly they are eaten in Europe
(I know: I ate some in Belgium, although the providers
didn't tell me until afterwards: it was OK, a bit like
beef). But why don't English people eat horses? We eat
almost every other herbivore and omnivore that walks the
earth, flies above it, or burrows in it (or at
least, we did).
I can't believe it's a religious thing, 'cos I've just been reading the
Museum of London book about 'The medieval horse and its rider' and there
the point is specifically made that 'the horse is not for
consumption', and that there was always a problem disposing
of the carcases, although horse hides were used in tanning.
And this takes us back to the period when most of Europe
had a common set of religious values.
I'm really curious to see if anyone knows.
----------------------
Jacqui Mulville,
EH Regional Science Advisor (E. Mids)
Oxford University Museum,
Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PW
Tel: 01865-272996 Fax: 01865-272970
|