Medieval Cat Laws - Laws for your Medieval Cat [14:00]

YouTube ^ | July 20, 2024 | Cambrian Chronicles

[SunkenCiv]

Cats aren't what you would typically imagine when asked about law, let alone medieval law, but the history of Wales is full of oddities, and the medieval cat laws (Cyfreith Cath), are no exception. Here we find laws deciding on their value, their jobs, and what their appearance should be. 

Medieval Cat Laws - Laws for your Medieval Cat | 14:00 
Cambrian Chronicles | 258K subscribers | 885,045 views | July 20, 2024

 

Chapters: 
0:00 - Meow 
0:39 - Assigning Monetary Value to Your Cat's Appearance 
4:50 - Cat Products 
7:06 - Cat Crime 
9:00 - How to be a Cat Salesman

[SunkenCiv]

Hey, they know better than you do whether you’re a cat person. Accept your fate! 😎

[SunkenCiv]

When my dad was a boy, one of his early jobs was in the local village butcher shop. This was before WWII and the introduction of warfarin. He said that as he walked up the main street in the early hours, rats were crossing back and forth to lay low for the day.

The butchers kept a cat *in the shop* (that wouldn’t pass in this day and age, probably wasn’t considered okay then either), an excellent rat catcher.

They’d come to work in the morning, and the cat had lined up the night’s kills in a neat row. He’d get richly rewarded, I think usually liver. Then take a nap and stay out of sight all day.

I figure, hey, a cat in a butcher shop is *way better* than rats crawlin’ all over the place. 😊

[SunkenCiv]

We had a cat and three of her kittens when I was growing up. Old house. Mice are still a small problem in the winter. Anyway, the mama would be lying on the kitchen floor, washing a paw to wash her face, and a mouse would shoot out under the basement door and across the room, into the rest of the house. She’d just stop washing and watch it go. She was an *excellent* huntress, but maybe she thought there wasn’t any sport in when they came right on inside. 😁

[fhillary2]

Many THANKS G cubed!
I love Cats and I love your posts.
I’ve been learning cool stuff from your posts for many years!!

[SunkenCiv]

My neighbors had a cat or two, I used to see one of them poking around over here (this is in The Boonies, so, the next house is almost a 1/16 of a mile away), or in the Sun, napping on the bank waiting for prey.

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure! I’ve had this on deck since last week I think, was waiting for the right time. 🐱‍👓

[SunkenCiv]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bx7QFFlV9M

and the usual one around here (not a fave of mine, but, rules):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8OtzJtp-EM

[Texan5]

I’ll take a cat in my shop any day to any nasty rodents-I live within 1/2 an acre of the woods and riverbank in the middle of nowhere, but even a mouse never makes it much past the door before it becomes the day’s amusement for my cats...

[algore]

The ceiniog (Latin: denarius; English: penny; plural: ceiniogau; prob. from cant, “circle”) was the basic currency of the medieval Welsh kingdoms such as Gwynedd and Deheubarth.

Hywel Dda was the only ruler recorded as minting his own proper coins; however, the ceiniog was not a coin but a value of silver.

The “legal penny” (Latin: denarius legalis; Welsh: ceiniog cyfreith) was the weight of 32 wheat grains in silver; the “curt penny” (Welsh: ceiniog cwta), the weight of 24 wheat grains.

The latter was based on the old Roman pound; the former, Charlemagne’s and Offa’s.[1] The Welsh half-penny was the dymey of 12 wheat grains (roughly ⅓ the “legal penny”)[2] and the farthing (quarter-penny) was the firdlyc of 6.[3]

Since the value in ceiniogau of most common goods and animals were regulated by the Laws of Hywel Dda, the system also simplified barter in Wales.

Today The value of 24 grains is 1.55517384 grams * $1.23/gram = $1.91.

Therefore, the approximate value of 24 wheat grains of silver, based on the current spot price, is about $1.91 and the price of a good cat is about $7.64

[SunkenCiv]

My late mother relied on D-Con. I was in the basement doing laundry once, years ago, and I looked over in the corner as I was putting clothes from washer to dryer. There was a vole sitting on his haunches, and he turned his face toward me, on his last legs from eating that stuff. I just said, sorry buddy, I can’t help ya. “Who are you talking to?” would have been a good thing to hear right then, would be a much better story.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks a!

[Texan5]

Pretty kitties-I’m sure they had a long and happy life-my 2 black cats are Merlyn and Lillith-Merlyn was the runt in a litter of 5-I found homes for his mom-an abandoned pet-and 4 siblings, but no one wanted him because he was tiny and sickly, so I kept him-he is now 6 years old, healthy and loves humans-particularly my best friend and employer, who has always paid special attention to him every time he is here. Lillith is 8 months old-a weekend person’s Christmas kitten they decided they did not want after all-she was only about 5-6 weeks old when I got her last Winter-I was going to find her a loving home, but my gray tabby decided to be her foster mom, and started taking care of her, so here she stayed. Like Merlyn, she is a velcro cat, like most hand raised cats tend to be. My cats are spoiled, but they are working cats, responsible for pest control...

[nopardons]

We only have had one cat at a time, and never let them outside. But sadly, we lost our cat quite a while back and haven’t replaced him.

[Texan5]

I miss the Viking Kitties showing up for zots...

[Conan the Librarian]

I Love this one. It’s fun and unexpected.

I look forward to every video he produces.

[Texan5]

Once I take in a cat, they live indoors-I also prefer to place the ones I rescue with people who will keep them in-there are a lot of coyotes out here that prey on outdoor pets, as well as loose dogs-and a resident mountain lion.

[hoosierham]

I watched one of our barn cats pick up a large nail from the floor in his paw and examine it carefully. He held the nail and turned it over as if thinking “now what can I do with this?”

That was 60 years ago.

My much missed Dusty Springfoot would leave a mouse on my pillow as a gift. Either proof of her job performance or thought I needed a snack.

[Texan5]

I’m a naturalist-I don’t like any poisons around my property and I don’t use anything but eco-safe stuff. There are also some very strict rules out here regarding pesticide and herbicide use because of all the livestock people have-goats chickens, peacocks, guineas, potbellied pigs, etc- and we are close to a river, as well-so there is a fine for using poisons...

[Lurker]

Ping.

L

[nopardons]

We have foxes, damned deer, hawks so There’s that, but as a responsible owner, I don’t want a pet to wander off the property.