Grace Elliot's Blog: 'Familiar Felines.' , page 39

BUMF!

Love it or loathe it you cant avoid bumf - the unsolicited junk mail that litters up the door mat.
But have you have paused to think what a strange word 'bumf' is and to wonder where it came from?
The origins of 'bumf' come from 19th century schools boy. They had a special word for....

To read the full post follow the link below:

http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.co...

Purr Power.

Did you know that a cat's purr is exactly the right frequency to stimulate the healing of bone?
Grace's blog this week looks at the healing power of cats. To read the post please follow the link to:

http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com

Grace xA Dead Man's Debt

Purr Power.

Purr Power.



In the 1970's and 80's Russian scientists undertook research into reducing the healing time of injured elite athletes. Researchers discovered that vibrations of certain frequencies did accelerate the repair of damaged muscle and decreased joint swelling and pain - by stimulating the body to produce endogenous non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds. Is it a coincidence that the frequency of a cat's purr falls within this critical range? Further research showed that vibrations in the region of 25 – 50 Hz can increase bond density, speed up fracture healing and increase measurable bone strength by up to 20%. Elizabeth von Muggenthaler, a researcher in bioacoustics, measured the purr frequency of various felid species from cheetahs to domestic cats. She found they ranged from 20 to 140 Hz with the average house cat clocking in at 25 – 50 Hz – which makes the good old moggie the perfect companion for people suffering from osteoporosis!
There are many legends associating cats with the ability to heal. The Japanese believed a black cat could relieve spasms if placed on the patient's stomach, and could also cure epilepsy and melancholia.

Scottish folklore tells that fur and blood drawn from a cats, could treat all ailments. For example; 'Blindness:  take the head of a black cat, burn it to ashes in an earthenware pot, then blow these ashes into the affected eye three times a day from a goose quill.' Cat skin was also a remedy for burns. The Dutch believed that wearing the pelt of a freshly skinned cat would cure inflammation of the skin, whilst draping a cat across the shoulders of the afflicted was a certain cure for arthritis.

Venturing further back to the time of the ancient Egyptians and the cat goddess 'Bastet' who possessed the ability to heal. Artefacts exist bearing the inscription 'Bastet – the nurse' showing an engraving of a cat. The Egyptians put such faith in Bastet's healing power that households would have a small statue of this regal feline as a talisman to ward off the evil spirits that caused ill health. The equivalent much less elegant, old English tradition was to cut off a black cat's tail and bury it beneath the doorstep – thus protecting the inhabitants from sickness. However, it seems not all pets are beneficial for health. An NHS review into reasons for hospital admissions (2002) highlighted interesting statistics. Out of nearly one million people admitted, rat bites accounted for twenty-two whilst one enterprising individual (in England, don't forget!) went to the trouble of being bitten by a crocodile!Me? Cant go wrong with cats!
 

Book Launch Blogathon! Join the fun.

To celebrate the release of 'A Dead Man's Debt', author and veterinarian Grace Elliot has set herself a challenge. She aims to post unique blogs on a multitude of sites simultaneously - and today is the day!
To see how Grace got on follow any or all of the links below!

http://gotromancereviews.blogspot.com/ Got Romance Reviews -blog.

http://kisscarson.blogspot.com/ Kiss Carson - author.

http://happilyeverafterthoughts.blogs... Happily Ever After Thoughts -blog.

http://www.caseycrow.com Casey Crow – author. .

http://sybilnelson.com/wordpress/ Sybil Nelson / The Writer’s Lounge.

http://www.feliciarogersauthor.webs.com/ Felicia Rogers –author.

http://www.martinamercer.com/#/martin... Martina Mercer author

http://www.scarlet-impressions.co.uk/... Scarlet Leonard – jeweler

http://www.lizzystevens.blogspot.com/ Lizzy Stevens – author.

http://www.loveromancepassion.com/ Love Romance Passion -blog

http://thesecretwriterblog.blogspot.com The Secret Writer - blog.

http://notanotherromanceblog.blogspot... Not Another Romance blog.

http://junebugtalking.blogspot.com/ June Bug Talking - blog.

http://authorspromotingauthors.blogsp... - Authors Promoting Authors - blog.

http://www.vernaclay.webs.com Verna Clay - author.

http://riskyregencies.blogspot.com/ Risky Regencies – blog ( Nov 21st.)

'By Hook or by Crook'

We all know that 'by hook or by crook' means to obtain something by fair or unfair means ...but where did the expression come from?
Was it
a) from 2 of King Charles I's judges
b) A battle threatened by Oliver Cromwell
c) Medieval feudal rites.

Follow the link to read more...

http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.co...A Dead Man's Debt

Feline Fables

In Medieval times, stories such as 'The Cat and the Cockerel' and 'Belling the Cat' were told to teach the rudiments of right and wrong to poorly educated people.
But what did these stories really mean?
To read the full blog post follow the link to Grace Elliot's blog:
http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com
A Dead Man's Debt

Feline Fables.

Feline Fables  
     Fables were commonly used in the middle Ages, to teach people with little access to education the rudiments of right and wrong. The storyteller used quirky tales that featured talking animals to hold the attention of his audience.
Credited to a 13th century English preacher, Odo of Cheriton, warns to: 
Expect nothing if a promise is obtained unfairly –'A cat came across a mouse that had fallen into a jug of beer. Unable to scramble up the smooth sides of the vessel, the mouse was in danger of drowning. After some bargaining the cat agreed to rescue the mouse from certain death. He set the condition that the mouse must come back to the him, when called. This  promise extracted,  the cat scooped up the mouse with a paw and set  her back on solid ground. The mouse scampered away to the safety of her nest.   A while later the same cat called in this debt of honour. Fearing she would be eaten the mouse refused to join him. Her reason being:'A promise is worthless if gained under pressure - AND I was drunk at the time!''
The story of 'Belling the cat' originates from Europe and warns:'It's easier to have a good idea than to put it into action.'  'Belling the Cat,' goes like this – A family of mice shared a rambling, old house with a cat. Sadly for the mice, the cat was a gifted hunter and frequently caught one of their numbers for his supper. Their colony dwindling in size, the mice decided to call a council of war and  work out how best to deal with their problem. After much argument, a young mouse stood up and announced he had the perfect solution. He suggested attaching a noisy bell to the cat, so that they would hear him approach and get time to run away.  All murmured approval except for one wise old mouse, who asked -  ' But who is willing to attach the bell to the cat?'
      The various animals were carefully selected for their human characteristics, for example; a bull for strength, horse for pride, lion for boldness and a cat for cunning. Cats were a commonly accepted short hand to show cleverness or mischief, as shown by Caxton writing in 1484;'The devil plays with a sinner, like a cat does with a mouse.'


And finally: ' The Cat and the Cockerel.'A cat caught a cockerel and pondered on a reasonable excuse for eating him.  He accused the cockerel of being a nuisance, crowing every morning and disturbing the farmer's wife sleep. The cock defended himself well and replied that if it wasn't for his crowing, the farmer wouldn't be up in time each day, to complete his work. After a short hesitation the cat responded,'Although a good explanation, if I was to accept it, I would remain hungry.'  Without further ado, the cat ate the cockerel.The message? Justification is nice but not essential!

A clear conscience leads to a restful night's sleep!

The New Covey Book Trailer Awards!

I'm thrilled to announce that the book trailer for 'A Dead Man's Debt' has been entered for the New Covey Book Trailer Awards.
To view this evocative trailer, as well as the other entries, please visit:
http://thenewcoveybooktrailerawards.blogspot.com/

Should you wish to vote for 'A Dead Man's Debt' , the trailer is number 4 on the list.
Many thanks,
Grace x

'Cock and Bull.'

Yes, we've all listened to an incredible story that stretched the bounds of reality - but did you realise that the phrase 'cock and bull', when describing such a story, has its origins in 18th century coaching Inns?
To read the full post visit:

http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.co...
A Dead Man's Debt

Familiar Felines

Following on from last weeks Halloween post - todays entry looks at the role of cats as the witches familiar.
The full post can be found at:
http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com