Post A #6

This culture is indeed ever changing, yet still unimaginably different from ours. From the increased, public violence of the time, to the honor and respect everyone had. The culture of ninth century England makes it so that these things can take place. Some examples from this week's reading (pages 220-280) exemplify this. "'There is food for you, Lord', the lame servant said, after taking Smoca's reins" (247). This shows how Different the technology, that obviously influenced the culture, was. Only the rich and the elite rode on horseback, which today would now be considered a joke. Instead of loving and caring for their horses, the ruling elite today probably, for the most part, thinks that horses are unsanitary and violent, smelly and unpredictable. Of course, few people understand horses now the way they used to.

Another good quote is this one about the treatment of people with downs syndrome. "I was watching a naked mad man convulsively search his groin. He kept peering around at the laughing tables, unable to understand the noise" (272). This is how the mentally retarded were treated at that time. People made fun of them and they were essentially entertainment, the same way a juggler or jester would have been. The main cultural difference here is that these people did not care about what disposition others were in, only that if it made them laugh, they liked it. Now of course, retarded people are cared for very well and live decently, even though they still do not contribute to society.