Author:
I was going back through "Somewhere Else Entirely" and noticed Miss Penny Lane put the women to the left of the men in most instances. Obviously she either knows why or it was pure instinct.
"Garia was now always seated to Keren's left, just as every wife was always seated to the left of her husband."
Now days it is not as important as it once was. The reason the girlfriend, damsel in distress, wife, or whoever is on the left is so the man will have his right arm and hand free. For all you history buffs, the majority of people are right handed. Thus drawing or holding a weapon was done with the right hand. Whether it began with man holding a club protecting his woman, I have no idea. What is well known is when swords, knives, weapons of such came along, they could be drawn by or carried in the right hand. Thus the fairer sex of our uncouth species could be readily defended by the man who could readily draw his weapon should need arise. It wasn't only the tavern brawls but also weddings where another might cast desire upon fair maid and seek to claim.
And yes, when the west and men with guns arrived, the female and or the bride was on the left of the man, especially in marriages ceremonies. In many instances the bride may have been wearing a wedding gown and just as likely the groom wore a six iron.
Weddings and relationships with women on dates are not so prone to be a contest of the man having to defend her honor. Thus we no longer are so inclined for the bride to always be to the left of the groom. Although many still follow the tradition not knowing how it began or that there is a tradition.
Have fun with life, it's too short to take seriously
always,
Barb
Comments
Left and Right
For the record, I did know, but I didn't want to make a big deal of it.
It is likely that many of the customs of the Great Valley originated on Earth, in any case. They would have been taken there by transferees in earlier times.
I'm pleased that you like the story.
Penny
Distaff side
Old, old, old - so old it would be 'Olde' - it is theorised that the woman would be on the side of the man away from his staff (aka walking stick!). Hence distaff. Right-handedness is indeed the root.
As it happens, the opposite of 'distaff side' is known as the 'spear side'.
And a synonym for 'distaff side' is 'spindle side'.
There's some more trivia for y'all.
J
To use a cliche
Husband on the right makes him her:
Right Hand Man.
Men on the right
I always thought it was because it's the last time the man will be right...
And of course,
this is why Britons drive on the left because from earliest times a man liked to keep his weapons to hand and pass the approaching walker or rider right side to right side so both parties could draw their weapons quickly if they sensed danger. So the ancient custom was always adopted, walk on the left with your wife or females walking next to the hedge or wall while the man walked nearer the centre of the road thus able to confront an approaching threat.
Of course when Napoleon gained power in Europe he decided to make it abundantly obvious that the rule of law 'Pax Napoleon' now pertained and it was safe for people to travel unarmed throughout Europe. To this end, he ordained that travellers would pass left to left instead of right to right and so it became throughout Europe followed basically throughout the much of the world. That's why the British drive on the left while Americans and Europeans drive on the right. Elswhere it varies depending on that country's history..
I can see that for France and
I can see that for France and Europe, as it seems like Europeans like to follow France's lead no matter how bad the idea might be. I doubt that it's the reason for the Americans and Canadians, however. Americans are a bit fractious to change the way they were already working just because of a short Corsican. I suspect that the 'drive on the left' and 'pass on the left', (with oncoming traffic to the driver's left) was established while they were still colonies. It leaves the right hand (strong hand) able to pick things up from the seat next to them, and if you have a weapon, you can aim it across your left arm while the left arm continues to hold the reins. This could be done from the -right- seat, but then you lose more of your peripheral vision from the wagon.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Actually the N. Americans drive on the 'wrong' side
exactly because of Napoloeon.
The French sent armies to help in the war of Independence to fight against the Brits. The French were by then used to driving on the other side, and the Colonists made the change to accommodate the French ...
I've done research on this too
From what I've read, the French drive on the right hand side of the road because the Romans drove on the right hand side. The British drive on the left because the Northmen drove on the left. Roman Britain drove on the right, that changed during the Danelaw.
The Americans drive on the right because of bad roads in pre-colonial days, decades before the Revolution; the teamsters rode the near wheel horse or ox (on the left) instead of riding the cart or wagon like the British did. When using a whip with your right hand, it works best if you have to sit on the animal to drive on the right. Besides, the Spanish and French colonies on either side of them drove on the right.
The Aztecs and Incas also walked! (not having wheeled vehicles or draught animals) on the right. :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
because of Napoleon?
Napoleon came some years after the American Revolution, so I find it hard to believe that any of his decrees would have affected the French assistance to the Americans, or the American response.
It was very tongue in cheek -
as you so rightly pointed out, the dates don't tie up - I thought everyone knew that!
For many years Napoleon was held by the British to be evil, the devil incarnate, etc etc etc. He was often used as the 'bogeyman' to scare children.
In actual fact, he was France's biggest widow-maker, did away with 'innocent until proven guilty' and other things like that. His almost total disregard of his wounded and maimed veterans generated much dissatisfaction, and many French were pleased to see him go.
I love trivia
and you used to be able to read little known facts from a variety of dime sources as I was growing up and like the internet it had to be true. Speaking of right hand / left hand I understand the handshake originated from offering the empty right hand to show good will. "Cold-shoulder" from overstaying one's welcome at a banquet; when your dinner was cold and not the prime cuts you knew it was time to leave. Blue-blood as I understand it originated from the upper class use of silver-ware; particles from the bowls, cups,and utensils moved into the food and drink.
Which brings up a question in the future what will users of BHP (plastic) be known for?
It's also where the 'Right
It's also where the 'Right Hand Man' came from - the person that is depended upon to serve as a weapon, or support, or both .
The right hand 'free' goes back a very long time, long beyond the middle ages. I'll have to see if I can find a Rabbi to ask about weddings and the tradition, but the one I've seen still had the woman at the left, man at the right.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
additional things on weddings that have lasted
the groomsmen and "best man" were the ones to "acquire" the bride FOR the groom, when the brides parents were not accepting to the grooms advances, also protecting the bride from OTHER interested parties before the actual wedding. one old term was "bride knights".
Teresa L.