Poetry

Thats a sad story Ruth

Hi Peter and Lyn:  Yes, it seems that wolves were always the bad guys thoughout history.  Here too, but we still have them.  The Mexican gray wolf has been reintroduced in Arizona, but it's always a contentious issue, mostly for livestock operators.

I was particularly interested in your suggestion that wolves may be reintroduced into Scotland, Lyn and Peter.

During the course of my research into  Europe in the 16th. century, and in particular, Scotland, during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, I discovered that, as a result of the mini ice-age of that period, the ground being so hard it was impossible to bury the dead more that several inches below the surface.  Consequently wolves would  dig up and consume the human remains. Those that were able would transport their dead to the Shetlands and Orkneys would do so since there were no wolves there.

Madeleine Bingham, in her book 'Scotland Under mary Stuart -an account of everyday life', writes:

"Men wer not the only predators.  In the reign of Queen Mary the wolf plague spread unexampled devastation.  'The ravages were such that the extensive forests in Rannoch and Lochaber and other places were burned down to prevent the harbouring of these ravager', writes one historian.

The reality of the wolf menace is made plain by the fact tha many tenancy agreements contained wolf-hunting stipulations, and requirements to keep hounds to hunt the wolves.

In 1552 'the tenants of Nether Illrik are to maintain a hound for tod (fox) and wolf', and about the same time the lease of land in Glenisla to the Countess of Crawford and hers on Lord Ogilvy, contained the stipulation that they 'sustain and feed ane leash of hounds for tod and wolf'.

Boece, in his history, describes how inhabitants of Glenmore protecteg their fowls agaist wolves:

"The wolves are right noisome to the tame bestial in all parts of Scotland except one part therefore named Glenmore in which the tame bestial get little damage of wild bestials, especially the tods; for each house nourishes a young tod certain days, and mixes the flesh thereof, after it be slain, with such meat as they give to their fowls and other small beasts, and as so many as eat of this meat are preserved two months after from damage by the tods, for tods will taste no flesh that tastes of their own kind; and be there but one beast or fowl that has not tasted of this meat, the tod will shase it out among a thousand."

Harry

Here is a poem which lends itself to the cruelty to man and beast. May I add two codicils here.

1. In view of the excerprt from Madeleine Bingham's book which I posted. it was deemed necessary to cull the wolves of Scotland, and on the American plains the buffalo was killed by the Indian tribes for their very existence.  The numbers of buffalo were considered, during their migration for better feeding grounds, were like a "Black Cloud" across the country - that is until the white man arrived and sought, and killed the beasts as a means of pleasure, for their leather, and sometimes for food.  The Indians were removed to Reservations -- virtually being starved out of existence, until many yearslater, a compromise was reached.

2. Similarly, here in Australia, many native, indiginous tribes were slaughtered and their children placed in so-called foster homes, through man's inability to understand, and acknowledge the right these people had to own their land.

It is not my intention to make a political statement here -- merely to emphasise the fact that man, in his capacity as a superior being, is to this day, in many respects, unable to come to terms with an unecessary imbalance between man and race, and man and beast.

Harry 

Here is the poem which I failed to include in my previous misive!

Harry
 

Sacred Buffalo – Ancient Indian

Great hor’ned beasts with hides of leather
Hunted by Indians with eagle’s feather
Flesh from the kill stalled starvation
And kept alive the Indian Nation

Cheyenne, Crow, Shoshoni, and Blackfeet
Among many others killed to eat
Majestic buffalo ruled the land
From far North Canada to the Rio Grande

On mountain peaks and Plains of grass
They freely roamed, but then, alas
Came the Europeans with guns and knives
Who sought to take Native Indians lives

They killed and maimed to satisfy their need
Take what was not theirs by selfish greed
And starve the Indians out of existence
Through genocide and government’s persistence

Soon, the White Man would realize
That slaughter could not minimize
Man and beast, thus far in harmony, they reside
Buffalo and Indian, side by side

Both endured Nature’s avarice
When taken by cruel drought or ice
As they searched for grassy Plain
As one and the same

White man gave Indians their Reservation
For, it was hoped, their preservation
But whilst the buffalo were free to wander
Native Indians could not venture yonder

Two hundred years would come and go
Before the white man would finally bestow
The civil rights upon the tribal nation
And offer up their approbation

Now Indians and buffalo have earned the right
Both have succeeded in their fight