Eels weren& #39;t just for paying rent in medieval England; they were also part of the trade economy!
A 10th C. schoolbook includes an imaginary discussion w/ a fisherman who says he catches eels & takes them to town for sale, but that he can& #39;t catch enough to meet market demand. /1
A 10th C. schoolbook includes an imaginary discussion w/ a fisherman who says he catches eels & takes them to town for sale, but that he can& #39;t catch enough to meet market demand. /1
So how do you get your eels to town? You can transport them live in barrels or baskets; eels can live for a time out of water, esp. if packed in damp moss or hay.
Or you might smoke them & take them to market in units of 25, called sticks. /2 https://twitter.com/greenleejw/status/1204839635802841095">https://twitter.com/greenleej...
Or you might smoke them & take them to market in units of 25, called sticks. /2 https://twitter.com/greenleejw/status/1204839635802841095">https://twitter.com/greenleej...
Getting the fish to town wasn& #39;t always easy, though. There were pirates, bandits, & unscrupulous folk like Geoffrey Cardun. In 1203 he was found guilty of collecting illegal tolls on people passing through his land, including taking one stick from each eel cart.
Villany! /3
Villany! /3