Our Man in Europe/now Belize/Dave Delacroix: "Below the Salt!"

 Our Man in Europe/now Belize/Dave Delacroix: "Below the Salt."

(In Medieval times, most notably - in Renaissance paintings - the 1100s thru 1500s, SALT -"SALE" from ROMAN times was traded/Roman Soldiers in far flung provinces, Britain to Syria counted it SALARY/Soldier's PAY - along with Beer, Wine, ergo SALT was a currency, the possession OF -a status symbol & a pre-refrigeration food preservative hence its value. So! ABOVE the Salt at banquets, SEATED, U were somebody/Emperors/Kings/Nobility. BELOW the salt, hired hands, Condotierri/hired mercenaries or Palace/Castle lackies, courtly jesters/professional FOOLS/entertainers, lucky to get invited but BELOW the Salt U were seated! A Baron's Hounds or the Castle Cats would fight U for your Master's discarded pork-hock or Chicken wing!) 

 FY.I.: A 1960s UK band STEELEYE SPAN, music on Utube celebrate in Song this early class system/cultural, social distinction & prejudice... "Below the Salt." A fine folk-rock LP/CD recording!

"Below the Salt." (Nothing's changed!)

...IF IT DON'T RAIN & THE CREEK DON'T RISE or the Cow jumped over da Moon? If your DEVIL don't shine or U don't get lost in the Wine, in "Vino-Veritas" (Splurge the truth?) & say: "I... love... U? AND, if it comes to THAT, DO WE in fact opt to eat the Lean yet happily WALLOW in the Fat; just whose Song R we singing in the end? A Chanson by French Poet Francois Villon: "Ou's sans les Neige d'antan?" Or, roughly translated: "Who da frick moved mah CHEESE!!!"

...BUURRRRT...IF it DON'T rain (stay with me) & DA CREEK don't rise nor the Cow, jumping over the Moon, at a courtly banquet, that distinct pecking order, BELOW the Salt, still finds us there-in enthroned! A fate of fates for ALL must wait, R.S.V.P., as in Life, sometimes "below the Salt" is required. Whilst in Paintings, on Tapestries a Minstrel in the gallery U can well guess probably captures the hour? ("It's LOL been a hard day's night!) Chinese/Curry take-a-ways yet still to be invented? (Dickensian FAGEN: "SHADDUP KIDS & DRINK YA GIN!") Satire-cynicism always lurks in the Well of a decent Broth?

 ...Funny HOW that works? Below the Salt? Seems WE ACTUALLY have the best of it all despite fighting over the Royal/Imperial scraps? Where-as ABOVE/High Table SALT conspiracies thrive; poisonings, a dagger in the back? (Thomas Wyatt, Poet, 1503-1542:) "CIRCA REGNA TONAT" Latin for: "Around the Throne the thunder rolls!" BELOW the Salt WE at least get SOME nourishment without fear of psychopathic (Henry VIII) King Harry's AXE, Caesre Borgia's Machiavellian Salads or TODAYS Powers that Be? (Keeping your head DOWN just might be the key?)

And (Tra-la-la!) if don't rain & the creek don't rise, the Cow, a symbol of happiness/contentment jumping over the moon? Better that than poisoned mutton served as lamb? So below the Salt & a long life to YA!... And don't U go worrying Fate for sure enough: It's ON the make if it don't RAIN & the creek? - U got it! - don't rise. Enjoy your Feed & like jolly good Gentlemen of olden days, rest easy in your beds. Below the Salt is NOT such a bad place to be!

c.2026. Dave Delacroix.