Birds For Barter

Chickens were often used as a form of currency in bygone days.

- Jeremy Hobson

In the ancient Celtic world, it was believed one could give a chicken to the gods in return for many things, including a good harvest. In the Hebrides, the spirits of the earth and air were appeased every quarter by throwing a cock, hen or duck outside the croft door. And woe betide anyone who neglected to pay their dues, as misfortune was sure to follow.

By medieval times, peasants were only allowed by the lords of their land to keep a certain amount of livestock – and much of what they produced went back to their landlord in the form of tythes. This was particularly true of chickens, and it’s reckoned that just before the Black Death (1348-1351) some 60 per cent of all birds produced throughout England were handed over to the unfortunate peasant’s landlord as part of their annual rent.