The new year is here. Time to wring out all the old stuff and bring in some fresh new bells and whistles. I am the first to admit that I was not attentive to this blog for many months, but it’s time to start anew. What better way than to give homage to an old (like medieval) tradition – The Vow of the Peacock.
The new year brings the opportunity to pledge changes in our lives called New Year’s Resolutions. They look pretty much the same from year to year: Lose weight; Drink or smoke less; exercise more; get organized; etc. These resolutions we make are devoted to self-improvement. We try to make ourselves look and feel physically better. However, these goals are notorious for falling to the wayside as we travel through the year.
Instead of these self-improvement resolutions, I want to propose turning to a Medieval tradition that Charles Dickens revealed in his periodical All the Year Round. He referred to The Peacock Vow made by the Knights of the Kingdom to uphold the Vows of Chivalry. If you are not familiar with the pledge to chivalry, here are the contents.
The Knights would make this Vow on either the body of a live or cooked regal peacock which represented the King and Country.
What better way to enter the dawn of each New Year than to recommit oneself to these principles? Our Country (USA) needs this commitment. Our lives need this too. The world would be a better place for it.
Chasing The Tale 