Tag Archives: monks and cats

Oliver Opines on 9th Century Cats, His Luxurious Coat and more.

Posted on by
19

Hello Furiends,
Oliver here. I’m doing the Friendly Fill Week #122 in answers this week. This is a blog hop sponsored by our furiends 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs.  You join the fun at either one of their blogs or you are welcome to opine about your answers in the comment section of this post.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
black and white cat Oliver

Here are this week’s fill-ins:

1. Being _______________ is _____________________.

2.If ___________________ were worth money, then I would be rich.

3. I am proud of _________.

4. If I could time travel, I would visit the year _________.

My Responses:

1. Being a fastidious feline is very rewarding because I receive many compliments on my luxurious fur coat.

img_5483

A cat’s work is never done.

img_5482

Now to smooth everything out.

img_5481

This is rough on the tongue.

img_5484

Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.

2.If hair balls were worth money, then I would be rich. (And that’s the down side to maintaining my luxurious coat.)
img_5487

Dear Amazon, I would like to return these hairballs.

3. I am proud of my excellent snoopervising talents. 

img_5486

Excuse me Human, you missed a spot.

4. If I could time travel, I would visit the year …well I don’t know the year but I know the century. I would visit the 9th century. The Male and Female Human went to Ireland and when they visited Trinity College in Dublin and saw the Book of Kells The Female Human was fascinated with the story of Pangur Ban. 
Pangur Ban is a white cat made famous by a poem written by a monk  at or around Reichenau Abbey. Some humans say that the poem was a comparison of the monk’s scholarly work with the activity of a cat. Others say that the poem was written by the monk for his cat. I like the second interpretation and can imagine a playful kitty scampering around his human while the monk is working hard at illuminating the pages of the Bible. I would go back to visit that monk and play with his feline friend (and maybe leave some of my paw prints on his manuscript). Here is the poem, I hope you enjoy it as much as The Female Human does.
Pangur-ban

I and Pangur Bán my cat,
‘Tis a like task we are at:
Hunting mice is his delight,
Hunting words I sit all night.

Better far than praise of men
‘Tis to sit with book and pen;
Pangur bears me no ill-will,
He too plies his simple skill.

‘Tis a merry task to see
At our tasks how glad are we,
When at home we sit and find
Entertainment to our mind.

Oftentimes a mouse will stray
In the hero Pangur’s way;
Oftentimes my keen thought set
Takes a meaning in its net.

‘Gainst the wall he sets his eye
Full and fierce and sharp and sly;
‘Gainst the wall of knowledge I
All my little wisdom try.

When a mouse darts from its den,
O how glad is Pangur then!
O what gladness do I prove
When I solve the doubts I love!

So in peace our task we ply,
Pangur Bán, my cat, and I;
In our arts we find our bliss,
I have mine and he has his.

Practice every day has made
Pangur perfect in his trade;
I get wisdom day and night
Turning darkness into light.