October's over...

Halloween special....a Sexy Witch...

Continuing on this theme, the following is taken from 'The Tools of the Craft', by Lee Thurmond: "The sacred tools of the Witch have been around for thousands of years and we present the basics here. There are many books that go into further detail and always remember that Witchcraft is truly a Life's Quest. As we all know there are numerous tools that are used world over by Witches on a daily basis. Some of these tools are a considered essential to certain individuals/or traditions and others may consider these same tools a hindrance or unnecessary."

The following is just a very brief snippet of what can be found in this 'Witchraft Basics' from The Witches' League For Public Awareness:

ATHAME: The next tool I would like to discuss briefly is the athame. The athame is usually a black handle, double edge knife [blogger's note: that's woken Gavin up!] and is strictly a ritual tool. It is a symbolic representative of the element of fire. It can be used as a tool for laying down a circle and also as a symbol representing the male aspect. Athames can be used to invoke the quarters, release the quarters, and are customarily used to assist with blessing the waters of life inside of the chalice, this blessing being symbolic of the Great Rite.

CAULDRON: The cauldron represents the gift of birth, death and rebirth, also knowledge and inspiration. The cauldron is a female aspect and is a symbolic representative of water, and it may also be used as a representation of fire. It is often referred to in connection with Cerridwen.

WAND: The wand has been known as a tool that is gentle in nature and has the male aspect, it is the symbolic representative of air. It is another tool that can be used for casting circle, invoking and releasing the quarters, and casting of spells, and some have used this in place of the athame or sword in the performance of the symbolic ritual of the Great Rite.

Etc.

It does scare me though...

S.O.

October's over...

Halloween special....a Sexy Witch...

Continuing on this theme, the following is taken from 'The Tools of the Craft', by Lee Thurmond.
"The sacred tools of the Witch have been around for thousands of years and we present the basics here. There are many books that go into further detail and always remember that Witchcraft is truly a Life's Quest. As we all know there are numerous tools that are used world over by Witches on a daily basis. Some of these tools are a considered essential to certain individuals/or traditions and others may consider these same tools a hindrance or unnecessary."

The following is just a very brief snippet of what can be found in this 'Witchraft Basics' from The Witches' League For Public Awareness:

ATHAME: The next tool I would like to discuss briefly is the athame. The athame is usually a black handle, double edge knife [blogger's note: that's woken Gavin up!] and is strictly a ritual tool. It is a symbolic representative of the element of fire. It can be used as a tool for laying down a circle and also as a symbol representing the male aspect. Athames can be used to invoke the quarters, release the quarters, and are customarily used to assist with blessing the waters of life inside of the chalice, this blessing being symbolic of the Great Rite.

CAULDRON: The cauldron represents the gift of birth, death and rebirth, also knowledge and inspiration. The cauldron is a female aspect and is a symbolic representative of water, and it may also be used as a representation of fire. It is often referred to in connection with Cerridwen.


WAND: The wand has been known as a tool that is gentle in nature and has the male aspect, it is the symbolic representative of air. It is another tool that can be used for casting circle, invoking and releasing the quarters, and casting of spells, and some have used this in place of the athame or sword in the performance of the symbolic ritual of the Great Rite.

Etc.

It does scare me though...

S.O.

October's over...

Halloween special....a Sexy Witch...

Continuing on this theme, the following is taken from 'The Tools of the Craft', by Lee Thurmond.
"The sacred tools of the Witch have been around for thousands of years and we present the basics here. There are many books that go into further detail and always remember that Witchcraft is truly a Life's Quest. As we all know there are numerous tools that are used world over by Witches on a daily basis. Some of these tools are a considered essential to certain individuals/or traditions and others may consider these same tools a hindrance or unnecessary."

The following is just a very brief snippet of what can be found in this 'Witchraft Basics' from The Witches' League For Public Awareness:

ATHAME: The next tool I would like to discuss briefly is the athame. The athame is usually a black handle, double edge knife [blogger's note: that's woken Gavin up!] and is strictly a ritual tool. It is a symbolic representative of the element of fire. It can be used as a tool for laying down a circle and also as a symbol representing the male aspect. Athames can be used to invoke the quarters, release the quarters, and are customarily used to assist with blessing the waters of life inside of the chalice, this blessing being symbolic of the Great Rite.

CAULDRON: The cauldron represents the gift of birth, death and rebirth, also knowledge and inspiration. The cauldron is a female aspect and is a symbolic representative of water, and it may also be used as a representation of fire. It is often referred to in connection with Cerridwen.


WAND: The wand has been known as a tool that is gentle in nature and has the male aspect, it is the symbolic representative of air. It is another tool that can be used for casting circle, invoking and releasing the quarters, and casting of spells, and some have used this in place of the athame or sword in the performance of the symbolic ritual of the Great Rite.

Etc.

It does scare me though...

S.O.

Onomatopoeic oeuvre...

Plop

(Dedicated to the BBC Radio 5 UK News Board posters)

Onomatopoeic oeuvre...

Plop

(Dedicated to the BBC Radio 5 UK News Board posters)

Orgasms... the second coming

That’s got your interest…more below after some discussion; the image is called 'Gardening' from Marjorie Baldwin Greene...which helps explain part of what I'm getting at below.

Sexologists Masters and Johnson ("Masters and Johnson on Sex and Human loving" ©1982,1985,1986) describe the female orgasm as follows: "Women often describe the sensations of an orgasm as beginning with a momentary sense of suspension, quickly followed by an intensely pleasurable feeling that usually begins at the clitoris and rapidly spreads throughout the pelvis. The physical sensations of the genitals are often described as warm, electric, or tingly, and these usually spread through the body. Finally, most women feel muscle contractions in their vagina or lower pelvis, often described as "pelvic throbbing."

This and most of the text below, plus much, much more can be read in full at the aptly named The-Clitoris.com...the final few paragraphs are my own as you may guess!

While all orgasms are organically the same, varying only in strength and length, a woman may not experience them all in the same way: how a woman experiences an orgasm during masturbation is usually totally different than how she experiences it during partner sex. In fact, women often report their most "satisfying" orgasms occur during masturbation, perhaps because they are the centre of attention, and not worrying about or distracted by a partner. A woman may experience an orgasm totally differently if her vagina is empty than when a penis or hand is inserted or she may be more aware of her vaginal contractions when her vagina has something to clamp down on!

Women experience total body orgasms, clitoral orgasms, vaginal orgasms, and uterine orgasms and there are two physical changes the body must under go if a woman is to experience orgasm. The first is "vasocongestion," the pooling of blood in the breasts and genitals. This results in the breasts and genitals becoming larger, the body feeling warm or hot to the touch, the change in color of the breasts and genitals, and vaginal lubrication. The second is "Myotonia" or "neuromuscular tension," the build up of energy in the nerve endings and muscles of the entire body.

If a woman experiences one orgasm, she can usually have many more in one session, as long as adequate stimulation continues. Some women will have one orgasm right after another, for as long as the stimulation is continued. Practice seems to make this more probable. The clitoris may be extremely sensitive after the first orgasm, requiring a very light or indirect touch and a woman may need only to slip a very slightly away from the point of orgasm before she can have another.

Most multiple orgasms, despite howling protestations from all us guys, occur during masturbation most probably because there is nothing or no one to distract a woman from her pleasure, and if a vibrator or similar 'gadget' is utilized it will not get tired, unlike a woman's own hand, or that of her partner.

If a partner wants to bring their female partner to multiple orgasms, they will probably have to forego their own pleasure; at least temporarily…this last point is probably the most important: no matter what equipment we have, both as body parts (!!!) or sex toys the most important thing is to pay as much attention as possible to our partner to try and make their pleasure greater…the thing is, and you won’t like this, is that I am convinced that male humans are ill equipped to really take women to that highest high…

Guys, listen! Don't get all 'macho' with me...No, I’m not saying ‘you’ can’t do it or that your partner doesn’t orgasm; what I’m saying is…well, what I’m trying to get at here is….err, that we need a few more hands and arms with flagellum fingers and maybe even a morphing member...the following may go some way to explain: the image at the start and this one here are from a great set of highly erotic sketches and tales from Marjorie Baldwin Greene (Marjorie's Bedtime Stories), visit the site (hosted by Tripod) and see what I mean, this one is called 'Lara in Trouble II' and there are many more sketches,like this one, in colour with related captions and stories. The site comes with a caution that should be read before going further re non appropriate content for children etc. ..orgasms

 

So there you have it, I’m jealous of the multi-tasking tendriled/ tentacled, polymorphous orgasm-inducing powers of a series of fictional plants, aliens and cephalopod or gastropod molluscs!
S.O. orgasm


orgasms

Orgasms... the second coming

That’s got your interest…more below after some discussion; the image is called 'Gardening' from Marjorie Baldwin Greene...which helps explain part of what I'm getting at below.

Sexologists Masters and Johnson ("Masters and Johnson on Sex and Human loving" ©1982,1985,1986) describe the female orgasm as follows: "Women often describe the sensations of an orgasm as beginning with a momentary sense of suspension, quickly followed by an intensely pleasurable feeling that usually begins at the clitoris and rapidly spreads throughout the pelvis. The physical sensations of the genitals are often described as warm, electric, or tingly, and these usually spread through the body. Finally, most women feel muscle contractions in their vagina or lower pelvis, often described as "pelvic throbbing."

This and most of the text below, plus much, much more can be read in full at the aptly named The-Clitoris.com...the final few paragraphs are my own as you may guess!

While all orgasms are organically the same, varying only in strength and length, a woman may not experience them all in the same way: how a woman experiences an orgasm during masturbation is usually totally different than how she experiences it during partner sex. In fact, women often report their most "satisfying" orgasms occur during masturbation, perhaps because they are the centre of attention, and not worrying about or distracted by a partner. A woman may experience an orgasm totally differently if her vagina is empty than when a penis or hand is inserted or she may be more aware of her vaginal contractions when her vagina has something to clamp down on!

Women experience total body orgasms, clitoral orgasms, vaginal orgasms, and uterine orgasms and there are two physical changes the body must under go if a woman is to experience orgasm. The first is "vasocongestion," the pooling of blood in the breasts and genitals. This results in the breasts and genitals becoming larger, the body feeling warm or hot to the touch, the change in color of the breasts and genitals, and vaginal lubrication. The second is "Myotonia" or "neuromuscular tension," the build up of energy in the nerve endings and muscles of the entire body.

If a woman experiences one orgasm, she can usually have many more in one session, as long as adequate stimulation continues. Some women will have one orgasm right after another, for as long as the stimulation is continued. Practice seems to make this more probable. The clitoris may be extremely sensitive after the first orgasm, requiring a very light or indirect touch and a woman may need only to slip a very slightly away from the point of orgasm before she can have another.

Most multiple orgasms, despite howling protestations from all us guys, occur during masturbation most probably because there is nothing or no one to distract a woman from her pleasure, and if a vibrator or similar 'gadget' is utilized it will not get tired, unlike a woman's own hand, or that of her partner.

If a partner wants to bring their female partner to multiple orgasms, they will probably have to forego their own pleasure; at least temporarily…this last point is probably the most important: no matter what equipment we have, both as body parts (!!!) or sex toys the most important thing is to pay as much attention as possible to our partner to try and make their pleasure greater…the thing is, and you won’t like this, is that I am convinced that male humans are ill equipped to really take women to that highest high…

Guys, listen! Don't get all 'macho' with me...No, I’m not saying ‘you’ can’t do it or that your partner doesn’t orgasm; what I’m saying is…well, what I’m trying to get at here is….err, that we need a few more hands and arms with flagellum fingers and maybe even a morphing member...the following may go some way to explain: the image at the start and this one here are from a great set of highly erotic sketches and tales from Marjorie Baldwin Greene (Marjorie's Bedtime Stories), visit the site (hosted by Tripod) and see what I mean, this one is called 'Lara in Trouble II' and there are many more sketches,like this one, in colour with related captions and stories. The site comes with a caution that should be read before going further re non appropriate content for children etc. ..orgasms

So there you have it, I’m jealous of the multi-tasking tendriled/ tentacled, polymorphous orgasm-inducing powers of a series of fictional plants, aliens and cephalopod or gastropod molluscs!

S.O. orgasm

orgasms

Onan...oh no...oh yes!

Excerpted from Brush Up Your Bible! by Michael Macrone

"And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also."
-- Genesis 38: 7-10 (KJV).

You might think [yes we do] Onan's sin was "onanism," an eponymous English term for masturbation...yep, that's what I thought...Dok?...But such is not what the Bible tells us: Onan does "spill his seed on the ground," but... he doesn't "get there" by himself...he's not 'on his own' with his 'first (five-fingered) lover', oh no: Onan has been put on the spot by Jacob but only with respect to a tribal law of that time...tribal law...(or in modern terms a bloody Godsend [oh yes] for brother-in-laws everywhere provided that the sister-in-law was a bit of alright!): so...let's get this straight...though Er is dead, if Er's brother impregnates Er's widow then any resulting son will be taken as Er's...ahem...OK, we know that primogeniture (succession through the first-born son) was of supreme importance (then) so really he's compelled by duty...could be fun...no?
Follow the link...read the rest... excuse me while I go to the little boys room...

S.O.

Onan...oh no...oh yes!

Excerpted from Brush Up Your Bible! by Michael Macrone

"And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also."
-- Genesis 38: 7-10 (KJV).

You might think [yes we do] Onan's sin was "onanism," an eponymous English term for masturbation...yep, that's what I thought...Dok?...But such is not what the Bible tells us: Onan does "spill his seed on the ground," but... he doesn't "get there" by himself...he's not 'on his own' with his 'first (five-fingered) lover', oh no: Onan has been put on the spot by Jacob but only with respect to a tribal law of that time...tribal law...(or in modern terms a bloody Godsend [oh yes] for brother-in-laws everywhere provided that the sister-in-law was a bit of alright!): so...let's get this straight...though Er is dead, if Er's brother impregnates Er's widow then any resulting son will be taken as Er's...ahem...OK, we know that primogeniture (succession through the first-born son) was of supreme importance (then) so really he's compelled by duty...could be fun...no?
Follow the link...read the rest... excuse me while I go to the little boys room...

S.O.

Orgasms...did you see this coming?

Apparently, so my ‘friends’ tell me, most women seem to have a difficult time (understatement?) reaching orgasm during intercourse; that is if they are able to orgasm at all…here we go…the most common reason for this is that they don’t know their own bodies…oh REALLY?.err...Female masturbation is unheard of??? I believe everyone should play with themselves to learn how their body reacts to different stimuli.

Orgasms can’t be forced, and things should really be taken slowly…if possible; don’t worry if this is not the case: finishing in seconds is not unheard of or even a bad thing…depending on the circumstances. Learn techniques, experiment with them and find what works best and if you start getting frustrated when you don’t see the expected results then try again, and again…and again… (Ahem): sex is supposed to be fun and enjoyable and as soon as you make it too serious the pleasure can fade.

So I’ve been told, (oh boy...) there are more than one type of orgasm a women can have: when masturbating women usually learn to get themselves off (sorry) using their clitoris and there is nothing wrong with that, in fact well done all of you (yikes…UKBBCR5LMB smilie here; apologies to those of you who haven't a clue what I mean!...you're not missing anything!) ...but this leaves the whole world of vaginal orgasms untapped. Coitus, commonly known as vaginal sex, can be one of the clumsiest ways to stimulate a woman but while it does provide an atmosphere that can be highly arousing (phew!...us guys are here for something at least!) as well as fairly erotic at times and emotionally satisfying, the actual degree of stimulation to the woman's clitoral area is nothing compared to that achieved by her own masturbation or cunnilingus…excuse me while I take a break….bag of ice please…

Incorporation of manual stimulation to the clitoris during sex is not entirely necessary if your woman has had vaginal orgasms in the past especially if you know how to hit her G spot correctly… you need to make sure you are “hitting” the G spot with each stroke and this is impossible (or very lucky!!!) if you do not ‘know’ their body…guys, the key to female ejaculation is G spot stimulation.

Of course you need to relax and enjoy yourselves, as that is the most important part: desperate and over- energetic endeavours need to be avoided...or coordinated!…the necessary pressure exerted on the woman's clitoris can be accomplished by rotating your hips... just like sad version of a bad disco jig but here the effect of rotating or rocking back and forward could have better results than those dance floor manoeuvres.

I must say I prefer the woman sitting on top, (is that laziness?) and in this case the man should lie as flat as possible but with the pelvis tilted upward and the stomach muscles tightened… or stressing the ab-flab as the case may be; hips arched upwards to improve the quality of ‘the grind’…oh dear, did I say that?... at the same time he could/ should put his hand over the woman’s heavenly mound - you know the one I mean - with his thumb on the her clitoris so while the woman is riding him he can simultaneously stimulate her clitoris.

If, on the other hand...no, not that hand...the woman is lying on her back, the man could lie almost at a right angle (rather than sprawled all over her...guys?); this can be a great position for deep penetration and exposes the clitoris for manual stimulation…this ‘double’ stimulation should/could often lead to the big O rather more quickly than expected…did I just say “big O”?...

Alternatively, if the woman lies on her back with her legs tightly together and the man, instead of being directly in line with her is at a slight diagonal and with his own legs slightly apart...for comfort (both of her legs over one shoulder or on one side of his body), he can maximize female clitoral stimulation; this is easier if the man is standing or kneeling and the woman has her legs hanging off a desk, table, sofa or bed…and it is much more fun than it sounds...oh boy is it...apparently. No links in this post but I’m sure you/ we all know better and so do not need extra input…

S.O. orgasm

orgasms

Orgasms...did you see this coming?

Apparently, so my ‘friends’ tell me, most women seem to have a difficult time (understatement?) reaching orgasm during intercourse; that is if they are able to orgasm at all…here we go…the most common reason for this is that they don’t know their own bodies…oh REALLY?.err...Female masturbation is unheard of??? I believe everyone should play with themselves to learn how their body reacts to different stimuli.

Orgasms can’t be forced, and things should really be taken slowly…if possible; don’t worry if this is not the case: finishing in seconds is not unheard of or even a bad thing…depending on the circumstances. Learn techniques, experiment with them and find what works best and if you start getting frustrated when you don’t see the expected results then try again, and again…and again… (Ahem): sex is supposed to be fun and enjoyable and as soon as you make it too serious the pleasure can fade.

So I’ve been told, (oh boy...) there are more than one type of orgasm a women can have: when masturbating women usually learn to get themselves off (sorry) using their clitoris and there is nothing wrong with that, in fact well done all of you (yikes…UKBBCR5LMB smilie here; apologies to those of you who haven't a clue what I mean!...you're not missing anything!) ...but this leaves the whole world of vaginal orgasms untapped. Coitus, commonly known as vaginal sex, can be one of the clumsiest ways to stimulate a woman but while it does provide an atmosphere that can be highly arousing (phew!...us guys are here for something at least!) as well as fairly erotic at times and emotionally satisfying, the actual degree of stimulation to the woman's clitoral area is nothing compared to that achieved by her own masturbation or cunnilingus…excuse me while I take a break….bag of ice please…

Incorporation of manual stimulation to the clitoris during sex is not entirely necessary if your woman has had vaginal orgasms in the past especially if you know how to hit her G spot correctly… you need to make sure you are “hitting” the G spot with each stroke and this is impossible (or very lucky!!!) if you do not ‘know’ their body…guys, the key to female ejaculation is G spot stimulation.

Of course you need to relax and enjoy yourselves, as that is the most important part: desperate and over- energetic endeavours need to be avoided...or coordinated!…the necessary pressure exerted on the woman's clitoris can be accomplished by rotating your hips... just like sad version of a bad disco jig but here the effect of rotating or rocking back and forward could have better results than those dance floor manoeuvres.

I must say I prefer the woman sitting on top, (is that laziness?) and in this case the man should lie as flat as possible but with the pelvis tilted upward and the stomach muscles tightened… or stressing the ab-flab as the case may be; hips arched upwards to improve the quality of ‘the grind’…oh dear, did I say that?... at the same time he could/ should put his hand over the woman’s heavenly mound - you know the one I mean - with his thumb on the her clitoris so while the woman is riding him he can simultaneously stimulate her clitoris.

If, on the other hand...no, not that hand...the woman is lying on her back, the man could lie almost at a right angle (rather than sprawled all over her...guys?); this can be a great position for deep penetration and exposes the clitoris for manual stimulation…this ‘double’ stimulation should/could often lead to the big O rather more quickly than expected…did I just say “big O”?...

Alternatively, if the woman lies on her back with her legs tightly together and the man, instead of being directly in line with her is at a slight diagonal and with his own legs slightly apart...for comfort (both of her legs over one shoulder or on one side of his body), he can maximize female clitoral stimulation; this is easier if the man is standing or kneeling and the woman has her legs hanging off a desk, table, sofa or bed…and it is much more fun than it sounds...oh boy is it...apparently. No links in this post but I’m sure you/ we all know better and so do not need extra input…

S.O. orgasm

orgasms

Olives...MUFA's galore!...

Steady!...you’ll see what I mean by reading on…nutrition galore. Olives are wondrous things…since nutritionists are forever telling us that we must address the balance of what we eat, especially with regard to fats and cholesterol, interest in olives and olive oil has never been higher. Not a day passes when the virtues of the ‘Mediterranean diet’ have been promoted with increasing enthusiasm; you know what its like...all those onions and garlic, and tomato with everything...a diet high in cereals, fish, fruit and vegetables with the primary source of fat being olive oil.

To find out more about the olive plant, different cultivars and the methods of their cultivation go HERE or for an easy to read and fairly informative background into all things olive go HERE.

But oil is fat…fat is bad? No? Let’s quickly establish what’s what: there are various types of fat but they are not all bad; the main types are saturated and unsaturated fat and this latter can be further split into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. All types of fat are classified by this "saturation" and many foods contain all three types in different proportions.

Together, the three different types are known as "total fat" but it is important to note that each type has a different effect on the body. Each fat is made up of various fatty acids and each different fat will have a unique fatty acid profile containing SFA (saturated fatty acids) MUFA’s (monounsaturated fatty acids) and PUFA’s (polyunsaturated FA’s).

Published studies confirm that monounsaturated olive oil has many health benefits. While both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower the harmful LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) in the body, monounsaturated fats maintain levels of the helpful HDL cholesterol (high density lipoproteins), but polyunsaturated oils reduce it. Despite all the known and presumed benefits of monounsaturated oils (Olive oil in general but also groundnut, nut and avocado oils…) it is the PUFA’s that are classed as essential fatty acids (EFA) because our bodies cannot synthesise them…it gets really complicated…go HERE for as good a place as any to get in really deep.

We know olive oil is high in these monounsaturated fats and among the health benefits are the lessening of risks of heart attacks and other circulatory problems, helping the digestive system to function more efficiently and is the edible fat most easily absorbed by the intestines and regulates the passage of food through the intestines, in fact one or two tablespoons of olive oil has a positive effect as a laxative and as if that is not enough, olive oil is considered a good food choice for expectant and nursing mothers since it is thought to encourage normal brain development in the infant before and after birth and at the other extreme in the autumn of our lives it may be helpful in preventing the wear and tear of age on the brain functions and the aging of organs and tissues in general.

Olive oil contains a high percentage of the monounsaturated oleic acid, the highest in fact at over 70% monounsaturated (with +/- 16% saturated and 10% polyunsaturated) Thus, it is a natural monounsaturated oil.

When shopping try to be selective, as always you pay for what you get so if the olive oil you want is 'surprisingly' cheap...well, enough said; always choose cold-pressed unrefined nut or seed oils or extra-virgin olive oil, this way you know that it has not undergone undue processes or chemical treatments, also if you can get it in dark glass all the better… I’m serious, read this “Find an extra virgin olive oil that is cold pressed, unfiltered, and looks cloudy. The oil should be packaged in dark glass bottles to protect it from the damaging effects of light. Real olive oil is still made in small estate bottled settings.”…then read more HERE.

S.O.

Credit for the photograph of the olive selection: DECLAN MCCULLAGH PHOTOGRAPHY
Nutrition

Olives...MUFA's galore!...

Steady!...you’ll see what I mean by reading on…nutrition galore. Olives are wondrous things…since nutritionists are forever telling us that we must address the balance of what we eat, especially with regard to fats and cholesterol, interest in olives and olive oil has never been higher. Not a day passes when the virtues of the ‘Mediterranean diet’ have been promoted with increasing enthusiasm; you know what its like...all those onions and garlic, and tomato with everything...a diet high in cereals, fish, fruit and vegetables with the primary source of fat being olive oil.








To find out more about the olive plant, different cultivars and the methods of their cultivation go here or for an easy to read and fairly informative background into all things olive go here.

But oil is fat…fat is bad? No? Let’s quickly establish what’s what: there are various types of fat but they are not all bad; the main types are saturated and unsaturated fat and this latter can be further split into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. All types of fat are classified by this "saturation" and many foods contain all three types in different proportions.

Together, the three different types are known as "total fat" but it is important to note that each type has a different effect on the body. Each fat is made up of various fatty acids and each different fat will have a unique fatty acid profile containing SFA (saturated fatty acids) MUFA’s (monounsaturated fatty acids) and PUFA’s (polyunsaturated FA’s).

Published studies confirm that monounsaturated olive oil has many health benefits. While both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower the harmful LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) in the body, monounsaturated fats maintain levels of the helpful HDL cholesterol (high density lipoproteins), but polyunsaturated oils reduce it. Despite all the known and presumed benefits of monounsaturated oils (Olive oil in general but also groundnut, nut and avocado oils…) it is the PUFA’s that are classed as essential fatty acids (EFA) because our bodies cannot synthesise them…it gets really complicated…go here for as good a place as any to get in really deep.

We know olive oil is high in these monounsaturated fats and among the health benefits are the lessening of risks of heart attacks and other circulatory problems, helping the digestive system to function more efficiently and is the edible fat most easily absorbed by the intestines and regulates the passage of food through the intestines, in fact one or two tablespoons of olive oil has a positive effect as a laxative and as if that is not enough, olive oil is considered a good food choice for expectant and nursing mothers since it is thought to encourage normal brain development in the infant before and after birth and at the other extreme in the autumn of our lives it may be helpful in preventing the wear and tear of age on the brain functions and the aging of organs and tissues in general.

Olive oil contains a high percentage of the monounsaturated oleic acid, the highest in fact at over 70% monounsaturated (with +/- 16% saturated and 10% polyunsaturated) Thus, it is a natural monounsaturated oil.

When shopping try to be selective, as always you pay for what you get so if the olive oil you want is 'surprisingly' cheap...well, enough said; always choose cold-pressed unrefined nut or seed oils or extra-virgin olive oil, this way you know that it has not undergone undue processes or chemical treatments, also if you can get it in dark glass all the better… I’m serious, read this “Find an extra virgin olive oil that is cold pressed, unfiltered, and looks cloudy. The oil should be packaged in dark glass bottles to protect it from the damaging effects of light. Real olive oil is still made in small estate bottled settings.”…then read more here.

S.O.

Credit for the photograph of the olive selection:
DECLAN MCCULLAGH PHOTOGRAPHY
Nutrition

You know it makes sense...

"Sugen un etusdio de una uenivrsdiad ilnglsa, no ipmotra el odren en el que las ltears etsan ersciats, la uicna csoa ipormtnate es que la pmrirea y la utlima ltera etsen ecsritas en la psiocoin cocrrtea. El rsteo peuden etsar ttaolmntee mal y aun pordas lerelo sin pobrleams. Etso es pquore no lemeos cada ltera por si msima snio la paalrba cmoo un tdoo. Pesornamelnte me perace icrneilbe..."

Indeed...and as I know many of you (but by no means ALL of you) will have a torrid time trying to understand what I have written - because no translation site will have a clue what I have posted - I include the correct rearrangement of the letters and their translation below...underneath an example of what mosquitos can do to help us...or is it that I fancied posting a gratuitous display of lovely flesh...

"According to a study from an English university the order in which you write the letters of a word does not matter: as long as the first and last letter are written in the correct positions the rest can be totally wrong and you will still be able to read the message with no problem at all. The reason for this is because we do not read each letter individually but the word as a whole. Personally I find this incredible..."

S.O.

You know it makes sense...

"Sugen un etusdio de una uenivrsdiad ilnglsa, no ipmotra el odren en el que las ltears etsan ersciats, la uicna csoa ipormtnate es que la pmrirea y la utlima ltera etsen ecsritas en la psiocoin cocrrtea. El rsteo peuden etsar ttaolmntee mal y aun pordas lerelo sin pobrleams. Etso es pquore no lemeos cada ltera por si msima snio la paalrba cmoo un tdoo. Pesornamelnte me perace icrneilbe..."

Indeed...and as I know many of you (but by no means ALL of you) will have a torrid time trying to understand what I have written - because no translation site will have a clue what I have posted - I include the correct rearrangement of the letters and their translation below...underneath an example of what mosquitos can do to help us...or is it that I fancied posting a gratuitous display of lovely flesh...

"According to a study from an English university the order in which you write the letters of a word does not matter: as long as the first and last letter are written in the correct positions the rest can be totally wrong and you will still be able to read the message with no problem at all. The reason for this is because we do not read each letter individually but the word as a whole. Personally I find this incredible..."

S.O.

Days we love with the ones we love....

After popular and incessant demand from my many readers (ahem) I have decided to post a picture of my beloved children, taken in the garden at home in the UK this summer.


You will note 4 different hair types (check out that afro!) but all the same face although that's not really apparent from the picture considering the sun and certain moods!

Days we love with the ones we love....

After popular and incessant demand from my many readers (ahem) I have decided to post a picture of my beloved children, taken in the garden at home in the UK this summer.

You will note 4 different hair types (check out that afro!) but all the same face although that's not really apparent from the picture considering the sun and certain moods!

The Value of Yeasts in Horse Nutrition

Horses are classified as non-ruminant herbivores; they are ‘browsing’ grazers and normally would spend a lot of time each day feeding on a little-and-often basis. This forage diet offers plenty of fibre which, together with the simple sugars from the digested forage provides an adequate energy intake. A variety of pasture and plants/ herbs consumed can largely satisfy a horse’s need for vitamins and minerals.

This natural feeding regime is very sympathetic to the structure of a horse’s digestive tract but the domestication of the horse as a work animal, including the subsequent and necessary changes made to their dietary and feeding habits, has helped contribute to the many feed-related problems that can now occur.

The digestive tract of equines can be envisaged as divided into two sections: the first of which (stomach and small intestine) is similar to that of a monogastric such as a pig, man or dog: and the second section comprises a well-developed hindgut, which is similar, in a way, to the rumen of a cow. Horses are called ‘hind-gut fermentors’ and this is where the serious digestion really occurs. The caecum and colon can hold over 100 litres of feedstuff in various stages of digestion.

As with all animals the digestive process starts in the mouth with thorough chewing of the food materials to reduce particle size as an aid to digestion and to allow easier swallowing. During chewing saliva is produced; this acts not only as a lubricant to ease the passage of the chewed food but also saliva contains bicarbonate, which helps to protect the vulnerable areas of the stomach from the strong acids that are produced during digestion.

Ideally, all equines should be fed a high fibre diet with at least half their energy needs coming from roughage/ fibre: those that are fed a ration that is high in long fibre (hay, haylage, grass…) chew more and so produce more saliva.

After chewing and the start of its digestion (breakdown) in the mouth, the food material moves along to the stomach. In the acidic conditions of the stomach food is mixed thoroughly; the stomach has two major functions during the digestion process in the horse: firstly to continue the breakdown of the feed by digestive enzymes and secondly to regulate the rate of passage of feedstuffs from the stomach; the food matter only remains in the stomach for a short period of time before it passes into the small intestine: horses have a relatively small stomach, 5 – 15 litres - that is designed for trickle/ little-and-often feeding.

The feed also travels quite quickly through the regions of the small intestine; this is about 21-25 metres in length and is where much of the enzymatic digestion of fats, starch, sugars, and protein takes place, and also the absorption of many minerals such as calcium, zinc, copper and fat-soluble vitamins. Starch is digested (broken down) by glycanase enzymes, oil is digested by lipase enzymes and protein is digested by protease enzymes that are produced in the pancreas or small intestine.

Diets fed as large meals only once or twice a day result in the rapid passage of food through the stomach and small intestine reducing the efficiency of the digestion, increasing the possibility of undigested starch reaching the hindgut. The hindgut is adapted to digest fibre in the horse’s diet through a process of fermentation and here its rate of passage slows considerably.

Horses are not able to digest fibre using their own digestive enzymes and so are dependent on the microbial populations found throughout the length of the digestive tract from the stomach to the terminal colon; the caecum contains billions of coliform forming units (CFU’s) microflora per millilitre of caecal fluid consisting of bacteria, yeasts, fungi and protozoa.

Basically the hindgut is a highly developed large intestine, consisting of the caecum, large colon, small colon and rectum; in the hindgut the feed is turned into usable nutrients that will be absorbed through the gut linings. Digestive enzymes and yeasts break down the feed; it is the billions of bacteria that further process the simple sugars, amino acids and fatty acids for absorption through the gut wall. Beneficial bacteria assist in the fermentation of fibre plus the synthesis of protein and a host of B vitamins; pathogenic microflora contribute to disease, which may cause digestive disturbances, scouring and colic.

Probiotics (yeasts, non-harmful bacteria, fermentation products and enzymes) can usually curb digestive upset symptoms within a 24 hour period, but it takes longer, probably 3 to 7 days to change the microflora balance and re-establish good hind-gut fermentation.

During the process of fermentation fibrous material is broken down and converted into substances called volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The horse absorbs these VFAs from the hindgut into the body, where they are used as a source of energy; when enzymes provide better digestion of fibre the animal gets more calories and more varied nutrients from the feed.

The starches and simple sugars found in cereals that are commonly fed as part of animal diets would normally be digested in the small intestine; a horse’s G.I. tract does not have the capability for large amounts of starch digestion in the small intestine and any starch that remains undigested on reaching the hindgut will be fermented rapidly, leading to a build up in acidity.

Despite the knowledge that large amounts of cereals can be detrimental to the horse, affecting the hindgut environment, many of the diets fed to competitive horses place great stress on their digestive systems: they are often fed large high cereal-content rations and have limited access to forage.
Diets containing high levels of cereal starch and limited quantities of forage have a negative effect on the hindgut environment and alter the balance of microflora; the population and balance of different microflora in the equine gut is changing constantly; this balance of microflora can be affected by numerous factors including the composition of the diet, particle size of the ration, time (of day) of feeding, environmental stress, drug treatments (wormers, antibiotics…) etc.

The Value of Yeast

When hind gut efficiency is impaired, for example on low-fibre diets, it is important to supplement the diet with the B vitamins that are usually ‘manufactured’ in the gut. Probiotics will help to restore hindgut efficiency i.e. yeasts will help the beneficial (cellulolytic) bacteria to multiply because they are a rich dietary source of B vitamins and amino acids, whilst oligosaccharides (prebiotics) will bond with undesirable (pathogenic) bacteria in the gut and effectively remove them, excreted in the faeces.

As previously mentioned, increased acidity results from a change in the relative proportions of the different volatile fatty acids produced during the fermentation of starch, and is largely responsible for imbalances in the microbial flora.

These imbalances can be common because millions of beneficial bacteria die naturally and are lost from the digestive tract every day; maintaining the healthy balance is essential to support normal digestion and immune function thereby helping the horse maintain health, vitality, weight and condition.
The term yeast designates a group of fungi which have certain outstanding characteristics in common; live yeast is scientifically proven to help maintain a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria.
Yeasts (fungi) are microscopic living organisms that are responsible for the fermentation process; there are many different strains of yeast with varying characteristics present throughout the natural environment that we live in; some strains with desirable characteristics for food production/ digestion are now commonly utilised in human and animal nutrition.
The prominent genus in nutrition is Saccharomyces; selected strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are used in the food and feed industries and for other fermentation purposes (baker's yeast, brewer's yeast, wine yeast, in the manufacture of alcohol…)
It is important to reiterate that yeasts are now recognised as rich dietary sources of B vitamins and amino acids for both humans and animals; more specifically for equines, yeast enhances feed digestion improving growth, bone development and stamina.

Available nutritional yeast products fall into three distinct categories; namely live yeasts, yeast cultures and dead yeasts:

Live Yeast - Live yeast is the preferred nutritional product: live yeasts, separated from the media at the end of the yeast culture process, yield a nutritional product of greater quality and consistency; this, when fed as a nutritional aid, benefits digestion in the aforementioned ways.

Yeast Cultures - All commercial yeasts are produced by growing them in media containing the necessary nutrients for optimal growth. At the end of this process the entire culture can be harvested and supplied as a yeast product (a yeast culture). However, this will not only contain pure live yeast cells, but also dead yeast cells, growth media and metabolic by-products.

Dead Yeast - Dead yeast products are also marketed (Brewer’s yeasts etc) that have been separated at the end of the brewing process and thus retain no fermenting capacity (beneficial action) although they are still a source of nutrients.

S.O.

Nutrition

The Value of Yeasts in Horse Nutrition

Horses are classified as non-ruminant herbivores; they are ‘browsing’ grazers and normally would spend a lot of time each day feeding on a little-and-often basis. This forage diet offers plenty of fibre which, together with the simple sugars from the digested forage provides an adequate energy intake. A variety of pasture and plants/ herbs consumed can largely satisfy a horse’s need for vitamins and minerals.

This natural feeding regime is very sympathetic to the structure of a horse’s digestive tract but the domestication of the horse as a work animal, including the subsequent and necessary changes made to their dietary and feeding habits, has helped contribute to the many feed-related problems that can now occur.

The digestive tract of equines can be envisaged as divided into two sections: the first of which (stomach and small intestine) is similar to that of a monogastric such as a pig, man or dog: and the second section comprises a well-developed hindgut, which is similar, in a way, to the rumen of a cow. Horses are called ‘hind-gut fermentors’ and this is where the serious digestion really occurs. The caecum and colon can hold over 100 litres of feedstuff in various stages of digestion.

As with all animals the digestive process starts in the mouth with thorough chewing of the food materials to reduce particle size as an aid to digestion and to allow easier swallowing. During chewing saliva is produced; this acts not only as a lubricant to ease the passage of the chewed food but also saliva contains bicarbonate, which helps to protect the vulnerable areas of the stomach from the strong acids that are produced during digestion.

Ideally, all equines should be fed a high fibre diet with at least half their energy needs coming from roughage/ fibre: those that are fed a ration that is high in long fibre (hay, haylage, grass…) chew more and so produce more saliva.

After chewing and the start of its digestion (breakdown) in the mouth, the food material moves along to the stomach. In the acidic conditions of the stomach food is mixed thoroughly; the stomach has two major functions during the digestion process in the horse: firstly to continue the breakdown of the feed by digestive enzymes and secondly to regulate the rate of passage of feedstuffs from the stomach; the food matter only remains in the stomach for a short period of time before it passes into the small intestine: horses have a relatively small stomach, 5 – 15 litres - that is designed for trickle/ little-and-often feeding.

The feed also travels quite quickly through the regions of the small intestine; this is about 21-25 metres in length and is where much of the enzymatic digestion of fats, starch, sugars, and protein takes place, and also the absorption of many minerals such as calcium, zinc, copper and fat-soluble vitamins. Starch is digested (broken down) by glycanase enzymes, oil is digested by lipase enzymes and protein is digested by protease enzymes that are produced in the pancreas or small intestine.

Diets fed as large meals only once or twice a day result in the rapid passage of food through the stomach and small intestine reducing the efficiency of the digestion, increasing the possibility of undigested starch reaching the hindgut. The hindgut is adapted to digest fibre in the horse’s diet through a process of fermentation and here its rate of passage slows considerably.

Horses are not able to digest fibre using their own digestive enzymes and so are dependent on the microbial populations found throughout the length of the digestive tract from the stomach to the terminal colon; the caecum contains billions of coliform forming units (CFU’s) microflora per millilitre of caecal fluid consisting of bacteria, yeasts, fungi and protozoa.

Basically the hindgut is a highly developed large intestine, consisting of the caecum, large colon, small colon and rectum; in the hindgut the feed is turned into usable nutrients that will be absorbed through the gut linings. Digestive enzymes and yeasts break down the feed; it is the billions of bacteria that further process the simple sugars, amino acids and fatty acids for absorption through the gut wall. Beneficial bacteria assist in the fermentation of fibre plus the synthesis of protein and a host of B vitamins; pathogenic microflora contribute to disease, which may cause digestive disturbances, scouring and colic.

Probiotics (yeasts, non-harmful bacteria, fermentation products and enzymes) can usually curb digestive upset symptoms within a 24 hour period, but it takes longer, probably 3 to 7 days to change the microflora balance and re-establish good hind-gut fermentation.

During the process of fermentation fibrous material is broken down and converted into substances called volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The horse absorbs these VFAs from the hindgut into the body, where they are used as a source of energy; when enzymes provide better digestion of fibre the animal gets more calories and more varied nutrients from the feed.

The starches and simple sugars found in cereals that are commonly fed as part of animal diets would normally be digested in the small intestine; a horse’s G.I. tract does not have the capability for large amounts of starch digestion in the small intestine and any starch that remains undigested on reaching the hindgut will be fermented rapidly, leading to a build up in acidity.

Despite the knowledge that large amounts of cereals can be detrimental to the horse, affecting the hindgut environment, many of the diets fed to competitive horses place great stress on their digestive systems: they are often fed large high cereal-content rations and have limited access to forage.
Diets containing high levels of cereal starch and limited quantities of forage have a negative effect on the hindgut environment and alter the balance of microflora; the population and balance of different microflora in the equine gut is changing constantly; this balance of microflora can be affected by numerous factors including the composition of the diet, particle size of the ration, time (of day) of feeding, environmental stress, drug treatments (wormers, antibiotics…) etc.

The Value of Yeast

When hind gut efficiency is impaired, for example on low-fibre diets, it is important to supplement the diet with the B vitamins that are usually ‘manufactured’ in the gut. Probiotics will help to restore hindgut efficiency i.e. yeasts will help the beneficial (cellulolytic) bacteria to multiply because they are a rich dietary source of B vitamins and amino acids, whilst oligosaccharides (prebiotics) will bond with undesirable (pathogenic) bacteria in the gut and effectively remove them, excreted in the faeces.

As previously mentioned, increased acidity results from a change in the relative proportions of the different volatile fatty acids produced during the fermentation of starch, and is largely responsible for imbalances in the microbial flora.

These imbalances can be common because millions of beneficial bacteria die naturally and are lost from the digestive tract every day; maintaining the healthy balance is essential to support normal digestion and immune function thereby helping the horse maintain health, vitality, weight and condition.
The term yeast designates a group of fungi which have certain outstanding characteristics in common; live yeast is scientifically proven to help maintain a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria.
Yeasts (fungi) are microscopic living organisms that are responsible for the fermentation process; there are many different strains of yeast with varying characteristics present throughout the natural environment that we live in; some strains with desirable characteristics for food production/ digestion are now commonly utilised in human and animal nutrition.
The prominent genus in nutrition is Saccharomyces; selected strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are used in the food and feed industries and for other fermentation purposes (baker's yeast, brewer's yeast, wine yeast, in the manufacture of alcohol…)
It is important to reiterate that yeasts are now recognised as rich dietary sources of B vitamins and amino acids for both humans and animals; more specifically for equines, yeast enhances feed digestion improving growth, bone development and stamina.

Available nutritional yeast products fall into three distinct categories; namely live yeasts, yeast cultures and dead yeasts:

Live Yeast - Live yeast is the preferred nutritional product: live yeasts, separated from the media at the end of the yeast culture process, yield a nutritional product of greater quality and consistency; this, when fed as a nutritional aid, benefits digestion in the aforementioned ways.

Yeast Cultures - All commercial yeasts are produced by growing them in media containing the necessary nutrients for optimal growth. At the end of this process the entire culture can be harvested and supplied as a yeast product (a yeast culture). However, this will not only contain pure live yeast cells, but also dead yeast cells, growth media and metabolic by-products.

Dead Yeast - Dead yeast products are also marketed (Brewer’s yeasts etc) that have been separated at the end of the brewing process and thus retain no fermenting capacity (beneficial action) although they are still a source of nutrients.

S.O.

Nutrition

Days we love...Travelling

I shall be in Africa, the Middle East and South America over the next few weeks but will endeavour to post something when I can...perhaps a travel diary.

For those that follow Islam peacefully I wish you a happy Ramadan; recently whilst looking at Islamic sites one had a link to this showing what (they said) is a great gift from God; maybe not, depending on your beliefs, but intersting all the same.

Days we love...Travelling

I shall be in Africa, the Middle East and South America over the next few weeks but will endeavour to post something when I can...perhaps a travel diary.

For those that follow Islam peacefully I wish you a happy Ramadan; recently whilst looking at Islamic sites one had a link to this showing what (they said) is a great gift from God; maybe not, depending on your beliefs, but intersting all the same.

CHIVALRY: a combination of qualities...

Chivalry is a COMBINATION OF QUALITIES that centre on justice, gallantry, courteousness, honour and a readiness to help the weak or distressed.

Originally from the Old French chevalerie (C13 /14 from Chevalier) it was of course those qualities expected of an ideal knight; today it is, in essence, ‘only’ politesse and applied to one’s behaviour toward women.

I believe that the most defining thing about all chivalrous acts, whether they be a cliché as in the cloak over a muddy puddle, or even ‘minor’ as a helping hand or accompanying a lady across the street, opening a door, giving a few pence to the person who hasn’t got quite enough to pay the shopkeeper etc, is that they come with no strings attached, that is to say no conditions or stipulations or even thoughts of possible future recoupment.

A Chevalier was a horseman, a mounted and heavily armed soldier serving a lord or sovereign; chevalier (knight) was a nonhereditary title but could be that of a low-ranking noble; the word chevalier is from Late Latin caballàrius from caballus horse and from these same roots come our English words cavalier, cavalry and cavalcade by way (C16) of the Old Provençal and from Italian cavaliere (horseman).

Definition: (Webster’s 1913) Taken from this very helpful and excellent site

Chiv"al*ry\, n. [F. chevalerie, fr. chevalier knight, OF., horseman. See {Chevalier}, and cf. {Cavalry}.]
1. A body or order of cavaliers or knights serving on horseback; illustrious warriors, collectively; cavalry. “His Memphian chivalry.” - Milton.

By his light Did all the chivalry of England move,
To do brave acts. - Shakespeare

2. The dignity or system of knighthood; the spirit, usages,
or manners of knighthood; the practice of knight-errantry.
- Dryden.

3. The qualifications or character of knights, as valour, dexterity in arms, courtesy, etc.

The glory of our Troy this day doth lie On his fair
worth and single chivalry. - Shakespeare.

4. (Eng. Law) A tenure of lands by knight's service; that is,
by the condition of a knight's performing service on
horseback, or of performing some noble or military service
to his lord.

5. Exploit. [Obs.] - Sir P. Sidney.

{Court of chivalry}, a court formerly held before the lord
high constable and earl marshal of England as judges,
having cognizance of contracts and other matters relating
to deeds of arms and war. – Blackstone

CHIVALRY: a combination of qualities...

Chivalry is a COMBINATION OF QUALITIES that centre on justice, gallantry, courteousness, honour and a readiness to help the weak or distressed.

Originally from the Old French chevalerie (C13 /14 from Chevalier) it was of course those qualities expected of an ideal knight; today it is, in essence, ‘only’ politesse and applied to one’s behaviour toward women.

I believe that the most defining thing about all chivalrous acts, whether they be a cliché as in the cloak over a muddy puddle, or even ‘minor’ as a helping hand or accompanying a lady across the street, opening a door, giving a few pence to the person who hasn’t got quite enough to pay the shopkeeper etc, is that they come with no strings attached, that is to say no conditions or stipulations or even thoughts of possible future recoupment.

A Chevalier was a horseman, a mounted and heavily armed soldier serving a lord or sovereign; chevalier (knight) was a nonhereditary title but could be that of a low-ranking noble; the word chevalier is from Late Latin caballàrius from caballus horse and from these same roots come our English words cavalier, cavalry and cavalcade by way (C16) of the Old Provençal and from Italian cavaliere (horseman).

Definition: (Webster’s 1913) Taken from this very helpful and excellent site

Chiv"al*ry\, n. [F. chevalerie, fr. chevalier knight, OF., horseman. See {Chevalier}, and cf. {Cavalry}.]
1. A body or order of cavaliers or knights serving on horseback; illustrious warriors, collectively; cavalry. “His Memphian chivalry.” - Milton.

By his light Did all the chivalry of England move,
To do brave acts. - Shakespeare

2. The dignity or system of knighthood; the spirit, usages,
or manners of knighthood; the practice of knight-errantry.
- Dryden.

3. The qualifications or character of knights, as valour, dexterity in arms, courtesy, etc.

The glory of our Troy this day doth lie On his fair
worth and single chivalry. - Shakespeare.

4. (Eng. Law) A tenure of lands by knight's service; that is,
by the condition of a knight's performing service on
horseback, or of performing some noble or military service
to his lord.

5. Exploit. [Obs.] - Sir P. Sidney.

{Court of chivalry}, a court formerly held before the lord
high constable and earl marshal of England as judges,
having cognizance of contracts and other matters relating
to deeds of arms and war. – Blackstone