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Storing
human remains in a wine cask led to
the expressions "a wine has
body" or "a nose" or
"having some of the hair of the dog."
And "a good head on the beer."
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Read about
Thorgrim Looseeker
MacThoy,
a sailor from the 1170s.
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Origin of the word "Casket"
While
out on the Crusades, most of the
MacThoy enjoyed
at best an ignominious burial. Wealthy
nobles, on the other hand, had their remains shipped home in
casks of wine to preserve the corporeal form for internment in
hallowed ground.
The MacThoy
seized upon this as an easy money making and liquor drinking
opportunity and joined the Merchant Marines.
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Initially,
this began as a plan to con the nobles into hauling more
liquor out to the Holy
Land.
The wine would be replaced with water and the knight returned
home.
The lords' butlers were too astute for this and
prevented the switch from occurring. They also
package their masters' remains in smaller
casks-- which the MacThoy
dubbed "caskette." The word was shorted to
casket to reference the small kegs.
Since they were unable to
switch the wine for water, steal some of the wine, or get out
of the contract, this began what was known in MacThoy
tradition as the Wasting.
There
are reports of caskettes being opened in England
to discover they did not contain wine and a dead overlord
but held only a terribly dehydrated MacThoy
desperate for the loo.
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