Some laws should have been repealed because they are so old, but no one has bothered to do so. Result: the texts no longer fit our time at all, like this law which requires us to keep a bale of hay in our cellar or at home, just in case…
“Nobody is supposed to ignore the law”… Except that it is impossible to know them all: there are in fact “more than 10,500 laws, 120,000 decrees, 7,400 treaties, 17,000 community texts, tens of thousands of pages of sixty-two different codes” recall the authors Philippe Sassier and Dominique Lansoy in their work Ubu law, too many laws kill the law (editions Fayard). And some laws are so old that sometimes they cannot be applied today. And for good reason: they should have been repealed, but remained in force. Which makes these obligations ridiculous to say the least. This is the case of this law dating from medieval times, and which is rather unusual.
Imagine living with your family at a time when the roads were traveled by noble knights and their majestic steeds. In those ancient times, a law governed the lives of villagers: the obligation to have a bale of hay at home. But where does this strange custom come from? This rule is based on the principle of courtesy towards the nobility. In the Middle Ages, the movements of kings, lords and knights were frequent and unpredictable. When they rode through villages, they needed food for their mounts. This is how the obligation for residents to have a bale of hay was born, in case the king passed on horseback, a measure of foresight to welcome noble visitors with dignity. This custom was also a sign of respect for royal and feudal authority. By providing food for the horses of high-ranking travelers, villagers demonstrated their allegiance and devotion to their overlord.
Today, this law has become archaic in our modern times. Of course, you won’t be fined if a king comes to your house on horseback and you don’t have any hay to offer him! You can always invite him to dinner at your table, to watch a film or to play with your children. Proof of this is that our society and mentalities are evolving. Let us remember, however, that certain laws were only repealed late. For example, the wearing of pants was strictly prohibited for women since an ordinance dating from November 7, 1800, which reserved this garment for men. But this law was only repealed in January 2013, barely 10 years ago.