Why seven years?

[tamnonlinear]

Why seven years?

Last night I was singing to the kittens (well, singing in the same room as the kittens. They were playing leap and pounce) before going to bed. I was singing the Kate Rusby version of "Botany Bay". I was struck by the line:

For seven long years I'm transported
seven long years and a day.
Of course, the Faerie Queen's

Comments

[tyratae]

i'm guessing more that it's fairies & sailors alongside everyone else than that it's them in particular. back when all numbers meant something, seven meant more than most, b/c 3 and 4 were Very Important and seven was BOTH of them.

as the resource book on my shelf explains:
"Because the number seven (the septenary) combines the ternary and quaternary--heaven or divinity and earth or mankind--it unifies the macrocosm and microcosm and signifies cosmic order. in the bible, the septenary represents eternity, and governs time and space"

--also, of course, days of the week, levels of christian heaven one had to pass through to achieve eternal life (or levels of hell if you screwed up), branches of the menorah & other jewish calendar references, emblems of buddha, symbol of eternal life in ancient egypt, trips around mecca the islamic pilgrim must walk, colors of the rainbow, musical notes...

it's really a wonder that we ever learned to operate in base-10 at all, fingers or no fingers.

[tamnonlinear]

Yes, but you could probably make significant connections for almost any number in common usage (I mean, honestly, people are unlikely to attach any particular significance to 6.02 x 10^23 outside of scientific settings, although it is a really cool number), couldn't you? What I'm wondering about is the prevalence of terms of seven or seven year cycles in particular.

Seven as the basis for a cycle makes sense, if you think of 28 days to a lunar month and four seasons to a year, seven would be the other portion of that, but again, I don't know if I'm tugging on random loose threads here.

I've also heard seven described as seven locations. N, S, E, W, U, D and Center.

[peaceful_fox]

If you go to the SurLaLune fairytale page there is a huge discussion about just this very topic, and if you search for fairy tales that contain the number seven as some sort of time limit for something you will see 366 fairytales have this criteria!

Many people were transported for either seven or fourteen years, for some reason.

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/boardarchives/2003/jul2003/index.html

[the_gwenzilliad]

Based on this comment, I checked out your journal and added you to my friends list. You and I have a lot in common, including the UK boyfriend and moving timeline. I was an ADF member for a number of years and now co-facilitate Brigid's Well here in Atlanta with my good friend and teaching partner, earthmystic. I'm spending six weeks in London this summer-- how about you?

[peaceful_fox]

Yikes! We have more in common than you know - I just looked at your site and interests!

I move to England winter of this year, and I plan to start (at some point) an ADF grove in Hampshire. I actually won't be that horribly far from London. I will be going back over Labor Day for a visit.

Ever get to the Washington, DC area?

[tamnonlinear]

Thanks for the link. There's a lot of good information there.

[oursin]

This makes me wonder whether it is really every seven years that every cell in the body is renewed, or whether this is actually riffing off a much older tradition.

[oursin]

And another thrilling legal fact: if a person had not been heard from for 7 years proceedings could be started to have them declared dead under English law. In popular belief (as I recall) it was widely supposed that if a husband had been absent for 7 years (?away with the fairies...?) the wife could remarry and not be bigamous (this belief was incorrect).

[tamnonlinear]

Thank you! That is just the sort of information I was looking for.

[oursin]

I also recollect that apprenticeships to a craft or trade were usually for a term of 7 years.

[ajodasso]

*mmmKate*

[tamnonlinear]

She is lovely, isn't she? Sadly, she's afraid of flying and therefore unlikely to ever appear on my side of the ocean.

[ajodasso]

I love her work. I am, alas, stuck on your side of the ocean. I wasn't aware of her fear of flying.

What she said...

[the_gwenzilliad]

I would pretty much reiterate everything that tyratae said, with the note that the addition of the single day on the end appears to have significance as sort of a time-sealant. It's not acceptable to leave at noon and come back before noon on the same day seven years later; you must spend enough time for an entire seven years to have passed.

Re: What she said...

[tamnonlinear]

Hmm I suppose that's why a lot of the traditions are X years + 1 day, so that no one can quibble about the proper term being served. It makes sense, particularly in the days before wristwatches.

[ajodasso]

I'll sit and mourn all on your grave
For twelve months and a day