Meaning & Analysis
Stopping one's travels to eat a meal ('meat'), feed one's horse ('oats'), or attend a religious service ('mass' or 'matins') will not negatively affect the overall duration or success of the journey.
Insights
The Balanced Life
The proverb advocates for a balanced approach to life and work, emphasizing that attending to both physical needs (health, rest) and spiritual or mental well-being (reflection, faith) is essential for successfully navigating life's journey.
Investing in Foundations
It suggests that true efficiency is not about nonstop effort but about wise investment in foundational needs. Taking time for nourishment and reflection is not a delay but a crucial step that prevents burnout and ultimately speeds progress toward a goal.
The Folly of Haste
The saying teaches that essential preparations, whether practical or spiritual, should not be skipped for the sake of speed. Proper grounding and sustenance provide the strength and favor needed to overcome unexpected obstacles along the way.
Historical and Religious Context
The proverb's dual focus on 'meat' (physical sustenance) and 'mass' (spiritual observance) reflects a pre-modern worldview where practical and sacred duties were deeply integrated into daily life, especially concerning travel. It implies that a journey blessed by God and fueled by proper nourishment is not just unimpeded but divinely and physically fortified against potential hardships.
Psychological Wisdom
This saying directly counters the modern 'hustle' mentality that often views rest and reflection as unproductive. It champions the psychological principle that strategic pauses for physical and mental replenishment (self-care) are not detriments to progress but essential investments that enhance long-term efficiency, focus, and resilience.
Prudent Preparation
The proverb serves as a timeless metaphor for project management and goal-setting. It argues that time spent on foundational preparation—both material (resources, planning) and intangible (morale, mental alignment)—is never wasted and is crucial for the successful completion of any significant 'journey' or endeavor.
Rhetorical Devices
Alliteration
The pairing of 'Meat' and 'mass' or 'matins' uses alliteration to create a memorable, rhythmic phrase that is easy to recall and transmit.
Parallelism
The proverb's structure places equal importance on the physical ('Meat') and the spiritual ('mass'), using parallelism to reinforce the core message that both are necessary components of a successful endeavor.
Juxtaposition
It juxtaposes the mundane, worldly act of eating with the sacred, spiritual act of worship, suggesting that they are not in conflict but are complementary necessities for a well-lived life.
Transcription
Quotations
Meat and mattens hinder no mans journey.
(never hindred no man).
Oats and Mass never retard a journey.
For a mass, nor for oats, one never loseth ones journey.
Meant, that by hearing Mass in the morning before one set out, or by bayting ones horse, the journey is not retarded, but rather furthered.
[As in 1639 Cl.].
Meat and Mattins hinder not a Journey.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.