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Ferniehirst
Castle
Chapter IV - The
Left Handed Kerrs |
The expression "Kerr-handed" and
"corry-fisted" both refer to the well-established tradition of
left-handedness within the Family. This probably goes back to Andrew
Kerr, father of the first Sir Thomas, who was natuarally left-handed and
found it useful in battle. In the first place it disconcerted the enemy;
secondly, since the left half of the brain is the one that commands
swift and decisive action, if it transmits urgent messages to the left
hand and the left foot, they get there a few milliseconds faster than if
they travel to the right hand and right foot. (many noted sportsmen,
including cricketers, tennis-players and boxers, have also found their
natural left-handedness useful for this reason.) Andrew Kerr therefore
taught his sons and armed men-servants (who in accordance with custom
took the family name on joining the household) to wield the sword or the
Jethart Axe with the left hand, and they in turn taught their sons. The
family was thus unique — certainly in Scotland and probably in the
modern world — in converting natural right-handers to left-handedness,
the reverse procedure being far more usual, though parents and teachers
are now strongly advised against it. Ferniehirst is designed for
left-handers to live in, as are several other Kerr houses. The only
other well-known instance of deliberately cultivated left-handedness
were the tribe of Benjamin in Ancient Israel, with a reputation in other
aspects very similar to ours: "Benjamin shall raven as a wolf: in
the morning he shall devour the prey and at night he shall divide the
spoils." |
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