User:Pregan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[edit] Meaning
Pregan is an old Norwegian acronym, one of the first ones to come into existence, roughly translated as "The Worker's Joint-Stock For Accident Prevention Association," but the meaning of the word eventually became a derogatory term for manual laborers and had a strong sexual conotation, primarily associated with zoophilia.
[edit] History
In the mid-1600s, an eccentric affluent merchant, by the name of Orlof Erikson, started "The Worker's Joint-Stock For Accident Prevention Association" to help compensate workers in freak accidents that occured on the job. This move was unprecidented at the time and many of his countrymen considered him to be more or less insane. Erikson shrugged off the insults and continued operating the company at a substantial financial loss, against the wishes of his three shareholders. Pregan gained its infamous reputation when one of Erikson's workers was injured in his stable after having intercourse with a horse. The local religious authorities wanted him to be drawn and quartered for his beastiality. It's a little ironic. But Erikson intervened using his influence to get the worker acquited and paid a large sum to him. This caused a general uproar in society and Erikson had to flee the country around the year of 1618. But the worker, on the other hand, did not fare as well. He was executed by having a red hot poker inserted a meter up his rectum. The whole incident caused much disgust and laughter throughout the region and eventually, through repition, evolved into several modern curse words.