Mortmain for Dummies

Mortmain is a word that might sound a bit puzzling at first, but don't worry, I'm here to help you understand it. Imagine you have a really special toy, let's say a teddy bear. You love this teddy bear so much that you never want to let it go. You want to keep it forever and ever. So you hold onto it tightly, never giving it a chance to belong to anyone else. Well, this is kind of what mortmain means, but it's not about toys, it's about property or land.

In simple terms, mortmain refers to a situation where someone or an organization, like a church or a charity, owns land or property and doesn't let it go. They hold on to it so tightly, just like you would with your favorite toy, refusing to sell or pass it on to someone else. This can often happen when the owner of the property has passed away, and their land or property becomes sort of "locked" and unavailable for others to use or enjoy.

There's another definition of mortmain we should talk about. It can also refer to the control that an organization, like a church or a charity, can have over people. Imagine if your teddy bear had magical powers and could control how you think and act. Mortmain, in this sense, is similar to that. It's about an organization having a powerful influence on how people think and behave.

So, to sum it up, mortmain means holding onto land or property so tightly that it becomes unavailable for others to use or enjoy. It can also describe the control that organizations have over people's thoughts and actions. Just like you never want to let go of your beloved teddy bear, mortmain is when someone or an organization refuses to let go of land, property, or their influence.