SC - Castle titles

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 97-10-23 10:38:06 EDT, you write:

<< Or, considering our position in Northern Ansteorra, maybe we could call
him,
 "Feast Wrangler"!  What do you think?
 
 Tyrca >>

Thje correct title for a person in charge of the finances and PROVISIONING of
a castle would be "Seneschal". Since this name is already used in a
proprietary manner in the SCA, it's use would be inappropriate for the tile
of "kitchen manager".

When looking for titles of people we forget rather easily that things we take
for granted now were not common in the M.A.  For instance, sharpening knives
would have been undertaken by a "knife sharpener" not the cook under most
circumstances. At events, Lord Ras finds such a person and hires them.

Once every so often a  peddler selling pots, etc. would come by and sell you
pots and/or repair the ones you had damaged. The spice grinder would drop by
and grind your spices. A shoemaker would make your shoes A baker would bake
you bread, etc.

So the general problem here is finding a specific term for a person who
managed a kitchen. The word "steward" does not fit as a definitive definition
of modernSCA duties alocated to a Kitchen manager.. Once again I would offer
the period title "seneschal" as overseeing the various staff was a part of
their function. Under them were kitchiner, butler, steward, chambermaid,
gardener, armorer (same as blacksmith in most cases), captain of the guard,
brewer, baker, animal keeper, shoemaker, seamstress, tailor, ad infinitum.  

I sincerely feel we are looking for titles that are period to define modern
duties that were either non-existent or were more correctly assigned to
several individuals during the M.A.

Ras
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