SC - Cannibals

[Charles McCN]

Gesta Francorum Hierusolymitorum (medieval spelling) was written after 
the first crusade, which it describes, but before 1106, when Bohemond was 
flogging it around France. It is an anonymous account of a campaign, not 
a cookbook as such. But in Rosalind Hill's edition (London 1962) on page 
80 [xxxiii, describing the aftermath of the sacking of Marra (Ma'rat) I 
found:
NB this is not for the really squeamsih. It seems odd to me that cooks 
would be, but each to their own (horses for courses, except in 
post-conversion Iceland;)

Mora autem Francorum fuit in illa urbe, per unum mensem et quator dies; 
in qua fuit mortuus Oriensis episcopus. Fuernut ibi ex nostris qui illic 
non invenerunt sicuti opus eis erat tantum ex longa more quantum ex 
districtione famis quia foris nequiuerant aliquid invenire ad capiendum 
sed scindebant corpora mortuorum eo quod in ventribus eorum inveniebant 
bisanteos reconditos; alii vero caedebant carnes eorum per frustra et 
coquebant ad manducandum
Her translation is a little loose for me, but goes:
The Franks stayed in that city for one month and four days, during which 
time the bishop of Orange died. While we were there some of our men could 
not satisfy their needs, either because of the long stay or becasue they 
were hungry, for there was no plunder to be had outside the walls. So 
they ripped up the bodies of the dead, because they used to find bezants 
hidden in their entrails, and others CUT THE DEAD FLESH INTO SLICES AND 
COOKED IT TO EAT.

(Not really a cookbook, but nor an enemy's propaganda)
Charles

I think the spits bit was from an arabic source quoted in Terry Jones' 
Crusade videos, but I can't find it for the minute
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