SC - rabbits

[Stefan li Rous]

Stefan (me) said:
>> Earlier on this list it was mentioned that there was a market for
>> unborn rabbits during lent because they weren’t considered meat.
>
>what exactly was the source of this information? I have never seen a
recipe
>in a medieval cookbook that used fetal rabbits. In fact, the lenten
menus
>I've seen in Chiquart, as well as the English sources use fish/marine
>mammals exclusively during lent.

>Always willing to hear about new source material,
>- --Anne-Marie

I went back and looked for this information. I found the following
message in my rabbits-msg file in my Florilegium. However the original
message was posted on rec.org.sca rather than on this list.
Unfortunately,
the original poster does not quote her original source, but she does
say she will look it up if someone desires. Since this message is less
than a year old there is a chance that she can still be reached at the
email address she gives.

Stefan li Rous

=================
From: Margaret Snellbaker <msnellba at dolphin.upenn.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Rabbits in period:  info sought
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 19:11:30 -0500
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

**APOLOGIES...THIS IS GRAPHIC AND NOT FOR EVERYONE**
This goes back to an "old" posting I just caught up to... and I'd like
to relay some interesting,  albeit grim,   trivia.  Mundanely I am a
veterinary nurse, and rabbit history and husbandry were part of my
education.  A small part, but I have a penchant for remembering the
wierd stuff, too.   So, this is reliable info...I'll find the source if
you'd like.

Since meat was forbidden during Lent, fish became a primary source of
protein.  Some monks (Franciscian, I think) are credited with
domesticating rabbits, but you rarely find out WHY.  Well, for what it's

worth, rabbit fetuses were not considered meat.  Yes boys and girls, mom

rabbit was killed near-term, and during Lent the near-born bunnies were
food.   I guess this would be the next-closer step beyond veal.   One
would presume that after Lenten restrictions were over, they resumed the

practice of eating weaned rabbits.   This would allow them to get more
meat per pregnancy, and  not have to slaughter the doe.  I'm also
guessing that this is when they began breeding for color and size
differences.

In  Service to the Kingdom of the East,
Amber Artursdottir
==========================



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