SC - Tablecloths and Christmas feasts

[Kathleen M Hogan]

I just sorted out my rather general files marked "Food" and "Recipies",
which had gotten so huge the computer was stalling out when I tried to
add to them,  into LOTS of food category files.  While doing that, I
found a few things on Feast Service that was topical to the 'Tablecloths
and Christmas' thread.  (BTW, I was referring to the Introduction letter
just recently posted from a lady in ?An Tir? who said her most recent
foray into period feasting included reseached folds in the tablecloths, I
am still curious to hear more about that.)  In the mean time, here are a
few tidbits about feast service. 
	Christianna

"in a period feast there was a well-developed
hierarchical division of labor among the servers of a feast-  i.e. the
"butler" was responsible for the selection and serving of
drinks/wines/ales
from the lord's cellars, the "carver" was responsible for the carving and
portioning of the meats served, the "sutler" was responsible for the
preparation of the trenchers and the slicing and serving of the breads,
etc... etc...

> You think precedence in the SCA is complex and/or confusing? Well,
> people in late period frequently couldn't figure it out. People at one
> court couldn't figure out if bakers outranked the meat-carvers at some
> court (the book doesn't say which court). Aren't you glad you're not
> that court's precedence herald??!! :-) :-)
> 
> Isabelle

	Actually that was more a matter of "serjeantry" than
"precedence".
At least at the English Royal court there were certain prerogatives 
attendant to the degree of the service done by the individual.  
Offices such as the butler, pantler and others in direct service to 
the person or chamber of the Monarch were much more lucrative
in their stipends.  For example the Butler (depending upon the 
nature of the feast) might be entitled to the cup from which the
King drank.  The pantler might be allowed to keep the loaf ends
and crusts (not a shabby reward considering the quality of the 
bread which was served at the royal table).  The Steward could
also lay claim to all the candle-ends and wax pools from the 
hall.
Cathal

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