SC - Nobility at work, in and out of kitchens

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Hullo, the list!

On the subject of whether the noblesse work or not, while I won't rehash
the sentiments of others, I will point out that yes, Taillevent was
knighted, Chiquart, as master cook to the Count, and later the Duke, of
Savoy, was accorded the respect and status of any urban guild master
craftsman, which often exceeded the status of a knight, in practice if
not in theory. Hey, he commanded a bigger army! There are various
documented noblemen who boasted of having carved and served at feasts
for the king (Joinville (sp?) comes to mind). Vatel, the 17th-century
officier who comitted suicide when a feast didn't go the way he planned,
and so besmirched his honor, was apparently a nobleman, since he wore a
sword in the presence of his King and the d'Auphin.  

As far as the SCA goes, yesterday it was my privelege to work in a
kitchen staffed by approximately half peers and half newbies, including
the lovely Lady known on this list as Glo. The feast was simple and not
especially medieval in conception, but it was hot, delicious, and
absolutely everyone got to sit and eat it. Later, in our Provincial
Court, our Viceroy, Baron Ian Mitchell,  who is a Master of the Pelican
as well as the head cook for the day, asked us all to witness his taking
on a protege, the lady who had autocratted the event. Among the things
he explained to the assembly and to the lady he was taking on, he said,
"In the East, just as it is traditional for Knights to take squires, and
for Laurels to take apprentices, it is traditional for Pelicans to take
proteges." He explained the nature of the back-office administrative
skills (running events being one) he would teach the lady, what he would
expect of her, what could be expected of him in return, and that he
wanted us all to witness and assist in both parties honoring the deal.
He then motioned to his other protege, standing nearby with a towel and
a bowl of warm, sudsy water, and said, "Knights often buffet their
squires. My tradition is this: Let this be the first of many batches of
dishwater you will put your hands into, in my service." Needless to say,
this pretty much brought the house down.

Adamantius
Østgardr, East   
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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