SC - Fw: Re: [SCA-U] Copying Old Documents

[Alderton, Philippa]

Phlip

Nolo disputare, volo somniare et contendere, et iterum somniare.

phlip at morganco.net

Philippa Farrour
Caer Frig
Southeastern Ohio

The World's Need

So many Gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
When just the art of being kind
Is all this sad world needs.

- - Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- -----Original Message-----
From: Marc Carlson <marc-carlson at UTULSA.EDU>
To: SCA-UNIVERSITAS at LIST.UVM.EDU <SCA-UNIVERSITAS at LIST.UVM.EDU>
Date: Tuesday, August 03, 1999 1:17 PM
Subject: Re: [SCA-U] Copying Old Documents


><Tangwystl>
>>Fascinating, if true, but I've heard too many "family tradition" stories
>>along this line that don't prove out to take it at face value. Even "old
>>Old OLD" family books are extremely unlikely to date anywhere near back to
>>the 14th century -- especially if they've been in continuous use in the
>>meantime. And if the existing version of the supposed 14th century recipes
>>was actually written at a more recent date, then a whole host of
>>questions arises as to the basis on which they were assigned that
>>particular origin. As I say, fascinating, if true. But somewhat unlikely
>>to be true.
>
>If I understand it, what we have here is a book that is either mostly
>full of recipes, which dates back to 1398, and in back the names of the
>people who have copied from it over the centuries.  Is this correct?  This
>should be really easy to verify.  Even if it's been rebound a time or two,
>there should be numerous instances of handwriting differences, and so on.
>Of course, considering the climactic conditions inside a kitchen
(especially with regular usage) the book's probably been re-copied more than
once.  That would be easy enough to prove (assuming we had the actual text
in hand -- one
>reason that "primary" sources have their uses).
>
>OTOH, and not to denegrate the original poster's traditions, but I'm with
Tangwystl here, however.  Having studied the concept (although for, um,
"other" reasons), most "old family traditions" really aren't that neat and
clean, and when you examine them closely they tend to break down.
>
>For example, a simple question.  If the original book were written out in a
Scottish Laird's household (one would presume for the family's use) why did
they need to use a monk for a scribe?  The obvious possible reasons include:
the family wasn't literate -- if not, then who was it written for?  Their
>descendents who might someday become literate?  Because they wanted it in
>Latin? That would be easy enough to discount - are they in Latin?  Because
they wanted the recipes written out neatly in a clear hand?  Ok, we have a
family that is -wealthy- enough to afford to hire a scrivner to write
down -cooking recipes-?  Ok, it's not impossible, but how likely is it?
>
>And that's without looking into it for instances of language use, and so
on.
>
>Marc/Diarmaid

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