SC - Re: horse recipe 1581 and the tabou of the horseeating

[snowfire at mail.snet.net]

>Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir skrev:
 
>> Thomas wrote:
>> >Someone asked whether horsemeat was period. At least there is a recipe
>> >for wild horse in the German cookbook of Marx Rumpolt 1581 [see:
>> >http://clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_Rumpolt1.htm]. Gwen-Cat, Lord Ras and
>> >myself had some discussion about this recipe in march.
 
>In my book, "Betes a Manger, Usages Alimentaires des Francais", it is a
>chapter about th evolution of the horseeating. "In the First Centuries
>of Christianity it was prohibited to eat horse. The "Feast of the
>Horse", a kind of heretical comunion, was practicated by the Asian
>barbars (mongols?).
>The Pope Gregorius III tells Boniface, the Evangelist of the Germans:
>"Tell them to don´t eat horses and impose severe punishments to who does
>it, because they are mean and evil."


the Ancient Welsh Custom of "Mari Lwyd".
 
>From a previous post

"Mari Llwyd is a primitive type of seasonal horse, carried round at 
Christmas time.  It in not a hobby horse, which apparently comes from 
the Age of chivalry, and which is "ridden" by the rider.

Mari Lwyd cinsists of a horse's skull, set on a pole and carried 
upright by a man, completely hidden by a white cloth.  The name Mari 
Lwyd has been subjected to various interpretations.  "the Grey Mare",  
"The blessed Mary", (when it is given all sorts of Biblical 
associations wuch as the flight to Egypt, Ballam and the Ass, and the 
donkey turned out if its stall to make way for the birth of Christ).  

The actual origin of Mari Lwyd goes far back to prehistoric times. The 
horse and stag have long been regarded as symbols of fertility (Stag 
party etc.).  Cave drawings depicting worship of herd animals have been 
found in Spain and Derby.  

The Mari Lwyd belongs to the same family as the Kentish Horse, the wild 
white horse of Ireland and the wild horse of Cheshire souling play.  
The appearance of Mary Llwyd is still believed to bring good luck and 
fertility to the houses it visits and those who are touched by it."

I believe I also read that part of the horse worship ceremony was to eat the 
horseflesh and thus impart fertility on the worshippers.  This pre-existing 
ritual and belief system might be some of what the Christian establishment 
was trying to quash.

Elysant 

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