SC - SC: Meals for the Eating of Sins

[ChannonM at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/30/99 12:53:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Elysant at aol.com 
writes:

<< I don't know what foods would be traditional or eaten in Period at this 
time 
 of year specifically,  >>
In the book, Irish Druids and old Irish Religions, they talk about All 
Saint's Day and "Holy cakes , known sometimes as triangular bannocks, were 
then eaten as Soul-Mass  cakes"

I believe the triangular shape is related to the Druidic religious idea of 
the Trinity, ie the three faces of the Morrigan, (one of the reasons the 
Irish took so well to the Holy Trinity of the Roman Catholic Church)

Again, on the topic of Samhain (Sawan) or as we know it today Halloween, "The 
people lighted the fire by the old fashion of friction with two pieces of 
wood, and then ate the consecrated cake indulged in by the pagan Syrians. The 
Scotch had the mixture of eggs, milk and oatcake. This was broken up , and 
distributed among the assembly. Whoever got the black bit, hidden in the cake 
was considered worthy of sacrifice to Baal, as the cailteach bealtine. He was 
pushed into the fire, though soon rescued and afterwards had to leap three 
times through the flames."

"Samhain (Sawan) or as we know it today Halloween," makes me think that that 
recipes from "The Scots Kitchen" for  Sowans, has some direct link. Now 
according to the note in that same book, the name sowans is from Gaelic, 
sugham pron. soo-an (Sowans-Nicht was Christmas eve when fiends gore gather 
round a big bowl of sowans. Sowans cooked with butter is a traditional 
Hallowe,en dish and whoever got the ring that was put in it gwas the first to 
be married)

Here is the recipe as quoted from the above;

Sowans
"till buttered so'ns wi fragrant lunt (steam) set a'their gabs a steerin 
(mouth watering) syne wi' a social glass o'strunt (any spiritous liquor) they 
parted aff careerin' Fu blyhte that night- Burns: Hallowe'en

Traditional Method; Oatmeal sids, water, salt

Put a quantity of sids (the inner husks of the oat grain) into a small wooden 
tub or jar, and pour on ot them twoe their bulk of lukewarm water. The sids 
rise to the surface and must be pressed down with a spatula or spoon till all 
are wet. Leave them for at least three  or four days in a warm plac until 
they are quite sour (another mehtod is to pour cold water over the sids and 
leave them for a week in summer, and a few days longer in winter). The 
preparation, before theacetous fermentation begins is called the serf. When 
ready turn out on a fine sieve placed over a wide-mouthed jar, and let all 
the liquor run through. Squeeze the seeds to get all the goodnes out of them, 
adding a little more cold water in the process. Throw away the sids and let 
the liquor you have obtained stand for a day or mor till the starchy matter 
it contains sinks to the bottom. Ther more solid part is sowans, the liquid 
part is swats. Wehn required for use the clear liqfuor is poured off and some 
of the sediment is put into a pan with as much water as will thin it. Add a 
little salt and boil it for 1 0 minutes or more, stirring it briskly until it 
thickens. Pour into a bowl or deep plate and serve with milk separately. 

It could be cooked like porridge, and this was "brownplate sowans". Or the 
sowans was simply heated: this was gaun-'e-gither sowans. If somethign 
lighter was desired "duochrea ws produced by pouring a quantity of the raw 
stuff into boiling water and adding a touch of fresh butter.....From the 
creamy deposit pancakes wer made and these were sowan scones" J . Horne, The 
County of Caithness"

Hope that's not tooooooooo much information !!!

In service,
Hauviette
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