SC - Drinking Water

[David Dendy]

I have observed the discussion about whether people in the middle ages drank
water, but I haven't followed it very closely, as the absurdity of
suggesting otherwise is obvious to anyone who has actually read much in the
documents of the time. However, I had the discussion in mind when I was
re-reading a favourite book, entitited FRIAR FELIX AT LARGE by H.F.M.
Prescott, which is an description of the pilgrimages to Jesusalem in 1480
and 1483 by a German-Swiss friar. This is based on Friar Felix's own lengthy
account of his travels.

It is obvious from what Friar Felix has to say that water is the usual drink
of the ordinary people who made up the mass of pilgrims, though the noble
and rich may have drunk mostly wine (thinned with water, however -- the
pilgrim manuals warn west Europeans not to drink the strong wines of Cyprus
straight: "drunk neat it will burn up the entrails, therefore dilute it with
anything up to four quarts of water." [p. 45]). The pilgrim's bottle (which
he carried along with his scrip) normally contained water for drinking.
Wine, particularly in Palestine which was under Saracen control at that
time, was carried separately, usually well-hidden in the bottom of bags or
boxes, to avoid the disapproval of the Muslims, who were likely to pour it
on the ground if they saw it.

Friar Felix frequently comments on the flavour of various streams and wells
they stopped at on their way. Some of them he spoke of highly. The water of
the Jordan River, however, had little to recommend it except the religious
connections: "It was not very pleasant to drink, being warm, and as muddy as
a swamp." [p. 157]

The importance of water for drinking may be seen in what happened, on the
voyage to the Holy Land, when contrary winds kept the ship out of port.
"Water ran short; the sailors now could sell any that was not foul, 'albeit
it was lukewarm, whitish, and discoloured,' at a higher price than wine.
Soon 'even putrid stinking water was precious and the captain and all the
pilots were scared that we should run out even of . . . that.' No water at
all could be spared for the beasts; and Felix watched them with pity as they
licked the dew from the ship's timbers." [p. 58-59]

If we want to know the proportions used by the relatively well-off pilgrim,
we might look at the instructions in manuals for pilgrims proivisioning
themselves at Venice before the voyage: they should buy three barrels, two
for wine and one for water. "The best water for keeping is to drawn at St.
Nicholas, and when that is used fill the barrel again at any port of call."
[p. 45] (Keep this in mind -- it suggest that the wine was supposed to last
the entire voyage, while the water would be replenished repeatedly.)

Incidentally, water was the requisite drink during fasts, particularly the
more solemn ones such as Good Friday, when bread and water were enjoined (if
you were well enough off, though, no great hardship ensued -- the Duc de
Berri devotedly stuck to bread and water on fast days, but it was
gingerbread and spiced water!)

Yours aquatically,
Francesco Sirene
David Dendy / ddendy at silk.net
partner in Francesco Sirene, Spicer / sirene at silk.net
Visit our Website at http://www.silk.net/sirene/