SC - Manual de mujeres #

[Dana Huffman]

Perhaps someone who knows something about cows (or maybe
just anatomy) could clarify a point in the first of these
recipes for me?  It quite clearly calls for "one cow bile",
but I was picturing cow bile as a liquid that one would
need to measure.  If it means "the bile of one cow" it's a
very strange way to write it; maybe it should be a bile
gland instead of just bile?  Or does bile come in chunks?

Anyway, here's another bunch.

Dana/Ximena
Proof positive that not everyone from E. Wa. grew up on a
farm.


93 Receta para quitar manchas

     Una azumbre de agua clara, y una hiel de vaca, y un
puño de ceniza de sarmientos, y dos onzas de rasuras de
vino blanco molidas. Hierva todo junto un buen rato, y como
haya hervido tirarlo de la lumbre y echar dentro una onza
de piedra alumbre. Y cuando quisiéredes sacar las manchas,
haréis así: si fuere paño y de color, pondréis encima de la
mancha una yema de huevo batida con un poco de sal; y si
fuere el paño blanco, un poco de jabón; y si fuere lienzo,
fregarlo con zumo de limones y ponerle un poco de jabón. Y
después, a todo lavarlo con el agua o lejía sobredicha.

Recipe for removing stains
     An azumbre [1] of clear water, and a cow bile, and a
fist[ful] of vine shoot ashes, and two ounces of ground
white wine dregs.  Boil [it] all a good bit, and when it
has boiled pull it from the fire and put in an ounce of
alum stone.  And when you want to remove the stains, you
will do it so: if it be cloth and colored, you will put
over the stain an egg yolk beaten with a little salt; and
if the cloth be white, a little soap; and if it be linen,
wash/scrub it with lemon juice and put [on] it a little
soap.  And afterwards, wash it all with the water or bleach
aforesaid.

1: A modern azumbre is approximately 2 liters (1992 Real
Academia dictionary). The 1726 Real Academia dictionary
defines azumbre as 1/8 of an arroba or cantara, which is a
measurement used for wine.


94 Untura para peinar la cabeza

     Poner en una olla de aceite un lagarto vivo, y un
cuero de una culebra recién desollada y tres limones
partidos. Y varada muy bien la olla, ponerla al fuego y
hierba hasta quemado el lagarto. Y como sea quemado, colar
aquel aceite en una redoma y peinarse con él.

Ointment for combing the head [i.e. hair]
     Put in a pot of oil a live lizard, and the skin of a
snake recently skinned and three split/divided lemons.  And
the pot well covered [1], put it on the fire and boil until
the lizard is burned.  And when it is burned, strain that
oil in[to] a flask and comb yourself with it.

1: the translations I find for "varada" are "beached", "run
aground", and "launched", none of which fit the context
very well.  "Sealed" fits the context and can be justified
thusly: The sounds of b and v are quite close in Spanish
and the substitution of one for the other is a common
spelling mistake (and occurs later in the sentence;
"hierba" has to be "hierva").  The choice between r and rr
is similarly open to error, so it is not too far a leap to
say that "barrar" is what is meant.  "Barrar" is "to cover
with mud." 

95 Lejía para enrubiar

     Tomar cuatro celemines de ceniza de sarmientos, y una
libra de ceniza de borras de vino blanco. Y echadla en una
caldera de agua llovediza, y ponedla al fuego que hierba. Y
como haya hervido, quitadla del fuego y dejadla asentar. Y
como sea asentada, echar en una redoma de aquella lejía, y
poner con ella regaliz y jabón francés, y ponedla al fuego
que hierva. Y espumaréis con esta lexía la cabeza. Y
lavaros con la otra de la caldera, o si no, sea la lejía
para lavaros de ceniza de sarmientos y de olmo. Y si
quisiéredes que os crezca mucho el cabello, echar con
esotras cenizas, ceniza de raíces de hiedra.

Bleach for becoming blonder
     Take four celemines [1] of vine shoot ash, and a pound
of the ash of white wine dregs.  And put it in a cauldron
of rainwater, and put it on a boiling fire.  And when it
has boiled, remove it from the fire and let it settle.  And
when it is settled, put [it] in a flask of that [2] bleach,
and put with it licorice and French soap, and put it on a
boiling fire.  And lather the head with this bleach.  And
wash yourself [i.e.e your hair] with the other in the
cauldron, or if not, [let it] be the bleach of the ash of 
vine shoots and of smooth-leaved elm.  And if you want your
hair to grow much, put with these other ashes, ivy root
ash.

1: a dry measure of 4.6 liters

2: probably the recipe given previously


96 Polvos para la tos

     Tomaréis azúcar muy fino, y harina de habas y orozuz,
destas tres cosas dos partes de cada una; y de orégano y de
granos de hinojo, una parte de cada cosa. Y hareislo todo
polvos y mezcladlos todos juntos. Y el que tuviere tos o
tapamiento de pechos tome de estos polvos a cucharadas dos
o tres veces antes de comer, tomando una cucharada cada
vez; y después de comer, lo mismo; y cuando se fuere
acostar, tome otra cucharada, y no beba sobre ellos.

Powders for cough
     Take very fine sugar, and flour of broad beans and
Glycyrrhiza glabra, of these three things two parts each;
and of oregano/marjoram and of fennel seeds, one part of
each.  And powder them and mix them all together.  And he
who has a cough or clogged chest [should] take of these
powders in spoonsful two or three times before eating,
taking one spoonful each time; and after eating, the same;
and before going to bed, take another spoonful, and do not
drink after it.


97 Untura para crecer y oler el cabello

     Quien quisiere que le crezca mucho el cabello y le
huela la cabeça muy bien, acostúmbrese a peinar el cabello,
con unto de buitre, al sol.

Ointment to grow and scent the hair
     Who would want her/his hair to grow much and her/his
head to smell very well, [should] acustom her/himself to
comb her/his hair, with vulture grease/ointment, in the
sun.





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