SC - Opinions?

[Laura C. Minnick]

 Queen's Prize 2001
 Entry by Lady Serian
 Serian at qwest.net
 
 Translation of a Spanish herbal and preparation of recipes
 
 Herbal
 Manual de Mujeres en el qual se contienen muchas y diversas
 recetas muy buenas
 Manual of Women in Which is Contained Many and Diverse
 Recipes That Are Very Good
 
 Sources
 Manual de Mujeres webbed version Copyright © Universidad de
 Alicante, Banco Santander Central Hispano 1999-2000
 Diccionario real
 Cassell's Spanish/English dictionary
 Various people who have helped with botanical words and
 translation
 
 Background
 This is a Spanish herbal that contains recipes for such
 things as remedies, soap, incense, scent, and a few food
 recipes.  I got interested in this because of someone on
the
 SCA Cooks email list.  Someone was interested in it but did
 not read Spanish. My Spanish is a bit rusty, but working on
 this translation has gotten me to start renewing my skill.
         This is definitely a work in progress.  I encourage
anyone
 who is knowledgeable in this area to provide pointers.
         The anonymous author of this work uses a number of
words
 that are of Arabic origin.  There are a great many
botanical
 words and references to specific weights and measures that
 we do not use in modern times.  I have included with the
 translation in progress a list of botanical words and
 measures, and in the translation I have included in
 parentheses equivalents for measures.  There are a couple
of
 words for which I do not have their meaning.  "Escudillo"
 means bowl, but since it is used so consistently throughout
 along with other specific measures, I think it was probably
 a specific measurement.  Based on the recipes and a hunch,
I
 imagine it was about a quart.
         Another interesting things regarding measures is
that many
 of the recipes have specifics mentioned, such as an ounce
or
 a dram (1/8 ounce), but also mention using parts, such as a
 quarter or half part.  The redaction challenge is
 determining in these recipes a quarter and half of how
much.
         There are other interesting translation notes.  For
 example, "a mano" generally means "by hand," but in a few
 recipes that use a mortar, "mano" refers to the hand of the
 mortar, or the pestle.
         Also, there are often several words used to
describe the
 same thing.  For example, "almàciga," "almàstica" and
"mata"
 all mean mastic.  "Mortero," and "àlmirez" mean mortar.
 "Almidòn" and "Alambique" both mean a still, as to make
 plant essences.   "Escudillo" is the only word used to
 describe bowl.
 
 The Recipes I created
 
 First I would like to mention that I have never made
incense
 or soap before.  This is a fun project for someone who
 enjoys concocting things.  I have some knowledge of herbs
 and aromatherapy, which was helpful for this project.
 
 2.  Pebetes de olor
 Tres onzas de menjuí, una onza de estoraque, media onza de
 ámbar, dos onzas de carbón de sauz muerto en agua de
azahar,
 una onza de gum de gante deshecha en agua almizclada, medio
 cuarto de almizcle, un cuarto de algalia, otro cuarto de
 lináloe. Todas estas cosas molidas y pasadas por cedazo.
 Pastarlas con agua almizclada y poner con ellas medio
cuarto
 de azúcar, y hecha la masa hacer los pebetes y secarlos a
la
 sombra.
 
 Incense Sticks
 Three ounces of benzoin, one ounce of balsam, half ounce of
 amber, two ounces of willow soot killed in orange blossom
 water, one ounce of gum tragacanth dissolved in musk water,
 one-eighth part of musk, quarter part of civet, another
 quarter part of aloe vera.  Pound all these things and pass
 them through a sieve.  Make a paste with a little musk
water
 and put with these one-eighth part of sugar, and make the
 mass into logs and dry them in the shade.
 
 I made some substitutions here.  Instead of using musk
water
 I used orange blossom water this time.  Though it does not
 specify, it is like other recipes that are put in a small
 pot over fire with some musk water or orange blossom water
 or something similar, and is burned until it uses up the
 water.  I like the result.
 
 3.  Cazoleta de olor
 Una onza de menjuí, y media onza de estoraque, un cuarto de
 onza de ámbar y otro de almizcle. Molidas todas estas
cosas,
 y puestas al fuego en una cazuelica con medio cuarto de
 agua   almizclada y otro medio de algalia. Y dejarla al
 fuego hasta que sea bebida el agua.
 
 Little Scent Pots
 One ounce of benzoin, and one half ounce of balsam, a
 quarter ounce of amber and another of musk.  Mash all these
 things and put on the fire a little pot with one-eighth
part
 of musk water and another half of civet.  And leave it on
 the fire until it has used up the water.
 
 I used oils of musk and amber, and substituted frankincense
 with pine essence for balsam, which I cannot find at the
 moment.  This could be burned in the sort of censor that
has
 a candle below and a small pot above.  Floral water could
 easily replace the musk and civet waters, as it will serve
 the purpose and is a good deal less expensive.
 
 4.  Jabón para el rostro
 Dos onzas de jabón blanco escaldado en agua hirviendo
dentro
 de un paño y colado por el paño; y un cuarto de almáciga, y
 medio cuarto de encienso, y un cuarto de borras y una onza
 de azúcar blanco. Molidas todas estas cosas, y pasadas por
 cedazo, pastarlas con el jabón y ponerlo en sus botecicos,
y
 poner en cada botecico una gota de ros de bota.
 
 Soap for the Face
 Two ounces of white soap scalded in water made in a cloth
 and strained in a cloth, and a quarter of mastic, and an
 eighth of frankincense, and a quarter of borax and one
ounce
 of white sugar.  Mash together these things and pass them
 through a sieve, (make) paste with the soap and put into
 your little cylindrical boxes, and put in each little box a
 drop of red/rose of the wineskin. (possibly a drop of red
 wine dregs?  That is what my best guess for "ros de bota.")
 
 Here is one of the recipes that uses both ounce measures
and
 part measures (two ounces of soap, a quarter part of
 mastic).  I used three tablespoons of white sugar, a
 tablespoon as my quarter part measure and half a tablespoon
 as my eighth part measure.  The result wasn't bad until the
 soot went in, at which point it became something I would
not
 be in a hurry to wash with!  I will probably experiment
with
 this again sometime.
 
 9.  Pasticas confortativas para perfumar
 Anime, lináloe, azúcar rosado, grasa, encienso y estoraque.
 Molido todo en un almirez, tanto de uno como de otro partes
 iguales. Y pastado con agua almizclada hacer sus pasticas.
 
 Comforting pastes for perfuming
 Hymenaea courbaril resin, aloe vera, rose sugar (sugar
 infused with rose), grease, frankincense and balsam.  Pound
 all in a mortar, as much one as the other, each in equal
 parts, and make a paste with musk water and make your
little
 pastes (or maybe pastes shaped like lozenges or something
 similar).
 
 I had to make some substitutions this time around.  I have
 not been able to find hymenaea courtbani resin, so I
 substituted benzoin, because it is also a resin and is used
 in this document.  My aloe was in gel form, so I cut the
oil
 by 1/2.  I could not find balsam; instead, I used myrrh and
 put in pine essential oil 6 drops and 2 drops of rosewood
to
 approximate.  I will keep looking for the balsam for future
 competitions.  After I made this I found pine resin, which
I
 could use in future.
 
 31.  Lavatorio para las manos
 Una naranja asada en el rescoldo y serenada en una
escudilla
 de vino blanco. Lavarse de noche las manos con ella, cuando
 se vayan acostar, y a la mañana, con talvina cocida de
higos
 negros, y plumas de gallina negra y canina de perro blanca.
 
 Wash for the hands
 An orange roasted in embers, and let to rest in a bowl of
 white wine.  Wash yourself at night the hands with it (wash
 your hands with it at night), when you go to bed, and in
the
 morning, with porridge cooked of black figs, and feathers
of
 a black hen, and canine tooth of a white dog.
 
 This did not take a high degree of creativity, but I have
 never had a hand wash like it, so I made some.  I made a
 fire in the fireplace to roast the orange and put it in
some
 wine.
 Post script: The hand wash is actually a tasty beverage. 
As
 its intended hand wash, I thought it would leave the hands
 sticky, but it doesn't.
 
 27.  Polvos para sacar color
 Los polvos para sacar color al rostro son polvos de la mar
y
 llámanse sosa.
 
 Powders to take out color (of the face)
 The powders for taking color from the face are powders of
 the sea and call themselves kelp.
 
 I had never heard of using kelp powder for anything but
food
 or bath salts.  I have brought some to show them.  Again,
it
 is a matter of interest, not creativity.  I did nothing to
 prepare the kelp powders except to put them into a
 container.
 Post Script:  one of my evaluators wondered if perhaps the
 kelp was to be cooked first as it makes a thick substance
 when boiled.  This is certainly possible, and I may try it.
 I do not know why the recipe would specify powders if
 something more needed done, but I do not know, and am only
 making conjectures myself.
 
 90.  Ayuda muy buena
 Tres onzas de olio violado, otras tres de olio de
manzanilla
 y otras tres de manteca de vacas. Todo junto y tibio.
 
 Very Good Help
 Three ounces of violet oil, another three of oil of
 chamomile and another three of cow grease.  All together
and
 tepid.
 
 It does not say what this is good help for, but chamomile
is
 calming and violet is good for the skin.  I would not use
 cow fat for safety reasons, but substituted sweet almond
oil
 this time.  A different carrier oil could make thicker
 result, or one could melt some beeswax with it and make an
 ointment.  Note that the proportion of essences to carrier
 is quite high in this recipe.
 Post Script:  this makes a wonderful, if expensive, massage
 oil.  I will add more of a carrier oil to it and use it
 mundanely once I am finished competing with it.  (I am
 mundanely a massage therapist.)