SC - Haversacks and nefts (??)

[Christina Nevin]

greetings, the List.

Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the haversack/nef 
discussion - very useful comments, and tending to confirm my own 
general feelings.  I don't think the problem here is SCA usage 
creeping in - we're in South Africa, we've started up a Shire in 
almost total isolation, and no-one is in a position to have picked up 
SCAisms... :>  (Which has enabled us to serve about 95% authentic 
feasts from the word go... there's lot to be said for bypassing 
certain traditions... :)

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa commented:
> I've seen a couple of late or post period examples of Eastern European
> spooncases, used by nobility. These shaped cases (sort of like scissors
> cases) were highly decorated accessories. So, yes, some nobility
> apparently did bring their own spoons (silver, of course).
The author of the problematical article insists he's seen a neft, 
someone showed it to him - apparently it looked like a wooden 
pencilcase with a sliding lid, and contained compartments for spoons 
and a knife.  This is very far from ornate;  I darkly suspect that 
this is an 18th century item at best, and that the word "neft" is his 
misunderstanding for "nef".  But, since he also states unequivocally 
that everyone was expected to bring their own utensils to a feast at 
all times, I also think he may be clutching at anything that seems to 
illustrate his thesis.  Given the instructions for laying tables in 
Early English Meals and Manners (Furnivall's collection of the Boke 
of Nurture and others), and the Menagier's instructions for supplying 
spoons and goblets to guests, I'd disagree quite radically with the 
idea that everyone brought their own cutlery.  (The Walter Scott 
example was interesting - either the Bishop brought his own for 
purposes of ostentation, or it's a fairly characteristic Scottism, 
i.e. dead wrong... :>)

thanks to all for the input,
JdH

Lady Jehanne de Huguenin  *  Chronicler, Shire of Adamastor, Cape Town
(Jessica Tiffin, University of Cape Town)
Sable, three owls rising argent, each maintaining a willow slip vert.
http://users.iafrica.com/m/me/melisant