SC - Haversacks and nefts (??)
Jessica Tiffin
jessica at beattie.uct.ac.za
Fri Feb 16 01:00:10 PST 2001
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
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