[Sca-cooks] Fun and ignorance

[jenne at fiedlerfamily.net]

We are always complaining about the misconceptions about medieval food
rife in the popular culture. Well, heres' an article that gets the food
stuff more or less right and the medical/herbal stuff almost completely
wrong:

http://www.alternative-beauty.com/medievalherbal1.htm

Here's the intro: (it's like the 'see how many things you can spot wrong
with this picture'...)

>Use Of Herbs In Medieval Times
>
>During the dark ages the practice of using herbs for medicine, beauty,
>and household maintainence was a practice generally employed only by
>monastery monks and "herbalists"; it was not an accepted part of the medical
>mainstream. Part of this was so was because herbs were viewed as "evil"
>due to their association with pagan rituals; further, illness was viewed
>as a punishment for sins and hence, diseas was considered a divine
>retribution not to be interfered with.
>
>However, the hidden practitioners of the herbal arts as well as the
>clergy  in medieval times still kept on with their use of herbs and
>herbal applications to remedy all sorts of household ailments. Indeed, the
>Benedictine monks were renowned for their herbal understandings and not
>only grew large herbal gardens, but also scribed their learnings in what
>was to become one of the first library of herbal manuscripts. In addition
>to their own herbal knowledge, these monks also included wisdom from
>other world cultures such as Greece, Persia and India. It was with the
>invention of the printing press in the late 1400's, that knowledge of
>herbs became more readily available to the general public.
>
>By the late 15th century, herb growing and use became a practice employed
>by both those of rank as well as the common folk. Herbal use was seen no
>longer as an "anti-Christian" act and was becoming a more respected area
>of knowledge. In fact, the famous "knot" garden was the standard of the
>day where each portion of the knot would contain herbs bearing special
>attributes or functions; for example, a section of herbs was allotted for
>remedy and healing, one for florals and fragrance, and another for
>culinary uses and so on according to the individual landlord. Eventually,
>the herbal garden also became a place symbolizing achievment and wealth
>and increasingly complex and intricate garden patterns were designed to
>reflect the importance and status of one's household.
>
>
>Medieval Herb Use In the Skullery
>
>In the medieval kitchen, herbs became of primary importance in cooking,
>presentation and to impart fragrance to the typically bland meat, fish
>and grain rich diets of the day. Additionally, herbs were used to counteract
>the otherwise negative effects of these diets which were high in complex
>proteins, animal fats, and starches. Herbs were used not only in foods
>but also drinks as well.

-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa
jenne at fiedlerfamily.net OR jenne at tulgey.browser.net OR jahb at lehigh.edu
"I used to be one of them. Now I rather think I'm one of me." -- Terry
Prachett, _Thief of Time_