[Sca-cooks] Fun and ignorance

[Patricia Collum]

>Herbs were used not only in foods
>but also drinks as well.
Hey, they got one sentence right!

Cecily

----- Original Message -----
From: <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Friday, October 11, 2002 11:51 AM
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Fun and ignorance


> 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