pumpernickel was [Sca-cooks] Re: food myths (Turkey)

[vongraph]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 5:45 PM
Subject: pumpernickel was [Sca-cooks] Re: food myths (Turkey)


> I'm curious, where did this story come from?  I'd like to chase it back to
> its source.
>
> Bear
>
This is part of the thread on tri temp in which this started:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chavinism, Pumpernickel by Dr. Gerald D. Sullivan

At first reading, it would take a vivid
imagination to see a relationship between
chauvinism (fanatical patriotism) and
pumpernickel (a dark, coarsely ground, rye
bread.) After all, rye bread is not the sort of
thing that normally prompts demonstrative
adoration.

The connection may be found not in the
definition, but in reference to a common central
figure - Napoleon Bonaparte.

Nicholas Chauvin was a French soldier in the Army
of the First Republic and Empire. He gained a
reputation for his vainglorious patriotism to and
adoration of Napoleon. Even after the Battle of
Waterloo, Nicholas sang the praises of his
military leader to the extent that he was held up
to ridicule.

French playwrights made a pathetic character of
Chauvin. In time his name became synonymous with
"one who commits to a cause beyond what is
justified by reason."

Various etymological explanations as to the
origin of pumpernickel exist. David Louis and
Willard Espy both link the word with Napoleon's
horse, Nicoll or Nicole.

Louis credits Napoleon's troops with coining the
term. Though they felt underfed, there always
seemed to be food for the Little Corporal's
horse. (Bread = pain, for = pour, Napoleon's
horse = Nicoll).

Espy tells us that when Napoleon first tasted the
brown loaf, he gave it to his horse. The rye
bread was not considered fit for his consumption
but was good (bon) for (pour) Nicole.

I must admit that the American Heritage
Dictionary offers a totally different derivation
for pumpernickel, which has nothing to do with
Napoleon.

Mr. Bonaparte divorced his first wife and married
a younger woman. It's been said that Josephine
remarked, "Just like a male chauvinist pig. All
he ever wanted to do was play at war and feed
pumpernickel to his horse!" (As yet, I have been
unable to find a reliable source for this quote.