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

[Johnna Holloway]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kirsten Houseknecht" <kirsten at fabricdragon.com>
> dont forget that there was also a European bird that was called "turky"
> Kirsten
> kirsten at fabricdragon.com

-----------------------------------------------------
Here's part of the OED run down since you were inquiring. This I posted off
to
Daniel originally and not to the list.
If you want the earliest references, you should see
C. Anne Wilson as she says that they were mentioned in
1541.
If you don't already have one get a copy of Wilson. She's still
essential.

These are earlier than Harrison---
OED cites these:
1541 Constitutio T. Cranmeri in Wilkins Concilia (1737) III. 862 It was
also provided, that of the greater fyshes or fowles there should be but
one in a dishe, as crane, swan, turkeycocke, hadocke, pyke, tench.
1555 Eden Decades 79 The inhabitantes of Paria..gaue them also a greate
multitude of theyr peacockes [L. pavones]. [margin] Paria. Peacockes
whiche wee caule Turkye cockes.

Those birds may be guinea hens however as are the turkey hens spoken of
here:
1552 Elyot, Meleagrides, byrdes, whiche we doo call hennes of Genny, or
Turkie hennes.
1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. lii. 214 Called..Flos Meleagris..from a kinde of
birde..whose feathers be speckled..not with Violet speckes, but with
white and blacke spots, lyke to the feathers of the Turkie or Ginny hen,
which is called Meleagris auis: some do also cal this flower
Fritillaria.
1601 Holland Pliny I. 296 The Ginnie or Turkey hens in a part of Africke
called Numidia, be in great request.
1555 Eden Decades 158 They [of Yucatan] brought..eyght of their hennes
beynge as bygge as peacockes, of brownyshe coloure, and not inferiour to
peacockes in pleasaunte tast. [margin] Turky hens.
1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, Poule d'Inde, a Turkie henne.

The following however is reckoned to be  the New World turkey.
1555 in Dugdale Orig. Jurid. xlviii. (1666) 135 Turkies 2. rated at 4s.
a piece..00. 08. 00.
1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 89 Runciuall pease..more tender and greater
they wex, If peacock and turkey leaue iobbing their bex.
1596 Shaks. 1 Hen. IV, ii. i. 29 The Turkies in my Pannier are quite
starued.

 I will delete the references to Harrison except to note that Dover
reprinted
the 1586 edition. and the section on poultry
begins in that edition on page 314. Turkey is mentioned on 317.

Johnnae llyn Lewis Johnna Holloway

Daniel Myers wrote:
>
> D'oh!  Single digit transposition, the bane of lousy typists - will
> fix, and set to the earlier date of 1615.  This is the trouble with not
> seeing the original source with one's own eyes.
>
> If you could send me a full citation for Harrison's mention of turkey
> then I'll add that one as well.
>
>