[Sca-cooks] medieval words for breakfast, lunch and dinner

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

On 10 Dec 2003, at 18:30, Dan Phelps wrote:

> For what it is worth IIRC there is a tale entitled "Eel Pies" on pages 39
> through 42 in "Les Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles"  (The Hundred Tales), a 14th
> French source,  which makes reference to "breakfast" "lunch" and "dinner".
> To boil the plot down a married knight is trying to get one of his squires
> to be his "go-between" is a dalliance he is trying to promote with a lady.
> The squire, citing honor, virtue and the noble qualities of the knight's
> wife, declines.  The knight asks the squire what his favorite dish is and
> then proceeds to have him fed it morning, noon, and night.  After a couple
> of days of this the squire respectfully complains.  The knight replies "but it
> is your favorite dish."   The squire response "but not morning, noon, and night
> day after day."  To which the knight replies "tis the same with me."
> 
> As I do not read French and, in any case, do not have access to the original I
> cannot pass on the accuracy of the translation.

There is a copy of the original French here:
http://gallica.bnf.fr/scripts/ConsultationTout.exe?E=0&O=N027709

The story in question begins on page 56.  I don't see any mention of names 
of meals, just that they served him nothing but "pastez de anguilles".


Brighid ni Chiarain *** mka Robin Carroll-Mann
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
rcmann4 at earthlink.net