[Sca-cooks] My Christmas dinner & LOOT

[Stefan li Rous]

Phlip replied to me with:
> >> (Okay, bear in mind that I haven't seen most of my family for the
> >> Official Christmas visit yet, since I was ill. This is not an Old
> >> Mother Hubbard situation here. and I don't think I'm lined up for 
> any
> >> lumps of coal or anything.)
> > Ah, but thinking of this from a Scadian point of view, that coal 
> would
> > be just the thing to fire up a blacksmithing forge...
> > Stefan
>
> Only if you're recreating China, or 18th century Americas. Charcoal is
> the appropriate fuel for Europe and western Asia in our period of 
> study.
Or late 16th century and then certainly not universal. However, if we 
are going to be picky, I said *Scadian* not *medieval*. I've seen very 
few truly period looking smithies in the SCA. Generally the anvil is 
the wrong type, the forge is more out of the 19th century or later, 
there is often a blower rather than a bellows and the metal being 
worked is more likely a steel than a wrought iron. The techniques are 
often similar and the end product is similar, though.

However, there's this saying about if you get lemons, make lemonade. If 
you've been bad enough to get several stockings or bags, of coal, might 
as well make use of it.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
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