[Sca-cooks] SCA Slaughtering

[Nick Sasso]

----- Original Message -----
((Phlip, I think?))
> > > Well, again, I'm basing my comments on modern practices, but in
areas where we're less affected by supermarket culture, everyone
participates in a major
> > > slaughter- a pig sticking, for example, or a cattle slaughter,
but an
> > > individual animal, for your dinner, might be done by just one or
two people.

> >> On Thu, 2 Jan 2003 jenne at fiedlerfamily.net wrote:
> > However, that's a modern, eglatarian, American model. When you
realize
> > that even in the early 20th century, the operation of 'choosing
fresh
> > fruit for the kitchen' in an English country house involved no less
that
> > 5 separate staff, each with clearly defined and socially
segregated
> > duties, it's certainly possible that the elaborate job distinctions
that
> > we see in period records and manners books might divide up the jobs
of
> > getting from dead animal to cut of meat.

> From: "John Kemker" <john at kemker.org>
> I'm afraid I have to disagree with the "modern, eglatarian(sic),
American
> model" statement.
> Having recently watched an episode on Food Network where a
professional
> chef was visiting Portugal and participated in a pig slaughter, it
is
> evident that it is not just an American model, but a European one,
as
> well.  <<<SNIP>>>     A head cook for His Lordship would be risking
much if he
>did not know exactly how
> fresh a particular animal was and that it was properly slaughtered.
> Therefore, while he might not be directly involved with the
slaughter, he
> would at the very least be able to supervise it, if necessary.
>
> Also, remember that the hunt was a large part of Medieval gentle
society.
> The lord of the manor might very well have been directly involved in
the
> capturing/death  <<<SNIP>>> --Cian O'Madadhain

While I am enjoying this thread immensely, it seems the bulk of the
discussion so far is what a learned man once described as "pooling our
ignorance".  There has been lots of good discussion of modern techniques
in various types of communities, and some speculation about what may or
may not have happened "somewhere, sometime, at least once."  I'm not
throwing my impression in yet for fear of the appreciated disembodied
voice of Ras screaming respectfully at me . . . 'documentation please"
(that keeps me honest <g>).

I am curious to hear any sort of reference to give foundation the
speculation that is quite possibly reasonable.  I believe it quite
possible that a Manor Lord of some stature would go to hunt, and watch
or participate in slaughter (ergo the hunt part).  How often, who would
have done it, where was it done, what time periods was this popular or
practiced?  I will be checking my copy of LeMenagier for a good middle
of the road nobility reference to what was and was not to be purchased
form a meat purveyor in 1393 France (Paris).  That should give us at
least a baseline reference for speculation about then and there.

pacem et bonum,
niccolo difrancesco
(some people think the rotten meat thing is reasonable and logical)