[Sca-cooks] Secret Life of Christmas

[Chris Stanifer]

--- Stefan li Rous <StefanliRous at austin.rr.com> wrote:

I know it is probably just personal taste, but I find the host to 
> be a bit too bouncy and his humor to be a stretch at times. 

Personally, I think Jim O'Connor is an absolute RIOT!  I like the way he takes the wind out of a
lot of these otherwise stodgy subjects, and he seems to have a genuine enthusiasm for learning new
things.  

> The wassail section also was interesting. I do wonder about drinking 
> from that large wooden tub, though. It seems like as the tub got 
> emptier you would have a big chance of the contents of the tub 
> including the apples (which were floating in the ale) in your lap along 
> with the ale. It seems more likely that you would just dip your 
> drinking vessel into the tub. I wonder what the basis is for thinking 
> you pick up the heavy tub and drink directly from it.


The Wassail bowl is a traditional drinking vessel, and was used in just such a manner described. 
I have at least two references to it, which I will find and post to the list.  One, I believe, is
in poetic form.  The other refers to 'the loving cup', so called because the wassail bowl was
originally (allegedly) passed around with a kiss.  Waas Hael means, basically, 'Be Healthy' or 'To
your Health'.

The Wassail bowl is, essentially, a Mazer.... a wooden bowl used for drinking.  The Bayeaux
Tapestry shows these Mazers in use, which both places them well within our period, AND proves that
they were used in the manner described.

William de Grandfort





=====
Through teeth of sharks, the Autumn barks.....and Winter squarely bites me.


		
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