[Sca-cooks] Funeral foods ...

[Sue Clemenger]

Well, for one, we do know that "meat" didn't necessarily mean "flesh from a
critter" in the same way it does now, but was more of a term indicating
"food."  As in the old word "sweetmeats," which used to confuse me to no
end.  ;o)
So I'd be looking at those dishes of foods that were specifically baked as
opposed to, say, a pottage done in some sort of over-the-stove-top fashion.
Since Claudius and Gertrude were rulers (and hence, high status, at least in
this theoretical Denmark), the dishes served at Hamlet, Sr's funeral (and
their subsequent wedding) might reasonably be expected to be of a higher
quality.  The first things that come to my mind would be along the same
lines as those suggested by Master A--pies, meats, etc, baked in "coffins"
(no pun intended) or "traps," and intended for use at more than one meal....
--Maire, now irresistably reminded of an old FarSide cartoon, featuring a
map of Northern Europe, with England saying "I smell something rotten in
Denmark" (paraphrased), and, superimposed over the area in which Denmark is
found, the skeleton of a dead fish.  Funnier as a visual.....

----- Original Message -----
From: "Judith L. Smith Adams" <judifer50 at yahoo.com>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 11:54 AM
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Funeral foods ...


>
>
> Sandra Kisner <sjk3 at cornell.edu> wrote:  > >Well, the first thing that
comes to mind is Hamlet's little joke
> > >about Gertrude and Claudius' wedding being so soon after the death of
> > >Hamlet the Elder that they could recycle the leftover pies from the
> > >funeral for the wedding feast...
> > >
> > >Adamantius
> >
>
> Just for clarification, the quote actually goes:
> "Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral baked meats
> Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables."
>
> I wasn't under the impression that specifically meant pies.
>
> Sandra
>   So, scholars and cooks, what do we know about what Shakespeare meant -
or didn't - by "baked meats"??
>
>   Curiously,
>   Judith
>
>
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