[Sca-cooks] Grains of Paradise

[Volker Bach]

Am Sonntag, 31. Dezember 2006 20:02 schrieb Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise:
> >     I have never seen "servants' allotments" for sugar, spices or other
> > luxury products in the 15th century. What was available to those who who
> > could not buy slaves was locally produced - not pepper.
>
> Now I'm completely lost-- what country are we in? Slavery had become
> uncommon in most European countries by approximately the 12th century as
> far as I knew?

In England certainy, but it appears to have been far more common in places 
like Italy, Spain or the Balkans, and not unknown in Russia and Poland. 
However, the model of 'slavery' we should think of in this context is the 
Islamic world, where slaves were mostly a status good, not the New World's 
investment slavery. Datini IIRC writes in one of his letters that he needs to 
get his wife a new slave, and complains about the bad selection on the 
market. 

I don't think you'd see terribly many slaves in England in the 15th century, 
though. Where would they fit in, other than as exotic souvenirs?

Giano




	
		
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