[Sca-cooks] Period food myths

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

On Apr 4, 2008, at 11:33 AM, Michael Gunter wrote:
> Even formal dinners are affairs of debauchery with wine swilling
> (spilling it on yourself is required), eating with the hands, loud
> laughter, wench grabbing, food throwing, turkey leg tossing,
> haunch gobbetting, acrobats in motley (dwarfs cost extra),
> and at least one swordfight.

I believe you forgot to mention the fact that the swordfight (men in  
armor or sometimes floppy shirts hundreds of years anachronistic,  
wielding impossibly light, civil swords about 200 years or more early  
for their style, fencing in the manner of the late 18th century) must,  
at least in part, take place on top of some poor unfortunate's dinner  
table.

Oh, and let's not forget the fact that everyone wore poison rings so  
they could bump each other off. No feast was complete without at least  
one unexplained death.

Maybe they used the poison to disguise the flavor of bad meat, and  
people died of food poisoning?

Adamantius






"Most men worry about their own bellies, and other people's souls,  
when we all ought to worry about our own souls, and other people's  
bellies."
			-- Rabbi Israel Salanter