[Sca-cooks] Sundays in Lent

JIMCHEVAL at aol.com JIMCHEVAL at aol.com
Sat Jul 20 10:01:22 PDT 2013


A little bit more on how unstable rules on eggs and dairy during fasting  
were in early centuries - this from the Catholic Church's official site:
 
"Nature of the fast  
Neither  was there originally less divergence regarding the nature of the 
_fast_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05789c.htm) . For example, the  
historian _Socrates_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14118b.htm)  (_Church  
HistoryV.22_ (http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/26015.htm) ) tells of the 
practice of the fifth century: "Some _abstain_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm)  from every sort of creature that  has _life_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09238c.htm) , while others of all  the living creatures eat of 
fish only. Others eat birds as well as fish,  because, according to the 
_Mosaic account of the  Creation_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07310a.htm) , 
they too sprang from the water; others _abstain_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm)  from fruit covered by a hard shell and  from eggs. Some 
eat dry bread only, others not even that; others again when they  have 
_fasted_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05789c.htm)  to the ninth hour (three 
o'clock)  partake of various kinds of food". Amid this diversity some inclined 
to the  extreme limits of rigor. _Epiphanius_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13393b.htm) , _Palladius_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11425a.htm) , 
and the author  of the "Life of St. Melania the Younger" seem to 
contemplate a state of things  in which ordinary _Christians_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03712a.htm)  were expected to pass twenty-four hours  or more 
without food of any kind, especially during _Holy Week_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07435a.htm) , while the more  austere actually subsisted during part 
or the whole of Lent upon one or two  meals a week (see Rampolla, "Vita di. 
S. Melania Giuniore", appendix xxv, p.  478). But the ordinary rule on 
_fasting_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05789c.htm)  days was to take but one 
meal a day and  that only in the evening, while meat and, in the early 
centuries, wine were  entirely forbidden. During _Holy Week_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07435a.htm) , or at least  on _Good Friday_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06643a.htm)  it was common to enjoin the xerophagiæ, i.e., a 
diet of  dry food, bread, salt, and vegetables. 
There  does not seem at the beginning to have been any prohibition of 
lacticinia, as the passage  just quoted from _Socrates_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14118b.htm)  would show. Moreover, at a somewhat  later date, _Bede_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02384a.htm)  tells us of _Bishop Cedda_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03475a.htm)  [7th c],  that during Lent he 
took only one meal a day consisting of "a little bread, a  hen's egg, and a 
little milk mixed with water" (_Church History III.23_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/26013.htm) ), while _Theodulphus of Orleans_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14579b.htm) in  the eighth century regarded _abstinence_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm)  from eggs, cheese, and fish as a 
mark  of exceptional _virtue_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15472a.htm) . 
None the less _St. Gregory_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06780a.htm) 
writing to _St. Augustine of  England_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02081a.htm)  laid down the rule,  "We _abstain_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm)  from flesh meat, and from all things  that come from flesh, as 
milk, cheese, and eggs." This decision was afterwards  enshrined in the _"Corpus 
Juris"_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04391a.htm) , and must  be 
regarded as the _common law_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09068a.htm) of the 
_Church_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03744a.htm) . Still exceptions  were 
admitted, and _dispensations_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05041a.htm)  
to eat "lacticinia" were often granted  upon condition of making a 
contribution to some pious work. These _dispensations_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05041a.htm)  were known in _Germany_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06484b.htm)  as Butterbriefe, and several _churches_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03041a.htm)  are said to have been partly built by  the proceeds of 
such exceptions. One of the steeples of _Rouen_ 
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13208b.htm)  _cathedral_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03438a.htm)  
was for this reason formerly known as  the Butter Tower. This general 
prohibition of eggs and milk during Lent is  perpetuated in the popular custom of 
_blessing_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02599b.htm) or making gifts of  
eggs at _Easter_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05224d.htm) , and in the 
_English_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05445a.htm)  usage of eating 
pancakes on _Shrove Tuesday_ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13763a.htm) ." 
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm

(For those who care, this received ecclesiastical  approbation on October 
1, 1910 
Ecclesiastical  approbation. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort,  
Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New  York. 
)


Jim  Chevallier

Comparing early and late medieval food in France
http://www.chezjim.com/food/pre-v/comparisons.html   

 
In a message dated 7/15/2013 10:46:01 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
alexbclark at pennswoods.net writes:

Thanks!  That seems to explain it. I didn't understand about the exact
extent to  which the Sundays were an exception from the rules for fast
days.

--  
Henry/Alex

On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 16:10:25 -0500, "Terry Decker"  <t.d.decker at att.net> 
wrote:

> During the Middle Ages, the  Western Church followed the Roman practice of
> observing forty weekdays  of fasting (one meal a day general taken after
> sundown, although this  was not a hard and fast rule) broken by Sundays.
> Even on Sundays meat  and milk products were prohibited.  So the 
coronation
> meals  likely represent normal Sunday fare with dispensation for the  meat
>
> Bear
>
>> I've been studying feast menus  from around the time of Henry V, and
>> have a question about them.  Both Henry V and his bride Catherine of
>> Valois were apparently  crowned in Lent, and if I have the dates right
>> (this depends on  whether my sources agree on how to handle
>> Julian-Gregorian  conversion), they were both crowned on Sundays.
>>
>> My  question is this: Both feasts were almost entirely of fish, with
>>  one or two dishes of flesh. Does this mean that these Sundays were
>>  fish days, and flesh was included by dispensation, or did most of  each
>> menu amount to a voluntary fast?
>>
>>  --
>> Henry/Alex
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu,  11 Jul 2013 14:34:52 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
> From:  lilinah at earthlink.net
> To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
>  Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Fabulous Feasts
> Message-ID:
>     
<32236979.1373578492711.JavaMail.root at elwamui-hound.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
>  
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
>  As a Californian i have a certain prejudice for Mediterranean recipes  
over
> English (as Wulfric calls it, Curry on Brown Goo), since they  make use of
> fresh produce easily available here. So my favorite  beginner books are
>
> The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France  and Italy
> Odile Redon, Fran?oise Sabban, and Silvano Serventi
>  University of Chicago Press, 2000
> Softcover, ISBN 0226706850
>  This paperback appears to be available for around $10 from many used  
book
> vendors
>
> and
>
> The Original  Mediterranean Cuisine: Medieval Recipes for Today
> Barbara  Santich
> Chicago Review Press, 1996
> Softcover, ISBN  155652272X
> This paperback appears to be available for between $2 and  $15 from many 
used
> book vendors
>
> For used book searches  i HIGHLY recommend
> http://www.bookfinder.com
>
>  bookfinder searches amazon, abe books, biblio, alibris, and many many  
more,
> all from one single search.
>
> bookfinder also  finds books from non-US sellers, which is helpful when
> looking for  books not published in the US or not in English - or if you
> don't live  in the US...
>
> Urtatim (that's  oor-tah-TEEM)
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Fri,  12 Jul 2013 00:54:57 -0500
> From: Stefan li Rous  <StefanliRous at austin.rr.com>
> To: SCA-Cooks maillist SCA-Cooks  <SCA-Cooks at Ansteorra.org>
> Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Fabulous  Feasts
> Message-ID:  <9C2890F7-5A26-4090-B534-69D4E5ADD5AA at austin.rr.com>
>  Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Mercy  asked:
> <<< Just how terrible is this book, Fabulous Feasts?  I'm trying to 
gather up
> some good books for my students/friends to  learn about period cooking and
> start off in baby steps. Suggestions on  inexpensive period cook books 
that
> are GOOD would be  appreciated.
>
> I own a crap ton of books, but other than the  specific books with full
> translations, I'm a little hesitant to  suggest books. ::sigh:; >>>
>
> Generally the first  section about food is fairly good. The recipes are of
> unreliable  vintages and often, aren't that good tasting. Read the first,
> ignore  the second half.
>
> Fabulous-Fsts-msg (26K) 4/12/08 Reviews and  comments on Madeleine Pelner
> Cosman's "Fabulous Feasts".
>  http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-BOOKS/Fabulous-Fsts-msg.html
>
>  For food book recommendations, I recommend this annotated  bibliography:
> cookbooks-bib (44K) 2/15/04 Cookbook bib. by Mistress  Jaelle of Armida.
>  http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-BOOKS/cookbooks-bib.html
>
>  As well as various book reviews in the FOOD-BOOKS section.
>
>  books-food-msg (213K) 5/16/10 Books about food. Not cookbooks.
>  http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-BOOKS/books-food-msg.html
>
>  Stefan
>
> --------
> THLord Stefan li Rous     Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
>     Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas
>  StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
>  http://www.linkedin.com/in/marksharris
> **** See Stefan's Florilegium  files at:  http://www.florilegium.org  ****
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Fri,  12 Jul 2013 10:05:12 -0400
> From: Johnna Holloway  <johnnae at mac.com>
> To: SCA_Subtleties at yahoogroups.com,   Cooks within the SCA
>      <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>,     west-cooks at yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Sca-cooks] Another Ivan Day  Blog
> Message-ID:  <A1CD4762-91FD-4A1B-AFFE-AAD06119B88A at mac.com>
> Content-Type:  text/plain;    charset=iso-8859-1
>
> And yet another  new blog entry by Ivan Day
>  http://foodhistorjottings.blogspot.com/
> Wednesday, 10 July  2013
>
> More Edible Artistry
>
> For those wondering  what it is that Ivan and his students create at his
> courses, well  here's a taste.
>
> Johnnae
>
> On Jul 10, 2013, at  6:38 AM, Elise Fleming wrote:
>
>> Greetings! Ivan Day  (foodhistorjottings.blogspot.com) has just posted a
>> blog on  "Lattice Top Tarts and Their Precursors" which starts in the
>> 1500s  and works onward. A nice challenge for a special feast. Salivate
>>  as you look at these!
>>
>> Alys  K.__
>>
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Fri,  12 Jul 2013 10:37:08 -0400 (EDT)
> From: JIMCHEVAL at aol.com
> To:  sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
> Subject: [Sca-cooks] What happens when  you eat celery, rockett,
>     melilot leaves and orange  blossom?
> Message-ID: <4413_e.24f88019.3f116e94 at aol.com>
>  Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> "a  9th century  physician named Yuhanna ibn Masawayh, believed that ?
> lesbianism   results when a nursing woman eats celery, rocket, melilot 
leaves
>  and
> the flowers  of a bitter orange tree. " "
>
>  
http://www.medievalists.net/2010/07/29/study-examines-the-same-sex-relations
>  hips-of-medieval-arab-women/
>
> Jim   Chevallier
>
> Comparing early and late medieval food in  France
>  http://www.chezjim.com/food/pre-v/comparisons.html
>
>  ------------------------------
>
>  _______________________________________________
> Sca-cooks mailing  list
> Sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
>  http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/sca-cooks-ansteorra.org
>
>
>  End of Sca-cooks Digest, Vol 87, Issue 14
>  *****************************************
>
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