Stefan's Florilegium

Gram-Letter2-art

Gram-Letter2-art - 12/14/01

"On the Obtaining and Preparation of a Water Gourd" by Lady Shara of Starwood,
OVO, CMC, AoA. A series of articles on various crafts and medieval life written
in first-person style. This is number 2 of 11 articles in this series.

NOTE: See also the files: pilgrimages-msg, bev-water-msg, lea-bottles-msg,
gourds-msg, drinkng-strws-msg, wood-finishes-msg, travel-msg, religion-msg.

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NOTICE -

This article was submitted to me by the author for inclusion in this set
of files, called Stefan's Florilegium.

These files are available on the Internet at:
http://www.florilegium.org

Copyright to the contents of this file remains with the author.

While the author will likely give permission for this work to be
reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first
or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.

Thank you,
Mark S. Harris
AKA: Stefan li Rous
stefan@florilegium.org
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"On the Obtaining and Preparation of a Water Gourd"
by Shara of Starwood, OVO, CMC, AoA

As the harvest season is now upon us, now is the time one should best seek
out a suitable purchase of a water-gourd to take upon thy journey.

Though there well may be water to be had along thy way, still there will be
times when there is not, and you have need to clear the dust of the road from
your throat. Regardless you must needs be aware tis wiser to have upon you a
means of transport for such water as you may need, especially as you journey
deeper into the lands of the Spainiards where water will not be so readily at
hand.

Tis true, that you also have a choice of vessel of that made by the
harness-maker(1) or the potter.(2) For the former, I will give you instruction
at a later time, for if you choose to prefer that means, and can find no other,
then that is next most to my suggestion, and can still be arranged for, at a
later time, most easily. As to a vessel of the potter, I would not, at all,
reccommend it, since you have said to me that you would travel afoot....the
fruit of the potter is such that it's suited more to the horse or the home
hearth than to a young woman's added burdeon on a long-footed journey.

So for now, I must speak to you of the purchase of a suitable vessel that
is well-best of God's crafting and well He hath made it with careful thought to
the needs of the Pilgrim upon his holy road, for so perfect is it's design that
it is best suited to no other purpose than to easily contain that which it need
hold.

Unlike the bottle of clay, it is much lighter to carry, and though it also
may break, if dropped heavily upon unforgiving stone, empty it is far less
vulnerable, and will even float upon the water, and even if some water is
contained yet within it. Because of it's lighter nature, it is most fortunate
luck, or most careful of God's planning, that it grows to so perfect a size, as
well as a shape, to easily contain only as much as you are likely to need
between opportunities for it's re-filling.

Search well at Fall harvest for such as you'll need. It should have a
height of no more than the length of your arm from wrist to elbow (3) but only
about that, not much more and not much less. Small enough to carry with ease,
large enough to carry for need.

It should be of the variety as to have a neck (4) the length of the neck is
of little importance for the tying, but is best not to have more than the
breadth of three fingers for the use of, as too long a neck(5), makes for almost
impossible proper cleaning out, and lining if you choose to.

If the gourd has been allowed to lay afield long enough for the vine to
totally wither, and the wet and dry of the weather to do it's job so that the
green skin hath molded naturally, dried, and dropped mostly away, leaving the
hard moldy golden fruit behind, and the seeds with-in much to rattle hollowly
when shaken, then that is the best to find, as it will save you much work of
scrapeing and drying near the hearth, or by the sun-facing door-way. If the
fruit be green, and you can locate none-other kind in the marketplace, then feel
it all over for spots of softness, and pass it by, in search of another, for
these you do not want in your vessel, and if the merchant should tell you that
the spots will harden then take your coin to another merchant, for this one
seeks only to lighten your purse while ridding himself of rotted fruit, for a
proper one must needs feel firm where ever you touch, for even a place of
sleight softness is a sign of weakness and not to be born.

Upon your return home from the market, the gourd should be rolled, or
dunked, in a pot of boiling water, to soften the shin for easy removal. After
it has been allowed to cool for the handling, one must scrape off all the skin
with the blade of a short knife, such as one is wont to use in the kitchen for
the peeling of fruits and vegetables, then leave it in a sunny window sill to
dry, for the shell is still porous and the inside still moist for such is the
condition of all fruits when newly ripe.

As it dries, you shall see the moisture seep through to the surface, you
can wipe it daily, to discourage the molding which will occure if you do not, or
just leave it alone to dry before returning to it, letting the mold it will
surely grow, run it's course. The drying will take several weeks to a month or
more, depending on the moisture in the weather, though you should protect it
from the rain.

When it is completely dry and you can hear the seeds with-in when you shake
it, roll it once more atop a pot of boiling water, and while still wet, rub it
most vigorously with a rough wetted cloth, dipped in salt if you have some to
spare, until most all signs of the dappled mold are removed, re-rolling it in
the pot as necessary, as it will dry quickly from the heat.

When you are well-satisfied that it is as mold-free as ought you can make
it, then should you deem it ready for the making of a proper bottle. Snap off
the remaining stem, and determining there the hole which you will have made with
the cutting of a shart knife. This should be about the width to hold two
fingers, but not three, unless thy fingers are quite slender. Use the knife to
round all the edges of the cut, and burnish them rounder still with firm rubbing
of a river pebble, and use this also to burnish the outside all over the bottle,
or you may use some stalks of scour-rush(6). These will impart a glowing sheen
to your bottle, which is most pleasing.

Empty of it, through the neck opening, such seed and dry membeanes as will
tumble from the neck with out effort beyond a shaking, and when no more will
venture willingly forth, obtain a slender growth of tree-branching as at a fork
in a sycamore maple(7) is wont to have, cutting below the fork, then cutting one
stem of the fork to about a thumb's tip length, creating a hook at the base of
the other stem, the length of which should be no more longer than from your
fingertips to your elbow, and the width about that of a tooth with-in your
mouth.

With this tool you may go fishing within the gourd for dried pulp and
seeds to work them loose from their moorings and pull them out most easily, but
with persistance. When you've removed what you can in this manner, drop within
the gourd several small clean pebbles, and swirl them most happily around within
it so that they contact and loosen additional pulp and seeds...pour it out and
it will mostly rain out in small flakes. Replace the pebbles each time and spin
them.DO NOT shake them!; as I did learn the hard way when first I did this
myself, without adequate instruction...to shake them vigorously is to invite
certain destruction of that which you wish to remain intact, as with sufficient
pounding with-in will most certainly result in cracking with-out and the need to
search out another if such can be found, so late in the season.

Save the seeds, in a sealed container of pottery, to protect from mice
over the winter, and have them sown in your own garden before leaving on your
journey in the Spring. They will produce most pleasing vines and yellow flowers
and similar fruit such as you'll have no need to ever make purchase of again,
and which is most useful about the home.

When you've removed what you can, in the above manners, pour into the
opening some of the boiling waters and add once more your pebbles. Allowing all
to set shortly, before swirling all to spin the pebbles once more. Be sure to
have the boiling water make contact with all the inner surfaces, to kill
whatever molds may lurk there. Let it cool, and spin the pebbles once more,
before pouring out. After this, you need only to fill with cool water, to the
brim, everyday, pouring most off every morn, spinning the pebbles, and then
pouring out the rest, retaining the pebbles, before adding more cool water.
Each morning you will find fresh bits of pulp floated to the top, for several
days. The purpose, of course, is to remove all lingering bit of the bitter
pulp, and after this to keep leeching other bitterness out of the body of the
fruit, that would make the water later carried in it quite undrinkable. With
enough time and patience in repeating this process, your gourd will eventually
keep the sweetness of all it contains. When you can no-longer smell the acrid
scent, then taste the water to determine if it hath yet yielded it's bitter to
the sweet, if not, keep replacing fresh waters daily until it does. When you
are well-satisfied this is so, I would still do a few more days changing just to
be sure.

You should then turn the gourd over, in such a way as to allow air to come
into it, but curious mice not to. If possible, position it over a spike or
hook, or over a stick placed in a bowl of sand, to allow any excess water to
drain, and the whole to dry.

As to whether or not to seal it within, the choice remains your own to
make. I have done both, and each hath it's merits.

If you are concerned for the future return of the earlier bitterness, and
not satisfied with it's leaving, then you may wish to seal the inside with a
goodly coating of waxes of the bee. (but do not attempt this until the whole of
thy gourd is well dry, for the wax will not adhere properly within) In
preparation you should warm the gourd well in the sun, or by the hearth. And
with a pot containing the waxes placed with in a larger pot, perhaps a skillet,
part-filled with water, carefully melt til it is well hot and fluid. Then, with
great care, pour it into the gourd, and turn that well in every direction,
making sure to coat all surfaces well within and to the very brim edge, and then
pour the rest back into the warming pot. You can repeat this with more melted
wax, to be sure, as you wish.

Any remaining wax, you can dip the tip of a cloth into, and rub it well
into the outside of the gourd to add to it's pebble-burnished sheen. But do not
do this yet, if by chance you have plans to burn a decoration of some manner
into the outer surface. If so, I would advise thee to do this first, before any
addition of wax within, or with out.

If you choose not to seal it thus, there is one advantage in that the waters
you carry will tend to be of a cooler nature, as some little, hardly of
noticable loss, will seep throughthe rind as you travel, thereby cooling that
within to some small measure, and this is of a thing you may want to consider as
the lands of the Spainards can be most hot in the season, so as you loose little
in the travel, you gain at the time of thirst.

When all else is completed with the fruit, turn you now to a stopper for
it's mouth. The easiest is nought but a handful of sweet dry grasses, gathered
together, with a cord, bent at the tying place, and placed down into the neck of
the gourd, adding more if needed, to make a slightly snug fit, but not too snug,
as the waters contained within the bottle will surely wet the grasses, and swell
them to make the fit more securely. Tie them once more, above the opening, and
leave some above that to allow for grasping with thy hand, to with-draw it, at
times of thirst or filling. Cut these evenly, about a thumb's length above the
opening. This is most easily replaced as needed, but should last you the length
of your journey, with mayhaps only the occassional addition of more grasses.

With this said, I must once again make closure on another lengthy missive,
and begin to gather my thoughts for the writing of the next one. In the
meantime, I hope this reaches you in time to make the purchase of your bottle.
In the next one, I will most probably tell you of the making of a leather
vessel, for if the gourds are not to be had near you, you will need to look well
into the having of a leather one, as I still will spare you the weight of a clay
one to bear.

Be well my dearest, and as always, my prayers are with you.

Gram

(1)leather pilgrims bottles :

Waterer, John W. :
"Leather Craftsmanship"
G. Bell & Sons, Ltd.
London, Eng. 1968
ill. 93, 94' 96

(2) pottery bottles :

Starkey, David
"Henry VIII"
Cross River Press, N.Y. 1991
ill. # II.22

Bourguet, Pierre M.
"The Art of the Copts"
Holle Verlag Gmbh.
Baden Baden, Germany 1967
Fig. 17

(3) length/height of gourd :
misc. illumination sources

(4) gourd type to use : 'lump-in-neck', 'chinese bottle', 'indonesian'
and 'purple martin gourds'

One source for dried gourds is:
Lena Braswell Gourd Farm
Rte. 1, box 73
Wrens, Ga. 30833

(5)indonesian gourd

(6)scour rush /pewterwort/field hosetail ( Equisetum arvense L.)

(7)Sycamore maple (Acre pseudoplatanus) Sugar maple (Acre saccharum)

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Copyright 2000 by R.D. Wertz, 858 Agan Rd., Bremen, Ga. 30110.
<asa.wood@excite.com>. Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related
publications, provided the author is credited and receives a copy.

If this article is reprinted in a publication, I would appreciate a notice in
the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also
appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being
reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.

<the end>