Stefan's Florilegium

Gram-Letter8-art

Gram-Letter8-art - 12/24/01

"Last Minute Advice" 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 8 of 11 articles in this series.

NOTE: See also the files: pilgrimages-msg, p-agriculture-bib, nettles-msg,
herbs-msg, herb-uses-msg, taverns-msg, spoons-msg, p-herbals-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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This article was originally published in the "Tal-Mere Tidings", the newsletter
of the Shire of Tal-Mere, Kingdom of Meridies.

"Last Minute Advice"
by Lady Shara of Starwood, OVO, CMC, AoA

Dearest Girl,

Today I am writing you from a bench in the midst of my garden, where I am
clothed in warm sunshine, and just the mere lightest of robes. This is surely
the most beautiful Spring day there ever was, and I would not waste a sun-ray of
it but being indoors.

Your uncle Robert is just finishing up some last tasks before leaving us,
in a few days, to join you and your traveling companions, on this your very
first Pilgrimage to the South of Spain. I hope the day remains lovely long
enough for me to finish this missive, as finished or no, he will deliver it to
you well enough in time for you to heed my last bits of advice.

As this is surely to be the last chance I may write you before your
departure I would have it filled with what-ever I may think of that may be of
aid to you. (I will occasionally stay in touch with your mother while you're
gone, but as she's a poor writer, and much prefers her conversations to have
immediate response, as in a visit, my missives to her will be of a different
nature, and no doubt shorter)

My first advice regards your scrip bag.
In to it, there is a list of things you must not try and do without:

Some Yarrow for cuts or burns. It will staunch the flow of smaller cuts
and help the skin to heal faster in cuts of any degree and help prevent
putrification. And it will soothe burns such as you may receive at a fireside.

Some Comfrey, in the event of some mishap which, God forbid, should break a
bone. For well-known is it by the name of 'knitbone' that I have never been
without it in my garden, and even now, my own is up in new leaf, a full handspan
high,already, so I know that the plants in your mother's garden fair even
better.

Some Willow bark, for any pain such as one may have about the head or sore
muscles.

Some Cherry bark for soreness of the throat or Great Mullein for a cough.

For the bite or sting of insects there is no need to carry what you'll
need, for so has Our Good Lord seen to it that the wayside of most paths to be
trod on pilgrimage is well greened with the herb of the Plantain also known as
'Waybrod'. To use it in time of need, you must only pick some leaves and crush
them between your palms, and apply the wetness of them to the sting or itch to
soon get cool welcome relief from the nuisance they produce.

Remember also, that in an emergency dry dust from the road will help
staunch the heavy flow of blood, but sometime there will later be pain and
swelling and bad humors in the wound, though I know not why, perhaps it is the
nature of the dust that it be too hot or too cold or the wrong color for
healing, as it only seems to happen sometimes and not others, so it is surely
one of those reasons...something that rarely. if ever, happens when you use
Comfrey or Yarrow...but I think, that with Comfrey, that mayhaps the wound heals
so quickly, that it captures the bad humors beneath the healing, for if the
wound is a little re-opened, and washed well with clear water, and more Comfrey
applied to it, it then seems to heal as it should. For the burns of fire or
sun, a packing on it of cooling wet mud gives the most blessed of relief, as it
draws away the heat, but must be freshened as the mud dries and heat returns to
the skin from within.

For eating.

Have a small grater of metal for the making of crumbs from dry bread. A
flask of oil, to mix a bit with the crumbs and to coat the griddle so the dough
does not stick. A measure of salt and any other spice as your mother may have
to spare, such as Cloves and Pepper. Cloves of Garlic, dried onions and fruit,
honey if you have it, nuts, barley, cheeze and dried fish.

You'll need a simple long-handled griddle to cook your bread upon, and to
warm such other foods as you may acquire to eat while on the road. To make
Journey Bread you should grate any dry bread as you may have (dry bread is
lighter than fresh and does not readily spoil), mix with it a few drops of oil,
and a bit of water from you gourd, and seasoning such as you have or prefer and
dry fruit and nuts if you wish. Be sure the dough is sturdy and not too thin.
Shape it into a small cake and bake it on your griddle over the warm coals of a
fire until dry and evenly browned. It is best eatten warm, but you may make
extra, to eat cold for the following day...if you can make purchase of some
milk, the bread crumbled in it, makes a nourishing pottage..(of course this is
all simple fare, if you stop the night at a hospice or an inn you may hope for
meat pies and stew, such as they have, and perhaps ale or wine).

You'll need to add a spoon to your scrip, as in most places along the road
they do not provide them as there is concern as to them being stolen. So if you
have your own, you need not drink from the bowl. There is a tradition, that on
the return trip, that you eat with the scallop shell you'll be bringing home.
Spring leaves serve well enough as plates, but a shallow bowl of gourd is wise
to take and lighter in weight than wood. You'll need flint and a striker for
your fire and a small knife for other needs.

If a pot is carried, you may have soup made from salt and such dried
vegetables as you are wont to have the ass carry and any game that may be easily
and quickly had by bow or hook. You can fry fish upon your griddle with nought
to be done to it but to gut it and season it and lay it upon your griddle, and
that over hot coals but a few minutes for a savory feast of white meat, to give
relief from the dried that you carry. Or else you may cover it's scales with
thick mud, and bake it in the warm embers and ash of some of your fire, and when
it is cooked well within the hard dry shell of clay, break it upon a stone and
the skin and scales will come away with the clay, and you may pick out the
delicate steamy flesh...in this same way may you prepare other things like fresh
root vegetables and small birds, squirrel and hare and even eggs. Watch
carefully along the way as there may be wild onions and sorrel and such flowers
as may be eaten such as violets and elder-flowers and and mayhaps marigolds as
you get deeper into warm Spain.

And it goes without saying that you'll need a reasonable amount of coin,
for the ferry men will need be paid, as will the inn-keepers, and such as you'll
need for food. These days there are hospices frequent enough along the way to
reach in a day's travel, but should the weather turn too foul, you will be most
greatful to see even a modest inn ahead on the road, and sleep six to a crude
bed, but be alert, for there are footpads about and some of your coin is best
kept close about you and sleep well wrapped within your cloak, especially in
such places for the thieves are often in league with unsavory inn-keepers. So
try not to stay these places unless you must. On the good side, you are not
traveling alone, but rather in large company, so any risk will be small. In the
early days of my own youth, the hospices were not so numerous as now and we were
oft to sleep as well as we could, often near the road or in crude shelter such
as we could find or improvise and we were much more vulnerable to the likes of
dark souls apt to prey upon us, with no regard for the sacredness of the journey
we were set upon in Our Lord's name.

With all this said, I could not send this without speaking of the new life
in my wonderful garden. I will tell you of what's to be seen and had in it, on
this fine day of rare sun and warmth...... I can see the comfrey of which I have
already spoken, although of my 9 plants only 5 have survived the winter...I
always regret any losses, of any kind, but at least I had more than one to rely
upon. My Hyacinths are blooming as are the Yellow Bells and the Narsissus. The
Sweet Woodruff has at last awakened from it's winter slumber and will be lushly
full in time for the making of Spring Wine. The Almond tree that makes not the
sweet nut of the East, but rather the bitter one used for the making of the
sweet thick Italian drink called Amaretto, has blossoms full to near bursting as
are the pear trees. But the plum would not wait for them and are laughing their
blossoms open to the sun and had need to be the first to invite the honey bees
from their winter sleep, though I have not yet seen any. I have walked about
the garden, taking careful inventory of the new year. The oregano and sage your
uncle, my brother, brought me from Italy did well over the winter...I was not so
sure they would survive our cold dreary climate. The lilacs he brought me from
Persia, years ago, have opened first leaves, but have never bloomed, and
stubbornly refuse to even grow at all, but the Jasmine (which has not yet made
it's appearance) likes it well enough here, as do the Italian grape vines from
which I cannot stop from vigorous growth and ample production for the wine that
graces our Winter table. My Damascan rose which I'd wanted so badly, grows with
such wild joy that it is as though it but waited to become a part of my garden
so it could sing it's loudest song. And yet I would try to check it's
enthusiasm, for other roses would like to be seen also. This is alas, a problem,
for never have I ever seen so many thorns upon a rose cane as this one is wont
to wear, and it is worse than a cat to try to do with it what it will not...as
it scratches and catches at my veil and hair. My Orris root, Iris and Fig
still survive but my Pomagranite has failed to. In this, I live and learn as
much as I wish to grow all I desire, some would refuse me, desiring warmer
winters and much more sunshine.

I have just seen my first butterfly!! I would have missed it had I not
chosen that very moment to tilt my head back in the warm breeze and look toward
the cloud dappled sky beyond the bare Maple branches...and there it was
....mostly yellow with black-veined wings, fluttering along perhaps 20 feet
above me ....for sure, Spring has arrived! The Elder is coming up, as are the
hops, so your grandfather will be pleased. The Lily-of-the-Valley, Gilly
flowers, Valarian, Blue Flag and one Foxglove have valiantly come forth with new
greenery so I shall have their colors and scent soon. As well as that of the
Sweet Violets, which are just now popping up here and there, but by this time
next month will seem to be blooming everywhere at once. Of the Valarian, I had
heard complaint by others that it's scent was most offensive, but to my old
nose, which works so badly to all but breathe, the valarian's scent is the
sweetest of all, and I can smell it when I can catch the scent of no other,
except maybe the Hyacinths, which even now are erupting in rich pink and purple.
The Tansy has a spray of leaves as does the Arnica and Bedstraw for the wool
dying. The French Sorrel for the soup and salat, Betony, Costmary, Rue,
Speedwell, Lambs Ears, Mugwort, are all in new greening. The soapwort is
showing signs of vigorous delight in it's new location just in time for the
spring shearings and my silks to be washed.

Your grandfather is soon to sow the barley seed and has been feeding the
cows parsnip tops to sweeten the milk and cream.

From where I sit, I can hear the ring of your grandfather's anvil and the
sound of young Adams eager voice asking questions. As I may have told you, Adam
came here from your grandfather's younger sister's child (so he is a cousin to
you, in some round-a-bout way). He was the eldest of her lot at 10 or 11, but
she, a new widow, could not feed them all on the money she made as a seamstress
and taking in such laundry as she could find to do. Her husband gone, she
wished her son to learn a trade which would find him regular work, and in this
way might he one day come home again, and help her with the younger children,
and ease some of her burden. He is a good-hearted lad, having been with us
these 3 years past has seen him grow several inches and he's finally gotten some
meat on his bones, both from regular meals and the hard work he never hesitates
to apply himself to. (I can only hope that Sarah would learn something from his
example.). He speaks kindly to her, but she seems too simple to even appreciate
his attempts to become friends, since they are much of a like age. Even so, I
have never seen him utter a harsh word to anyone, and he seems always in a sweet
humor, ever eager and ready to do anything I ask and more besides...I will be
truely sad when the day comes when he must leave us, to return home.

I can hear a small brown wren chirping excitedly, just past the stone
bench where the kitten I named for my missing Alex, lies curled, pretending to
sleep. He is shy, and runs from me always, not in fear I hope, but more like a
game....I should have cuddled him more as a new fuzz-ball, and then he would be
more like the others, a purring pest in the middle of my lap, wanting their ears
scratched and looking at me adoringly, while I'm trying to do other tasks.

On this note, I must close, as a cold wind has suddenly come up from the
West and has pushed dark clouds ahead of it and I'm sure I smell rain in the
air.

Have a safe journey and say a prayer for me, when you get to the shrine of
St. James.....God willing, I will see you here in a few months and you can tell
me in person about your travels, as I understand that you plan to come back with
Robert.

I Love you, my princess
Gram

p.s. There is something I should like to share with you from the
Bible:(Jeremiah 6:16)
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old
paths, where IS the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your
souls.

I think, mayhaps, that this applies more to your life, as a whole, than to
the small part of it that you give to this journey path of the of the Pilgrim
...even so, the path you shall soon walk will find God walking with you and my
prayers helping to make the journey light and the road smooth...oh, that I only
wish for young feet of mine own, that I might join you in more than spirit. Gram

------
Copyright 2001 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>