Feast-Basket-art - 10/18/00

"The Well-Tempered Feast Basket: a guide for newcomers" by Lady Jehanne de Huguenin. 

NOTE: See also the files: feastgear-msg, forks-msg, spoons-msg, tablecloths-msg, 
p-tableware-msg, horn-utn-care-msg, utensils-msg, nefs-msg, aquamaniles-msg,
trenchers-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 at florilegium.org                                         
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Originally published in March, AS 33 in "Storm Tidings", the newsletter for the Shire of Adamastor in Cape Town, South Africa.
(http://users.iafrica.com/m/me/melisant/stidings.htm)

The Well-Tempered Feast Basket: a guide for newcomers.
by Lady Jehanne de Huguenin 

House Drakewhistle has a feast basket. It holds the feast gear for five of
us and any guests we invite. It's a large basket, with at last count nine
goblets in it. It squats in a corner of the kitchen and snaps at the
kittens and the legs of the unwary. It eats candles and spits out the
remains. It is not a well-tempered feast-basket. Here's what a
well-tempered feast basket possibly should be:

The SCA setting requires that gentles bring their own feast gear to events,
a sensible policy which means each branch doesn't have to acquire several
hundred bits of crockery and cutlery for its members to break, eat or lose.
Feast gear is defined as anything you personally need to survive the
evening atmospherically and in persona. The following checklist gives
suggestions for feast gear, not only what to bring, but where to find
medieval or medievalish items.

Drinking

There are two schools of thought on this: the goblet, and the tankard.
Genuine medieval goblets would be metal - silver or gold in the case of
nobles, or possibly pewter. In the current middle ages, with gentles
lacking large land holdings to finance their tableware, silver-plate is
popular and pottery very common and perfectly acceptable. Most people tend
to avoid glassware - it breaks. Tankards follow the same rules, although
they're more of a peasant and less of a noble choice. You'll probably need
at least one per person, with a few extra for guests, breakages and serious
drinking bouts. Craft markets are an excellent place for goblets. The Red
Shed at the Waterfront has a pottery place with lovely large goblets.
Homeshops such as Stuttafords stock the metal varieties, as do lots of
junkshops.

Eating

Remember that the fork was not in use until very late in our period.
Medieval eating was done with a knife for cutting and spearing things, a
spoon for broths, and the fingers. It's surprisingly easy to do this
neatly, with practise. You'll need a bowl and a plate per person; one extra
each means you have the luxury of not having to wash them for the dessert
course. The plate is an equivalent to the medieval trencher, a slice of
hard bread which was used to serve food (the soaked bread was later given
to the poor). A small wooden board would also work as a substitute. The
bowl is for broth and stews - plain pottery or wood is the standard. It's
rather nicely authentic to eat with your belt-knife, if you have one.
Wooden spoons can be bought at most craft markets and curio shops, and at
Greenmarket Square (we tend to buy the ones with crude animal carvings, and
saw off the carvings). A wooden-handled knife is a reasonable substitute
for a belt-knife. You will also need napkins, since finger-eating is the
rule; one largish white linenish napkin per person. If we were really
organised, we'd have the Drakewhistle badge embroidered on ours. (We're
not).

Light

It's really up to you to provide light at your table setting, which means
you should bring candlesticks and candles, enough for at least one candle
per person, preferably a couple. Candlesticks could be wooden, pottery,
metal. Again, craft markets have wonderful selections, particularly the
wrought-iron stuff. (Ask the Herald, the man with the largest personal
candlestick collection in the Shire).

Decoration

It's not just the practicalities which count, it's also the atmosphere.
Tablecloths! Fancy runners! Embroidered napkins! Water-jugs! Finger-bowls!
Salt-bowls! Nefs! And, most importantly, personal display - banners,
shields, your badge on as many things as you can fit it on, as colourfully
and ornamentally as possible. The SCA is about the pageantry of the Middle
Ages, and don't you forget it!

You can see why a household is so useful: it makes sense to build up a
collection between several people, and use your stuff to decorate a common
table area when you feast. It also helps to have several people to lug the
basket or chest or whatever you decide to cart the darned things in. (If it
has to be a plastic something, bring a cloth to throw over it).

And, while you build up your collection, any hints as to taming the
Drakewhistle basket would be gratefully received... No! Down! Back, sir!
Aaaargh....

------
Copyright 2000 by Lady Jehanne de Huguenin, jessica at beattie.uct.ac.za, P O Box 443, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa.. 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>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	Feast-Basket-art	3