Christmas in Merrie Olde England
Christmas in Merrie Olde According to several sources, serving Boar’s Head was traditional. The head was roasted and served with great ceremony, often with an apple or orange in its mouth (Cosman). The rest of the pig was served as bacon or in 'regular' pork. The ‘marchers’who paraded in with the huge platter holding the head would sing “the boar’s head carol” the chorus of which was: “The boar’s head in hand bring I, With garlands gay and rosemary, I pray you all sing merrily” (Cosman).
According to “Medieval Christmas,” in the countryside, the wild boar’s head would likely be offered to “the goddess of farming” to ensure “a good crop in the following year”—a practice not sanctioned by the Church, of course.
Back at the manor, there would be wild fowl, poultry including goose, and if the lord is given permission, swan. Often the skin of the fowl would be coated with oil and saffron to make it golden. Some sources report that in certain rich households the feathers might be carefully replaced on the swan, and the resulting main course carried to the high table with great ceremony.
Other meat included venison, which was a staple. But only the lord and lady, along with others of importance around the manor, got the good parts of the deer. The poor got what was left—the heart, liver, tongue, feet, ears and brains or the “umbles.” Those delicacies were cooked up, mixed with whatever else might be handy, and made into a pie. “Therefore, the poor would eat ‘umble pie’ (“Medieval Christmas”). We still have that phrase when we say ‘eating humble pie.’
The Christmas pudding known as ‘frumenty’ was popular. Made of boiled wheat it was usually mixed with currents and dried fruit. (recipe link below). Then, of course, there was the mincemeat pie, made of real shredded meat, spices and fruit.
The lord of the manor usually provided Christmas dinner for his tenants—but they often had to bring their own food. And dishes. And cloths. And fuel to cook the food. Frances and Joseph Gies wrote: “Tenants…usually…owed the lord bread, hens, and ale, which they brewed themselves, while in return he gave the Chrismas dinner, consisting mainly of the food they had provided….[T]he tenants often even provid[ed] their own fuel, dishes, and napkins.”
In the early 1300s, some prosperous tenants of one manor received “‘two white loaves, as much beer as they will drink in the day, a mess of beef and of bacon with mustard, one of browis [stew] of hen, and a cheese, fuel to cook their food…to burn from dinner time till even and afterwards, and two candles.”’ A less prosperous tenant had to bring their own (Gies).
Another manor connected to an abbey required the tenant bring “firewood, dish, mug, and napkin but the lord provided bread, broth, and beer and two kinds of meat.” And in a real treat, “the villeins were entitled to sit drinking after dinner in the manor hall” (Gies).
Other parts of the medieval Christmas celebrations were just as interesting as the food. If you’d like a really quick and fun read, I recommend a British website, part of a teachers’ group of pages: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_xmas.htm.
And if you want to try frumenty or learn to make sugarplums or check out other medieval recipes, try http://www.godecookery.com/mtrans/mtrans15.htm.
By the way: the medieval era encompasses several hundred years, so what may have held true in the Early Medieval years may have evolved by the High Medieval period.
And, no, the illustration above did not appear on a medieval Christmas card. *S*
Sources:”Medieval Christmas.” History Learning Site. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_xmas.htm
Cosman, Dr.Madeleine Pelner. Medieval Holidays and Festivals: A Calendar ofCelebrations. New York
BTW. I remember my great-grandmother making her own mincemeat and we always had mincemeat pie for Christmas at her house. I was really young, but I remember being revolted when my mom told me the pie really had meat in it. I thought that was so gross.
Does your family observe a tradition that can be traced to “early days?”
6 comments:
Not too yummy by today's standards, but interesting.
Thanks for the historical meal.
I didn't know 'umbles were organs--I though 'umble pie meant something for the lowly. Great post!
I like wild boar. Not too sure about the head. I'd love to try mincemeat with meat in it. Wonderful post.
Very interesting and informative post. I would also like to try some real minces meat pie.
Great post! Always interesting to hear where some of the traditions came from!
I really hate the idea of mincemeat pies. LOL
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