Tag Archives: 15th century

Wittenwiler’s Wedding Feast IV: The Roast

Another excerpt from the wedding feast in Der Ring: Lady Else, having enjoyed bread, cheese, and wine, is served the second course of roast meat: Spiegelmais (a server) did not tarry long, poured cider (öpfelgtrank) into the pitcher after his … Continue reading

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New Source Translation: Wahre Hoveschheit

I’m glad to announce the upload of a new translation. The Wahre Hoveschheit (true courtesy) is a Tischzucht or book of table manners most likely produced in the fifteenth century for a monastic community in Westfalia. It specifically addresses members … Continue reading

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Wittenwiler’s Wedding Feast III: Drinking

Another excerpt from the Grobianic wedding feast in Der Ring: How not to drink someone’s health. Else called for the first course to be brought to her. One of the company became her server and brought her in his bare … Continue reading

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Wittenwiler’s Wedding Feast II: Setting the Table

Another brief excerpt from Wittenwiler’s Der Ring: Setting up the tables for the feast: By now, people should have danced, but the feet could not carry them for hunger. That is why four who would serve at the table went … Continue reading

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Wittenwiler’s Wedding Feast I: Handwashing

This is the first part of the most interesting section of Wittenwiler’s poem Der Ring: The wedding feast. The author lays out all tenets of good conduct and every aspect of nicety by describing the exact opposite. Here, we learn … Continue reading

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Peasant Knights from Wittenwiler’s Ring

A short excerpt for today – Mondays are long days. This is from the very beginning of the poem Der Ring when the peasant protagonists assemble for a tourney: The fourth was known as junkher Troll, a man as strong … Continue reading

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On Householding from Wittenwiler’s Ring

This is the second larger excerpt from Wittenwiler’s Der Ring. The story is that friends and relatives give advice to the protagonist Bertschi ahead of his wedding, in this case on good husbandry. The wedding feast is the main source … Continue reading

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The Physician’s Speech from Wittenwiler’s Ring

Another source! Distracting things going on, so I may again miss out on a few postings. Have a lengthy instruction on healthy living from Wittenweiler’s early fifteenth-century poem Der Ring to make up for the disappointment: Straubel answered like a … Continue reading

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Experiment: Wafer Fritters

Another recipe I experimented with Saturday, this one is from the Kuchenmaistrey of c. 1490: 1. lvi. Item fritters of wafers (oblaten) make thus: Take figs and raisins, boil them, and chop them small. Season it with spices and saffron, … Continue reading

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Experiment: Fig-Raisin Fritters

Today, I met with a few friends and we tried out medieval recipes. The temperatures outside militated for rich and hot foods, so we decided on fritters. One of them was from the Rheinfränkisches Kochbuch: 1 If you would make … Continue reading

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