Kildonan Times issue 33 December 2002

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MEDIEVAL FOODS

It seems that cultures down through the ages and across continents have had some form of fried bread. This is a English recipe of several hundred years ago. Go to any fair in our time, and you can buy "elephant ears", large flattish hunks of fried bread with a sugary coating. If you travel to the Southwest, the Indians boast of their "Fried Bread," which they sell at tourist attractions.

FRYTOUR OF HERBES

The original recipe:
Forme of Cury 156 Frytour of Erbes : Take gode erbys. grynde hem and medle hem wit flour and water & a lytel zest and salt, and frye hem in oyle. and ete hem wit clere hony.

translation:
Take good herbs. Grind them and mix them with flour and water and a little yeast and salt, and fry them in oil. Eat them with clear honey.

modern recipe:
2 Tbs fresh parsley
2 Tbs fresh rosemary
2 Tbs fresh marjoram
2 Tbs fresh sage
2 Tbs fresh thyme
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 Tbs active dry yeast
oil for frying
honey for drizzling

1. Take the fresh herbs and mince them up.
2. Dissolve the yeast in a little bit of the warm water to activate.
3. Mix the herbs, flour, and salt.
4. Add the yeast and 1 1/2 cups of the water. Mix
5. Add a little more water at a time while mixing until you get a smooth, thick batter. Should be a little thicker than pancake batter.
6. Let rise until doubled.
7. Heat the oil.
8. Drop batter (a spoon full at a time) into oil and fry until light golden brown.
9. Drizzle with honey and serve warm.

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GLOSSARY

I have pretty much covered, I think, the regional and archaic words I used in the books to this date. If you are a regular reader of medieval fantasies, you are familiar with most of the words I have listed in this glossary from month to month. I found, though, that many of my readers were relatively new to the genre, and therefore I provided the glossary. It can be found on the Clovenstone Chronicles Celtic Medieval Fantasy Novels website in its entirety, if you wish to look up a word.

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NOTES

TORQUE (TORC)

A torque is a piece of jewelry, a decorative neck ring. Though torques have been found in other cultures, they are most strongly associated with the Celts. Ancient sculptures have been unearthed of Celtic warriors doing battle naked except for a belt and a torque. In Snettisham, England, 1990, a virtual hoard of torques was unearthed by archaeologists, torques of bronze, iron, and this highly carved and decorative one of gold.

The Snettisham torques were dated at the first century B.C., and some appeared to be even older. Torques were made of almost any metal or metal combination that was known to the ancient cultures, but hardly ever silver. Some had jewels set into them. Common people wore torques of iron or a copper alloy; aristocrats wore gold. Both men and women wore torques.

Sometimes they were believed to have magic or religious qualities. They may have been worn as a mark of rank among warriors or in society as a whole. An evidence of their high social value, along with any material value, was that torques are mentioned in ancient tales as spoils of war.

I use torques here and there in the Kildonan Chronicles books, most notably when Clovenstone restores the High Chamber and the sand-colored silk draperies that appear above the dais of the ruling Merthyr are caught up with a golden torque. Also, the prefect of Girond Mead-Hall, the community of professional warriors, is described as wearing a golden torque. I don't think I used an iron torque anywhere. Gold is definitely more alluring.

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PORTRAITS

This is a new feature in Kildonan Times. In it, I will draw a word portrait of one of the characters from the Kildonan Chronicles. I will not only describe the character, but tell how I created the character, and what influences helped shape it.

FIONA

In Fiona, the protagonist, I wanted to draw the process of a naive woman maturing into the leader of her people. My original inspiration for the character of Fiona was Florence McDonald, who allegedly smuggled Bonnie Prince Charlie, in disguise, safely from Scotland after the battle of Collodon. She was a woman of verve and imagination.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Bonnie Prince Charlie anyway, and am glad he got away. He gave his recipe for his personal liqueur to MacKinnon of Skye as appreciation for the support of the MacKinnons in the Prince's attempt to regain Scotland. The liqueur is Drambruie, which is a favorite of mine. Thank you, Prince Charlie.

I visited the grave of Florence McDonald. It is on the moors of Scotland, crowned by a gray Celtic cross that stands against the winds that keen around it. It is almost a mystic place. However, I really didn't want the name Florence for my protagonist, so I took Fiona. I didn't think Florence would mind.

Fiona is thin, maybe even gangly. She has dark brown hair, cut short at the side so as not to interfere with her arrowwoman shooting, but shoulder length in the back. She probably has freckles, and is awkward in social situations. She is a child of the Birnham-Wood, without wordly experience beyond visiting the nearby village and commune.

Fiona arrives on the scene of the novels as a woman nearing 30, a woman without direction, who has tried various life paths, then discarded them. Her parents, professional warriors until she was born, trained her well in archery skills. She studied with an herbalist in a commune. She worked with her parents as a forest ranger, patrolling and protecting the forest paths for travelers.

But something else was calling her, making her restive. She finally decides to leave her forest home and travel the land, of which she knows practically nothing, to seek knowledge of ancient runes and magicks. Her step out the door of her parents' woodland cote is her first step on a path that was destined for her before her birth, and from which she cannot escape.

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HERBS

In my discussions of herbs in all the issues of Kildonan Times, I present only general information. It is not intended to be a guide for the use of the herbs. If you wish to use any of the herbs described in Kildonan Times, consult an herbalist or a definitive guide book to using herbs.

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ginseng: Ginseng has been a very popular herb over the centuries, particularly in Oriental cultures. It has been used for a number of medicinal purposes. Nowadays, it is taken as a source of energy and well-being. It is often in teas, bottled drinks, and even foods. There's something about the word "ginseng" on a label that makes one think that the product has to be good for you. Ginseng was known in Britain in the medieval times, coming into the country as a trade item from Europe and Asia.

We tend to think of ginseng as an Oriental herb, which it is. However, it grows in many parts of the world, from Sibera to Indiana. The wild herb, though, has nearly been wiped out over the years, and what you see on the shelves is probably cultivated ginseng. Cultivated ginseng is, they say, not as efficacious as the wild root, but it's what is available. Ginseng, American ginseng, has been an income producing herb here in the U.S. for many years. Much of the American ginseng is sold overseas to meet European and Asian demand for the herb.

Gene Stratton Porter, a novelist from the early 20th century, used the Limberlost Swamp area of Indiana as a setting for many of her stories. Her best known book is "Freckles." You may have heard of it or read it. She also wrote a tale called "The Harvester." This is a romantic story of a young man who lived in a cabin in the woods and made his living harvesting wild herbs in the meadows and forests and selling them to druggists and suppliers of herbs. One of the tragic moments is when The Harvester is desperately in need of money and goes to where he knows there is a patch of ginseng on his land, only to find the patch ripped up and the ginseng stolen.

Indiana still values its ginseng. As I was traveling this summer, I picked up an Indiana 2002 Recreation Guide published by their Department of Natural Resources. There was a small box on one of the pages in the Guide that said:

Indiana's Ginseng Program
The purpose of Indiana's ginseng program is to insure a healthy population for the future. Harvest Season: September 1 thru December 31. It is illegal to harvest out of season. Harvesters do not need a license to dig, or sell to a licensed Dealer. It is illegal to harvest ginseng on State property. The plants must have 3 or 4 prongs, or 4 internodeson on the rhyizome (USFWS {U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service} requires 5 internodes) to be legally harvested. The seeds must be planted at the harvest site.

There's even a website you can visit for more information: (May be more than you ever wanted to know about ginseng, but it's interesting.)

Indiana Department of Natural Resources

http://www.in.gov/dnr/naturepr/pdf/ginseng99.pdf

(When you go to the site, a box will come up asking you where to save a document. Click on "Save" and the ginseng document will be downloaded to your computer.)

So a word to the wise: Don't be pulling up ginseng on private or public land and running to your local dealer with it. There's stiff fines for such activity on public lands, and maybe involvement with a shotgun on private lands.

And next time you enjoy a bottle of Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng, reflect upon what a valuable herb you are drinking.

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My basic herb reference books for the herbs I use either for food or medicine in Clovenstone and Stones Seven are: The Herb Book by John Lust (Bantam Books), Brother Cadfael's Herb Garden by Robin Whitman (Bullfinch Press) and Herbs by Lesley Bremness (DK Publishing).

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A FEW THOUGHTS FROM THE EDITOR (me, Ruth)

'Tis December, the time of the year's major holidays. Spread over the world, religions and cultures will celebrate some winter holiday of great importance to them. Even here in America, Jews will light their Hanukkah candles; neo-Pagans, historians, literary buffs and nature lovers will light Solstice candles to welcome the return of the light and/or to celebrate King Arthur's birthday; and Christians will light their Christmas candles. I mention here only the best known winter holidays. There are many, many more. Just go to one of the internet greeting cards sites and see the list!

Isn't it something that a little candle should become so important symbolically, as well as for practical use? And even beyond practical use, as a decoration? I have candles around my house just for decoration. Not only do they look nice, but their light, in the evening, is soft and homey. Organizations use candles in their ceremonies. People keep candles squirreled away in a kitchen drawer as a hedge against power outages. Candles provide the light for important or romantic dinners at home. And how many restaurants have candles on their tables that a waitress comes around and lights at sunset?

So check out your supply of candles. The festivals are well upon us. Be sure you're prepared!

Whatever holidays you celebrate in winter, enjoy these special times with your family and friends.

Happy Holidays!

R

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WEBSITES TO EXPLORE

Here are some internet greeting card sites that will send free cards for you. You may find them handy in the upcoming holiday season. Click on the blue website names to go to the site. If that doesn't work, type the URL below the name into your internet window and click on "Go."

Bowcreek Postcards

http://www.bowcreek.com

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RedTreeStudios E-cards-the all free, all animated, best cards on the web!

http://www.redtreestudios.com

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And, as always, tell your aunts, uncles, cousins and friends about the novels of Clovenstone Chronicles. Give them an adventure!

Good Fate Be Yours —
Ruth

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