The Perfectly Period Feast (PPF)
Apr. 29th, 2008 01:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
callistotoniThe last four days were overwhelming; I'll never get to writing it *all* up. But I can post some fraction of it all, one piece at a time.
First off, the PPF: In case you missed it, the idea of the PPF was to recreate a feast from an upper class household (hosting Royalty) in England in the 1480's. The team that put this on worked on it for 2 years, with an *increadible* amount of work taking place in the last 6 - 8 months. Prep included making period benches for seating, casting pewter spoons, making knives, sewing napkins, research, carving practice, sewing livery, etc.
I hate to re-invent the wheel, so if you want a good detailed description go to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thread_walker's post at http://thread-walker.livejournal.com/167320.html .I agree with most of it, but, of course, I'm not her and so had a slightly different experiance.
-- First off, I was never bored, nor did I ever feel trapped. This was because I got to sit between Duchess S (night_bocce -- a very old friend and drinking buddy who I don't get to see much--, and Viscountess A (thread_walker who is one of my heros :-) .
-- Yes, we were the roudy table (Queen's side, next to the head table. Seated were Duchess S's husband, Duchess S, me, Viscountess A, Mistress R, then Mistress E.). At the time I thought "Hey, I'm the companion of a high-ranking Duchess, and a Viscountess to boot, so I think we'd be 'making merry' in period." And everyone started off the evening looking uncomfortable, I thought the place needed lightening up. Then my bad-girl apprenti started a war by sending me watered wine, which ended in The Great Cheese Snub of AS XLII. We were having a great time, but we did earn the glower of first HM Gemini, and then both HM G and M. After 24 hours of thinking about it I realize we may have irritated the crap out of some people who were looking for a more genteel environment. Well, I do have some regret if I irritated anyone, but, honestly, if I had to do it over I can't say I'd do anything differently.
-- We ran Godric, our server, ragged. I've got to do something nice for him in thanks.
-- Thanks again tohelblonde for the loan of a Burgundian dress and hennin. Definately a different look for me. At one point Geoffery M, who was attending the King, came by with a message from HM inquiring as to my identity. I'm assuming this was shtick, but a little part of me wonders if he really didn't know who I was.
-- Magic Moment: I was sitting facing Janos' station accross the room, so him in his Burgundian houpalond kneeling and then saying grace at the podium/book stand, against all the people seated in the benches and the servants in livery. Wow. I'm not Christian, but I loved the ceremony and the feeling of "opening" and "closing" of the ritual, and since I don't speak latin it was all just a meditative moment anyway. I'd like to see more of that at SCA meals/feasts.
-- As others have said, the biggest problem was drinks. I think that if this was done again and they wanted to do the "ask for a drink"-thing, every table should have thier own drink sideboard. And I liked a suggestion made bylearnteach, that people should bring their own personal servants to supplement the table's server and carver.
Overall it was an impressive event. Given the tremendous amount of work it took to bring it off I don't think we'll see its like again any time soon. And it wouldn't work to try to make every feast like the PPF, it really really wouldn't.
First off, the PPF: In case you missed it, the idea of the PPF was to recreate a feast from an upper class household (hosting Royalty) in England in the 1480's. The team that put this on worked on it for 2 years, with an *increadible* amount of work taking place in the last 6 - 8 months. Prep included making period benches for seating, casting pewter spoons, making knives, sewing napkins, research, carving practice, sewing livery, etc.
I hate to re-invent the wheel, so if you want a good detailed description go to
thread_walker's post at http://thread-walker.livejournal.com/167320.html .I agree with most of it, but, of course, I'm not her and so had a slightly different experiance. -- First off, I was never bored, nor did I ever feel trapped. This was because I got to sit between Duchess S (
night_bocce -- a very old friend and drinking buddy who I don't get to see much--, and Viscountess A (thread_walker who is one of my heros :-) . -- Yes, we were the roudy table (Queen's side, next to the head table. Seated were Duchess S's husband, Duchess S, me, Viscountess A, Mistress R, then Mistress E.). At the time I thought "Hey, I'm the companion of a high-ranking Duchess, and a Viscountess to boot, so I think we'd be 'making merry' in period." And everyone started off the evening looking uncomfortable, I thought the place needed lightening up. Then my bad-girl apprenti started a war by sending me watered wine, which ended in The Great Cheese Snub of AS XLII. We were having a great time, but we did earn the glower of first HM Gemini, and then both HM G and M. After 24 hours of thinking about it I realize we may have irritated the crap out of some people who were looking for a more genteel environment. Well, I do have some regret if I irritated anyone, but, honestly, if I had to do it over I can't say I'd do anything differently.
-- We ran Godric, our server, ragged. I've got to do something nice for him in thanks.
-- Thanks again to
helblonde for the loan of a Burgundian dress and hennin. Definately a different look for me. At one point Geoffery M, who was attending the King, came by with a message from HM inquiring as to my identity. I'm assuming this was shtick, but a little part of me wonders if he really didn't know who I was. -- Magic Moment: I was sitting facing Janos' station accross the room, so him in his Burgundian houpalond kneeling and then saying grace at the podium/book stand, against all the people seated in the benches and the servants in livery. Wow. I'm not Christian, but I loved the ceremony and the feeling of "opening" and "closing" of the ritual, and since I don't speak latin it was all just a meditative moment anyway. I'd like to see more of that at SCA meals/feasts.
-- As others have said, the biggest problem was drinks. I think that if this was done again and they wanted to do the "ask for a drink"-thing, every table should have thier own drink sideboard. And I liked a suggestion made by
learnteach, that people should bring their own personal servants to supplement the table's server and carver. Overall it was an impressive event. Given the tremendous amount of work it took to bring it off I don't think we'll see its like again any time soon. And it wouldn't work to try to make every feast like the PPF, it really really wouldn't.
