Cloved Fruit
What were some medieval uses for
this spice-decorated fruit?
Pomanders and other methods of air
fresheners were common in the Middle Ages.
The use of herbs and spices alleviated the not-so-pleasant aromas of the
time period. They were even thought to
protect against the plague. It was believed if that you could not smell the
foul, that it could not harm you. Other types of air fresheners were also used,
such as the nosegay, or tussie-mussie.
What is the historical purpose
of this?
In Renaissance times, both exotic
spices and citrus fruits were neither commonly available nor easy to come by.
Fruits were only available in a particular season and only for a short span of
time. Simply possessing such items was a sign of wealth and prestige; what
better way to get the attention of a paramour than to give some of that wealth
to them?
If a gentleman wished to show a
serious desire to court a lady, he would stud a lemon or orange with whole
cloves, gems and other expensive baubles.
Then he would present this pomander to the lady of his choice. This demonstrated that he was wealthy and
could provide for the lady. If she
wished to be courted by him, she would accept it.
I’ve heard of other modern uses
for this, what are they?
This custom has been adapted for use
in the SCA, as well as LARP communities who re-enact Medieval life, as a
meaning for introduction and sometimes flirtation. A good gentle will present the cloved fruit
to someone who they wish to bestow the honor to. The recipient will accept as a
gesture of thanks for the generosity. The receiver may offer their hand to be
kissed in return if they so choose, but they are CERTAINLY not required to do
so. Or, the receiver may offer a kiss if they are so inclined and feel
comfortable doing so. However, the giver
should *NOT EVER* _EXPECT_ anything in return. It is merely intended to be a
fun game mimicking medieval practices.
You see, in the Middle Ages, it would be poor manners to just walk up to
someone of the opposite sex and introduce yourself. Introductions would be made
by a third party. So we may use the fruit for the introduction in lieu of that
practice.
It can be a bit controversial, and easily misunderstood, so the practice may have fallen by the wayside in most places.
It can be a bit controversial, and easily misunderstood, so the practice may have fallen by the wayside in most places.
Just FYI:
Cloven = split; cleft; divided Cloved = studded
with cloves
This entry was posted
on Friday, January 15, 2016
at 10:30 AM
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