Henry's Medieval Banquet Trivia Quiz

Answer: To have plenty of food available to eat.

During a time when people are generally malnourished and gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins, the most important aspect of the Christmas Day feast is to make sure there is plenty of food available to eat. My Earl will invite all people who live at Warwick to come to his manor on Christmas Day.

There really isn't a specific menu that is only used at Christmas; most of the time it is the same food we always eat - just more of it. What is considered important is not what is prepared, but how it is prepared, how much is there, and the act of sharing a meal and eating together. I know Cook will have some of my favorite foods, though! She always does!

Answer: Fish

During the season of Advent, most days are either fast-days or fish-days. I am so very sick of fish; it has been the main course all month, even on Christmas Eve, and by Christmas Day, people expect a change. I must say that Cook is very clever about "disguising" meat during Advent. Take that Barnacle Goose, for example! Since a Barnacle Goose is from the ocean, it is not technically restricted food during Advent. To tell the truth, it tasted suspiciously like our ordinary geese, but who am I to question? It was delicious! Offering fish as part of the banquet on Christmas Day, would make people think my Earl is a poor host. Cook would never let that happen!

Answer: Butter

Virtually all animal products are prohibited during Advent, including meat, chicken, milk, cheese, and butter. That is why it really doesn't matter what is served at the Christmas meal, as long as there is a lot of it and it's not fish! I wouldn't be surprised if the Earl allowed us to feast for the Twelve Days of Christmas, from December 25 through January 6. We have had a good harvest and successful hunt, and just can't let our stores spoil and go to waste. (Author's Note: Of course potatoes would not have been served at a banquet in medieval Europe.

They were not introduced from the New World until the end of the sixteenth century)!

Answer: True

Cook is a master of creativity in the kitchen! Even if we weren't lucky enough to kill a boar in time for Christmas, she can make just about anything look like a Boar's head. I remember one year the Boar's Head was really made out of fish that she molded and painted to make it look more real!

Answer: Plums

Making plum pudding is one of my favorite events. It is our custom that the the "pudding should be made on the 25th Sunday after Trinity, that it be prepared with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and the 12 apostles, and that every family member stir it in turn from east to west to honour the Magi and their supposed journey in that direction." Really there is not much of a set recipe; many times it is made with foods that are on the verge of spoiling as not to waste them.

It is typically made with meat, vegetables, and fruits, and served at the beginning of the meal. We usually call this plum pottage.

By the way, we medieval people call currents, raisins, and prunes plums. Since fruits are added (probably to cover up the taste of the meat), the creation is called plum pudding. Author's Note: According to "The Food Timeline", the making of plum pudding in England can be traced back to the early 15th century.

It really became popular in the 1700's, during the reign of King George I.

He requested that plum pudding be made as part of his first Christmas feast as King of England, and was called "The Pudding King". During this time plum pudding became an important part of the Christmas feast.

Answer: Mincemeat

I love mincemeat pie and have watched Cook made it on several occasions. It always tastes a bit different. She takes all sorts of meat - and sometimes they are nearly rotten - mixes them together until they are kind of pasty, and adds fruit such as figs, dates, and raisins along with other spices.

The fruit and the other spices make it kind of sweet, and believe it or not, it doesn't taste rotten at all! Yum! I don't want to say this too loud and hurt Cook's feelings, but she doesn't know much about reading and writing, so none of her recipes are written down.

She must be pretty smart, though, to remember how to make all this food!

Answer: Lamprey

Venison is a very popular meat, and we eat a lot of it at Christmas and throughout the year whenever we are successful at the hunt. We also eat a lot of fowl - whatever we can find - such as goose, duck, hen, swan, peacock, heron - but only the wealthy get to eat lamprey, and they are a real Christmas treat! Usually Cook either roasts it or pickles it in vinegar.

Answer: Wine

Wine is the beverage associated with St. John's feast day. There is an old legend that if a glass of wine is blessed that day, it becomes harmless. I have to confess, I have seen a lot of glasses of wine blessed in my life, but the priest must be doing something wrong. I wouldn't call the result of people drinking the wine harmless! It is fun for a lot of people who usually drink ale or mead to be able to have something different during Christmas season, but I have heard rumors that these types of days may be outlawed by the Church. People become too rambunctious and forget how to behave.

Answer: True

To tell you the truth, the guests provide most of the food anyway (through the fulfillment of the villeins' feudal obligation) - the Earl just provides the place and opportunity! Most of the guests bring firewood and their own dish, mug, and napkin. The Earl, of course, provides the honored guests with what they need. What the people look forward to is sharing a meal together, visiting with friends, and watching the Yule Log burn in my lord's hearth.

Answer: I am king of the Christmas festivities.

The Bean King, also known as Mock King, is a very old custom. Cook hides a bean in one of the loaves of bread, and whoever finds it presides as ruler over the Christmas festivities. Cook says that her sister on another manor will hide other objects in the bread as well. If someone finds a coin, that means they will find wealth in the coming year. If they find a ring, that means they will be married. I will have a very enjoyable time ruling over everyone, but I will be careful not to take advantage. Who knows who will be Bean King next year?