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Fasting
By Madeline | February 14, 2008
Contrary to popular belief, fasting during medieval times did not just occur on special occasions such as Lent and Advent, but every other day of the week. Gluttony was a sin much frowned upon and in an effort to keep gluttons at bay, the church ordained that Wednesdays and Fridays (Saturdays sometimes too) were the weekly ‘breaks’ the body required to cleanse itself of the rich, heavy food that feasting resulted in.
Additionally, fasting was not necessarily foregoing eating altogether, but more staying away from animal products which meant meat, of course, but also included milk, cheese and eggs. The approved foods for consumption included fish and all other water creatures as well as fruits, vegetables and breads. In a time where nobles primarily ate meat and cheese, this was a sacrifice indeed! An alternative reason for the church to enforce the fasting was to assist the people in strengthening their will power and resolve by depriving themselves of the luxuries of animal products.
However, while the cooks of large manors did obey the rules of fasting when creating meals for the families, they definitely did bring their imagination to the table (no pun intended). As fish was a relatively pliable meat, it was often sculpted to reflect things that could not be eaten, for example, salmon was sculpted into pork sculptures and white fish was stuffed into cleaned egg shells so that it appeared to be a boiled egg. Additionally, sweets were not excluded with fasting and so were often times shaped into animals with marzipan.
Fasting was a particularly hard time for nobles as the poor seldom had the luxury to consume predominately animal products on a daily basis as the rich did. The most difficult time when it came to fasting was Lent. Lent required weeks of sacrificing all animal products so that one might contemplate their sins committed and focus on obtaining divine intervention in the forgiveness of these sins. Many people from kinds to servant boys grumbled incessantly during this time, in fact even the dogs were irritable at the meager table scraps that were significantly lacking in red meat and it was not uncommon for local livestock to suffer the loss of an animal or two due to canine revolts against fasting. I can’t say I blame them, I mean, I doubt the Catholic church really set aside a special set of heavenly rewards for dogs, you know?
Additionally, it was not just periodic fasting that the people of the medieval times were subjected to, but also daily fasting. Breakfast (which ultimately was named for breaking your fast since you eat no more food from the night before until that next morning) was seldom ever eaten, especially by noble men as it was considered gluttonous, although men who were physical laborers were exempt from this rule as it was well known that their bodies required the fuel of food to complete their jobs. Though the church advocated fasting, it was not required by all. The sick and elderly and sometimes women and children - especially pregnant women - were exempt from fasting as they needed all the nutrients they could get.
I wonder how well fasting truly worked at encouraging will power? I’m not Catholic, so have never had to endure the sacrifices of Lent, though I remember growing up hearing the ‘resolutions’ that everyone made and what they were giving up for Lent. I suppose our will power is weaker in this day and age, because I have seen just as many people keep their self imposed Lent restrictions as I have seen people keep New Years’ resolutions - and that’s not many! Maybe we’re just more sinful now? 
Topics: Medieval Era |
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