brief insight into the medieval world

[coraa]

I just had to type this into my thesis, so I thought I'd inflict it on everyone here, too. It's from the Capitulare de Villis vel Curtis Imperialibus, probably written by Charlemagne (although possibly written by Louis the Pious) at some point toward the end of the eighth century. It's a beautiful little look into daily life details of the eighth-century Regnum Francorum.

It is our wish that they shall have in their gardens all kinds of plants: lily, roses, fenugreek, costmary, sage, rue, southernwood, cucumbers, pumpkins, gourds, kidney-bean, cumin, rosemary, caraway, chick-pea, squill, gladiolus, tarragon, anise, colocynth, chicory, ammi, sesili, lettuces, spider's foot, rocket salad, garden cress, burdock, penny-royal, hemlock, parsley, celery, lovage, juniper, dill, sweet fennel, endive, dittany, white mustard, summer savory, beets, hazelwort, marshmallows, mallows, carrots, parsnip, orach, spinach, kohlrabi, cabbages, onion, chives, leeks, radishes, shallots, cibols, garlic, madder, teazels, broad beans, peas, coriander, chervil, capers, clary. And the gardener shall have house-leeks growing on his house. As for trees, it is our wish that they shall have various kinds of apple, pear, plum, sorb, medlar, chestnut and peach; quince, hazel, almond, mulberry, laurel, pine, fig, nut and cherry trees of various kinds. The names of apples are: gozmaringa, geroldinga, crevedella, spirauca; there are sweet ones, bitter ones, those that keep well, those that are to be eaten straightaway, and early ones. Of pears they are to have three or four kinds, those that keep well, sweet ones, cooking pears and the late-ripening ones.
(from In The Reign of Charlemagne: Documents on Carolingian Government and Administration, ed. H.R. Loyn & John Percival. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1975. pp 73)

The De Villis is full of things like this -- the kinds of craftsmen a manor ought to have, how many cows and pigs and sheep and chickens and geese, what kinds of barrels and bottles ought to be used. I hope that it will be good for research someday, but for now, it's just fascinting.

Comments

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

As a gardener myself I love to read these descriptions of/prescriptions for old gardens. I wonder what those apples were.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

So do I. I didn't know what a number of the plants were -- and was disproportionately delighted to learn that teazels are spiky-headed plants that were probably cultivated to make wool-combs; I love that kind of thing -- but the apples remain a mystery.

I love that the conquering emperor of most of Europe took the time to note that it was important to have sweet apples for eating and apples good for storing, and to recommend that people remember to plant the kinds of pears you bake. So different from what one might expect! Though I'm not sure whether that says more about Charlemagne's culture or Charlemagne's own personality.