open-ars fruit

Hi all,

Remember the Reeve comparing himself to an open-ars / medlar fruit?

I couldn't find a place to buy the medlar / open-ars fruit in the U.S.

Here's a link to make medlar jelly:

You can buy medlar jelly in England for £3.75. I have no idea what that means or how much more it would cost to ship it. They describe it as "Medlar Jelly - a beautiful red preserve, with a wonderful spicy flavour that also goes well with cheese and with cooked meats, especially pork."

 http://www.melburyandappleton.co.uk/medlar-jelly-2708-p.asp

 Here's a link to a recipe for the jelly:

Ingredients: 500g bletted medlars, quartered 170ml water 375g sugar per 500g liquid juice of 1/2 lemon Celtnet recipes chicken recipe divider Medlar Jelly Preparation: Method: Combine the fruit and water in a pan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until soft (about 90 minutes, depending on the degree of bletting). Pour into a jelly bag (or a colander lined with several layers of muslin) then set over a bowl and allow the liquid to drain over night. Don't be tempted to squeeze the bag or to press down on the contents, you will just end-up with a cloudy jelly. Allow to drip naturally (if you wish you can keep the fruit pulp to make medlar chutney or fruit pies). The following day, measure the volume of liquid and add 375g sugar for every 500ml of liquid. Add the fruit liquid and the sugar in a pan along with the lemon juice. Bring to a rapid boil, skim the surface, and cook for 4 minutes. Measure for the setting point by placing a plate in the fridge. Spoon a little of the jelly onto the plate and when it forms a skin as you push it with your finger or the back of a spoon the gelling point has been reached. When ready allow the jelly to cool then pour into clean, sterilized jars that have been warmed in a cool oven. Seal, label and store until needed.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-medlar-jelly
Copyright © celtnet

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-medlar-jelly

 Here's a picture to show why it is called the the open-ars fruit.

The Bible and Lit

A few weeks ago Jonathan and I were talking about teaching high school lit, and we agreed that more and more middle and high school students don;t seem to have even a cursory knowledge of the Bible-- and it is affecting how they read and understand literature.  I make no secret of my own Christian faith, but I want to write the following as a teacher of literature, apart from my own beliefs.

In 1963, through the efforts of a woman named Madeline Murray O'Hare, prayer and Bible reading as opening exercises in public schools were deemed unconstitutional. In the school system I grew up in, almost all the students I knew (and it was a small town) were either Jewish, Catholic or Protestant, and the reading that was done each day was Psalm 23 (The Lord is My Shepherd) so, given the population, it is likely that no one was offended. However, as the 60s rolled on into the 70s there were growing numbers of families who would probably identify themselves as uncommitted or agnostic, as church and synagogue attendance dropped off radically. By the time I got to high school, the 'separation of church and state' that ceased prayer and Bible reading as part of the curriculum, had become an outright ban on anything that looked Christian. The Christmas tree in the lobby in December disappeared, but oddly enough the menorah display stayed). The morning readings over the PA system each morning could be from any book (including the Koran) but not the Bible (this was written policy). While there was a transcendental meditation club, voluntary Bible study after school or at lunch was forbidden. That was 1973-1976. Fast forward to now.

My friends who are public school teachers in Frederick and Montgomery Counties have told me that with all the allusions, concrete symbols and motifs, and themes that are based on the Bible in classic literature, students nowadays are missing what students in previous generations understood quite easily.Let me give you some examples:

• Charles Darnay's substitutionary death in A Tale of Two Cites.
• Santiago's (the old man) carrying a cross-like mast on his back after three days and nights at sea
• The title East of Eden
• Anything by Flannary O'Connor
• The Scarlet Letter
• Claudius's murder of his brother, old King Hamlet (Volumes have been written on biblical allusions in Shakespeare)
• Most of Dante
• Much of Chaucer (as we have seen)

etc., etc., and so much more (triple redundancy on purpose!)

When I was a college sophomore and taking Survey of Am Lit and Survey of Brit Lit, I was frustrated at my lack of a solid foundational knowledge of the ancient classics. It was hard to understand Poe's poetry, for example, with his references to Pallas, Lethe, Psyche, etc.  I was constantly looking at the notes on the bottom of the page. So I asked the department head (cheeky, yes?) if he would consider a class in mythology as a prerequisite for English majors.  He listened; Lebanon Valley now has that.

In the same way, I think that public schools, without endorsing any religion, should teach the Bible as literature, in order to help students fully get and appreciate the literature they are reading.

And, of course, this relates to Chaucer. A foundational knowledge of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, will alleviate some of the back and forth with the glossary and deepen the readers' experience with Chaucer.

Committeess

What fun it is to make committees! Tra la! Here is what we have:

Greeters: Andrew and Jonathan
Entertainment: Jessica and Diane
Set up: Jessica, Meg and their minions
Volunteer Wrangler: Heather
Take Down: Laura, minions and perhaps 2 or 3 others
Master of Ceremonies: Dr.MB

Please add your name or switch to a new committee, if we weren't sure how to cast you in this or if I messed this up in some way.

Feast Food

Here are the food assignments so far. Feel free to add your name with additional offerings.

Meatless savories:
Fungus/Leek Soup-- Andrew (V)
Cheese Tart-- Laura
Mushroom Pasties--Diane
Spinach Tart-- Jonathan
Browned Vegetables--Diane (V)
Beans Yfried--Yasmine (V)
Chyches--Jonathan (V)

Meat Offerings:
Chicken Meatballs-- Meg and Dr.MB
Blank Manger-- Andrew
Norse Pie (no Norsemen will be harmed in the making of this recipe)-- Jessica
Sausages-- Heather

Breads (gluten-free and fully glutened availed): 
Sour Dough- Jessica (V)
Wheat Bread-- Jessica (V, unless yeast is an issue)
English Egg Bread-- Diane

Desserts:
Apple Pudding-- Meg and Dr.MB (V)
Baked Apple and Pear-- Katie (V)
Honey Cakes-- Heather
Honey Candy-- Jessica (V)
Almond Cheesecake-- Diane
Pears in syrippe--Jonathan (V)

Cheeses:
Laura, Jessica?, Diane (Gorgonzola!)

Drinks:
Mulled Cider-- Katie
Spiced Grape Juice-- Meg and Dr.MB
Lemonade-- Andrew

The Clerk Speaks to All

Before the Clerk spoke up the tension among the pilgrims was becoming palpable. The miller upset the reeve with a tale about a young clerk who was having an affair with a carpenter’s wife. Then, in response, the Reeve told a tale about a miller who gets outsmarted by two students who end up sleeping with his wife and young daughter out of spite. Next, the friar tells a story about a crooked summoner. This prompts the summoner’s story of a corrupt friar. The Clerk, a wise character, seems to have perfect timing as he spins a didactic tale that every participant of the Canterbury pilgrimage can take meaning from. The lines that hold the message read:

            This story is seid, nat for that wives sholde

            Folwen Grisilde as in humilitee

            For it were inportable, thogh they wolde;

            But for that every wight, in his degree,

            Sholde be constant in adversitee (1142-1145)

In “The Clerk’s Tale” the character of Grisilde, a young woman, who shows incredible restraint in the face of adversity, is a model for pilgrims and readers alike. Therefore, the pilgrims “Sholde be constant in adversitee” and not seeking revenge on one another, but rather handle the situation with the grace of Grisilde (1146). Second, women pilgrims and female readers alike are encouraged to show restraint, but are told to “Lat noon humilitee youre tonge naile!” (1184). Finally, the male pilgrims and male readers are forewarned to not do as Walter does, for Grisilde has died and with her the patience of a saint. So, “No wedded man so hardy be t’assaille / His wives pacience, in trust to finde / Grisildis, for he in certain he shal faille” (1180).

Divers, Lazarus, and The Friar

The Parable of Divers and Lazarus

Chaucer’s communique of the hypocrisy and rebellion among clergy is quite apparent in "The Summoner's Tale." This is accomplished by the low and "corrupt" character of the Friar.

As a member of clergy, he is familiar with Christian ideas and beliefs. He espouses those beliefs, but fails to abide by them. He is not Christ like. What makes the Friar such a base character is the fact that he is keenly aware of the responsibilities of his post, yet does not fulfill these. First, it seems sacrilegious that the Friar preaches “Nat al after the text of the holy write,” but rather from his “simple wit” or interpretation (1789).

Additionally, he is deceptive. When he accepts offering of food from the people he does so under the guise that he will pray for their needs. His fellow or partner, writes down the names of the people on a tablet and then “planed awey the names everychon / That biforn had written in his tables” (1758).

Finally, and perhaps worst of all, the Friar is a hypocrite. His hypocrisy becomes obvious when he uses the Lazar and Dives or Lazarus and Divers parable to illustrate a point about how his sacrifices, like those of Lazarus, lead to better favor with God, and, in turn, more prayers answered. The Friar claims:

            We live in poverte and in abstinence,

            And burel folk in richesse and dispence

            Of mete and drink, and in hir foul delit.

            We han this worldes lust al in despit.

            Lazar and Dives liveden diversly,

            And diverse guerdoun hadden they therby. (1873)

If you watch/listen to the video you will find that he is also aware of the penalty for desiring worldly things, as Divers did. Despite this, when the wife of Thomas asks him what he would like to eat for dinner, he gives a list that does not represent the vow of poverty he has taken.  

Though the Friar is well-versed in biblical truths, he is not a holy man. The character of the Friar is, however, an embodiment of the seven deadly sins- wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony- and would surely meet the fate of Divers.

Storytelling

My favorite class that we had so far was the day when we all went around and told stories. I loath public speaking. My eyes cross, my voice shakes, and I feel like at any moment I will just drop to the ground, however, I found that particular activity to be more freeing than terrifying.

I agree with Dr. Mitchell-Buck, where telling stories out loud is a rarity, and forced this behavior out of us as class. It was interesting to actually feel the stress in the room when we all walked in, but as people went on and the atmosphere physically felt looser, and we seemed to have a good time listening to one another.

It was interesting to see the approaches to story telling that people used as well from Diane’s story that she wrote out and brought visual aids, to Suzanna’s story from her childhood, to those of us who just freely spoke about an experience we had.  My personal favorite of the day, was Suzanna’s story because my family is from Peru, and my grandmother used to tell me a very similar story when I was little, so it was neat to connect and remember something like that.

But I thought it was a great classroom experience (especially with the size), and liked the different perspective we got as class in communicating with each other.