‘Lord Thormond’s butler’ arrives with a
ϐŽ‘—”‹•Šǡ ƒ””ƒ–‡• ƒ „”‹‡ˆ Š‹•–‘”› ‘ˆ
–Š‡
…ƒ•–Ž‡ǡ ƒ† ‹˜‹–‡• Ǯ‹Ž‘”†• ƒ† ‹Žƒ†‹‡•ǯ
to the banquet hall. We sit at long oak
tables, laid with just knives. We have to
eat, just as the barons had (and as we still
†‘ „ƒ… Š‘‡Ȍǡ ™‹–Š ‘—” „ƒ”‡ Šƒ†•Ǥ Š‡
Ǯ ‹”•– ‡‘˜‡ǯ ‹• –Š‡ •‘—’ǡ ™Š‹…Š ™‡
drink straight out of the wooden bowls.
Š‡ Ǯ‡…‘† ‡‘˜‡ǯ ‹• ƒ Š—‰‡ ϐŽƒ ‘ˆ
•’ƒ”‡ ”‹„•ǡ ƒ† –Š‡ ǮŠ‹”† ‡‘˜‡ǯ ‹•
ƒ—†‡ŽŽ
Š‹…‡ǡ Ǯ”ƒ‹•‡† ‘ –Š‡ …ƒ•–Ž‡ǯ•
ˆƒ”•ǯǤ —– ™‡ ˜‡‰‡–ƒ”‹ƒ• …‡”–ƒ‹Ž› †‘ǯ–
have to live on bread and water like some
’”‹•‘‡” ‘ˆ ›‘”‡Ǥ ‡ ƒ”‡ •‡”˜‡† ƒ Š‘‡›-
†‡™ ‡Ž‘ ‡–”‡‡ ƒ† ƒ ƒ‹ …‘—”•‡ ‘ˆ
stuffed Portobello mushrooms, as large as
ƒ ‡†‹‡˜ƒŽ ’ƒ‰‡ǯ• …ƒ’Ǥ
ϐ‹††Ž‡” ‡–‡”–ƒ‹• —• –‹ŽŽ –Š‡ ‰‘‰ ‹•
•–”—…ǡ ƒ† –Š‡ „—–Ž‡” ƒ‘—…‡• –Š‡
ground rules, “My noble lords and ladies
ȋ–Šƒ–ǯ• ›‘—Ȍǡ †‘ ‘– ’—‹•Š –Š‡ ‡••‡‰‡”Ǥ
I must ask you to refrain from smoking
–Š‡ –‘„ƒ……‘ Ž‡ƒ˜‡• •‘ ”‡…‡–Ž› ‹–”‘†—…‡†
by Sir Walter Raleigh. Or that newer
…‘–”ƒ’–‹‘ǡ –Š‡ ‘„‹Ž‡ ’Š‘‡Ǣ ‹ˆ Š‡ƒ”
one going off – you’re dead! To show
ƒ’’”‡…‹ƒ–‹‘ ›‘— ƒ› …Žƒ’ǡ ‘” •ƒ› Ǯ ”‘•‡ǯǤ
‡ –Š‡ ƒ‘‹–• ƒ ’‘”–Ž› ‡”‹…ƒ –‘—”‹•–
and his wife the Lord and Lady of the
˜‡‹‰ ™‹–Š ƒ ™‘‘†‡ …”‘™Ǥ Š‡› ƒ”‡
Ž‡† –‘ –Š‡ Š‹‰Š –ƒ„Ž‡ǡ ƒ† –Š‡ •‘—’ ‹•
…‡”‡‘‹ƒŽŽ› „‘”‡ –‘ –Š‡ ˆ‘” –Š‡‹”
ƒ’’”‘˜ƒŽǤ Š‡› ‘† ’‘Ž‹–‡Ž›ǡ ƒ† †‘ ‘–
‘”†‡” –Š‡ …‘‘• –‘ „‡ ˆ‡† –‘ –Š‡ …”‘…‘†‹Ž‡•
‹ –Š‡ ‘ƒ–Ǥ ‘– •—”’”‹•‹‰Ž› •‹…‡ –Š‡
„—–Ž‡” Šƒ† ƒ‘—…‡† ™‹–Š ‘… •‡”‹‘—•-
‡•• –Šƒ– Dzˆ –Š‡› †‘ǯ– Ǯƒ’’”‘˜‡ǯ –Š‡ •‘—’ǡ
Š‡› ™‹ŽŽ „‡ ”‡’Žƒ…‡†Ǥdz –ǯ• ‰‘‹‰ –‘ „‡
quite a knight.
Bunratty Medieval Banquet
45
