aphrodisiacs-msg – 1/5/19

Medieval aphrodisiacs.

NOTE: See also the files: p-sex-msg, M-Aphrodisiacs-art, perfumes-msg, P-Condoms-art, birth-control-msg, cosmetics-msg, Thorns-o-Rose-art, Sex-in-the-MA-art.

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                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: bq676 at torfree.net (Kristine E. Maitland)
Subject: Re: Medieval Aphrodisiacs
Organization: Toronto Free-Net
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 1995 14:15:49 GMT

A good lady requested some medieval aphrodisiacs.  I suggest that she 
look to _The Book of Secrets of Albertus Magnus of the Virtues of Herbs, 
Stones and Certains Beasts_ ed. Michael R. Best & Frank H. Brightman 
(London: Oxford University Press,1973).  The english version of this  
anthology dates from 1550.

I took a gander at the text and found the following(WARNING: much of this 
stuff is poisonous -- do NOT attempt this at home!)

Periwinkle  "When it is beaten unto powder with worms of the earth wrapped
		about it, and with an herb called Semperviva, in English
		Houseleek, it induceth love between man and wife if it be
		used in their meats." p.8

Henbane		"...and to them that desire to be loved of women, it is
		good that they bear it with them, for it maketh the 
		bearers pleasant and delectable." p.21

Eaglestone (a geode)
		"If thou wilt engender love between any two. Take the stone
		which is called Aetites, and it is called of some Aquileus,
		because the Eagles put these in their nests...<snip>
		It is said of the ancient Philosophers that this stone,
		hanged up in the left shoulder, getteth love between the 
		husband and his wife." p.46

Another interesting read is Jacqueline Murray's "On the origins and role 
of 'wise women' in causes for annulment on grounds of male impotence" in 
_Journal of medieval History_ vol. 16 (1990).  In essence, if he couldn't 
get it up the church sent old women to feel him up.  If that didn't work 
-- marriage was made void.  

You may want to take a look at _Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs_ by H. E. 
Wedeck (London: Bracken Books, 1994) -- but I'd double check the 
citations.  

gleefully researching the obscene
Ines Carmen Maria de Freitas da Firenze


From: dickeney at access1.digex.net (Dick Eney)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Medieval Aphrodisiacs
Date: 2 Jan 1996 09:44:45 -0500
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA

Or try "The Magical and Ritual Use of Aphrodisiacs".  Or listen to 
Brillat-Savarin (OOP, but what the heck): "the truffle, though not a 
positive aphrodisiac, can under certain circumstances render men more 
gallant and women more amiable".

And then consider what would happen if it really worked perfectly.  There 
are several ladies I could fantasize about, but then comes Conscience and 
points out that it would be about like seducing them by getting them 
drunk or slipping drugs into their food.  I might be enough of a pig to 
enjoy the ensuing hours, but after that I'd feel less like patting myself 
on the back than like crawling off and hiding under a rock.

|---------Master Vuong Manh, C.P., Storvik, Atlantia---------|
|----------------(dickeney at access.digex.net)-----------------|
 

From: Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy at abel.MATH.HARVARD.EDU>
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 09:42:28 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: SC - Humor - where birds come from

>  >   Annejke, that sounds quite heavenly!  Where does it come from?
>  > 
>  > Alys, Birds come from Bees.  I thought everyone knew that.
>  > 	Tibor (:-)
>  
>  But geese come from barnacles, or so Gerard says, so not all birds 
>  come from bees!

Alys, I know you are "joking".  But, in period it was believed that barnacle
geese were from barnacles, and hence fish.  Not to mention that beavers
"breathed" water through their tails, making beaver tails also fit for Lent.

It is obvious that the writers of the Heraldic Bestiaries weren't in touch
with that Lenten rule...  the stories of the "habits" of a frightened beaver
are vulgar, but make it clear that it wasn't exactly a fish....

(The sexual organs of beavers were considered an aphrodisiac.  A beaver,
when chased through the woods, would bite those organs off, throw them at
the pursuer, and race away.   They would "grow back".  At least, according
to those bestiaries.  And we think Pelicans are self-destructive just for
biting blood out of their breasts!)

	Tibor


From: "Sharon L. Harrett" <afn24101 at afn.org>
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 02:57:45 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: SC - Aphrodisiacs

On Mon, 30 Jun 1997, MS JENNIFER RADTKE wrote:
> I am interested in finding out what foods and herbs people in the 
> middle ages belived to be aphrodisiacs.  I would also like to know 
> what books would be a good resource for this subject.
> Thank you in advance,
> Luveday Tyreman

	The best I can recommend is "The Herbal and General History of
Plants" by John Gerard 1633 copyright 1975 Dover Publications, Inc. ISBN
0-486-23147-X. It is expensive (75.00) and late, but within is covered
nearly every type of plant known by 1600 or so. "The Vertues" of each plant
are listed, with *many* of them supposedly having aphrodisiac qualities.
Gerard often refers to earlier sources for his information. (He didn't
actually write it, but updated an earlier manuscript).
	Good libraries should have it. Good Luck!

Ceridwen


Date: Mon, 15 Dec 97 10:33:32 PST
From: "Alderton, Philippa" <phlip at morganco.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Seven deadly sins & spices

At one time, I was curious about aphrodesiacs, and I found most of them
seemed to share certain physical characteristics with human genitalia, ie
penis or breast or testicle shaped or coloured. Oysters, carrots,
cucumbers, rhinocerous horns, ginseng, mandrake and tomatoes all fall in
this catagory. Others were actual body parts from animals perceived as
being very fecund or virile such as snakes, bulls, rabbits, and the like.
Chocolate is a more human /societal aphrodesiac in that its rarity made it
a common courtship gift, as in "see how much I'm spending on you because I
value you so much and incidently will make a good providor" kind of thing-
some birds gift their would-be mates with food for the same purpose. Roses
are often given for the same purpose- plant genitalia similar to the female
vulva, of a "passionate" color, and with the additional irony of thorns.
Perhaps adding some candied red rose petals to your concoction might be
appropriate? The other catagory of aphrodesiacs is dangerous- "Spanish
fly", for example, causes an inflamation of the urogenital system which
could be mistaken for lust by the uninitiated.

phlip at morganco.net


Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 01:13:46 -0800
From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>
Subject: Re: Aphrodisiacs was Re: SC - The Seven Deadly Sins

At 9:58 PM -0500 12/15/97, John and Barbara Enloe wrote:
>  I need info on sources to find out about and/or period aphrodisiacs.

Take a look at either of the published versions of Tacitas Sanitatem--_The
Four Seasons of the House of Cerruti_ or _A Medieval Health Handbook_ (I
think). They discuss lots of foods, with medical properties.

David/Cariadoc


Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 21:59:00 -0500
From: "Sharon L. Harrett" <Ceridwen at commnections.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Seven deadly sins & spices

Greetings to Daniel, and whomever else asked about the aphrodisiacs;

I have a slim little volume called " Aphrodisiac Cookery Ancient and
Modern" by Greg and Beverly Frazier, Published by Troubador Press, San
Francisco, 1970. No ISBN, but the Library of Congress catalog number is
71-128534. It is not what I would recommend for true period cookery, but
a fun volume of folklore and beliefs about certain foods gleaned from
books on sexual practices through the ages. It has recipes with the
disclaimer that the authors were not recommending any of these "ancient"
recipes because of their sometimes strange or dangerous ingredients.
however, many of the recipes are do-able and some are excellent. It's
also just a fun book to read.

For period ideas of the effects of herbs, spices and foods look at
herbals written in period, as most of them describe the uses and effects
of a particular edible. Gerard's is 1603, reprinted from 1597, and is a
compilation of earlier knowledge with additions from himself and a
DoctorJohnson. It really is amazing the beliefs put in it.  Also, some
cookery books have reciepts for medicinals, with thier intended results,
amd much can be gleaned from them.

Ceridwen


Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1999 01:17:32 +0200
From: Thomas Gloning <Thomas.Gloning at germanistik.uni-giessen.de>
Subject: SC - Superstitious Foods....

Many articles on food and superstition in:

Handwo:rterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens. Hg. von Hanns
Ba:chtold-Sta:ubli unter Mitwirkung von Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer.
10 vols. Berlin 1927-42. Reprint Berlin/ New York 1987.

Vol. 10, the index volume, has many cross references s.v. "Speise";
s.v. "Geburt" there are references to "Aalleber zur Erleichterung",
"Brotzauber", "Ka:se", "Wolfsfleisch essen", "Wurstessen", "Zwiebel"
etc.; see also s.v. "Geburtserleichterung".

On food, birth etc. see also:

Britta-Juliane Kruse: Verborgene Heilku:nste. Geschichte der
Frauenmedizin im Spa:tmittelalter. Berlin/ New York 1996.
Index s.v. "Erna:hrung".

She mentions among other things a 12th century medical recipe that was
used "als Aphrodisiakum und zur Stärkung einer Frischentbundenen" (p.
210; the recipe published in Sudhoffs Archiv 50, 1966, 207-210).

Thomas


Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 17:01:04 -0500
From: "Sharon R. Saroff" <sindara at pobox.com>
Subject: SC - Now this is mideval cooking

My lord husband, Sfi Mordehai, sent this to me.

Sindara

>              Legendary aphrodisiac draws mobs of Turkish lovers
>
>   Paste
>   _Packets of a paste reputed to be Turkey's strongest aphrodisiac are
>   flung to waiting throngs
>   _April 26, 1999
>   Web posted at: 10:54 p.m. EDT (0254 GMT)_
>
>   MANISA, Turkey (CNN) -- Hoping a centuries-old secret recipe will
>   inject new romance into their lives, more than 14,000 people flocked
>   to the western Turkish town of Manisa this week to grab a piece of a
>   legendary aphrodisiac.
>
>   Local authorities planned to throw hundreds of kilograms of a
>   mysterious paste, known as Mesur Macunu, from the top of the Sultan
>   mosque in Manisa's main square.
>
>   The paste, made up of 41 different spices, has gained the reputation
>   of being the strongest aphrodisiac in the country, due to its
>   energizing qualities.
>
>   It was said to have been invented in 1540 by a prominent medicine man
>   of the Ottoman Empire, Musluhittin Ephendi, who devised the formula to
>   save the life of the terminally ill mother of Sultan Suleyman the
>   Magnificent.
>
>   Girl
>   _Manisa has been celebrating the aphrodisiac paste for more than 400
>   years _
>
>   The recipe has been secretly transferred from generation to generation
>   among the town's ruling class, known only to the top municipal
>   authorities and officially appointed makers.
>
>   Every year since Mesur Macunu's creation, the town of Manisa has
>   thrown a special festival to distribute the elixir to the masses.
>
>   This year's celebration, the 459th festival, was marked by the
>   announcement that the formula has been officially approved by the
>   Turkish Pharmaceutical Standards Institute.
>
>   Manisa authorities said almost 40 tons of the paste would be produced
>   this year, with a quarter of it exported to European countries.
>--
>Matthew Saroff


Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 17:49:01 -0500
From: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>
Subject: SC - chick peas = aphrodisiac???

Just a bit I just read on chick peas that I thought some would find
interesting.

Barbara Santich notes on page 26 of "The Original Mediterranean Cuisine"
  In a different context, chick peas were regarded as the perfect
  aphrodisiac: they were nourishing; they were defined as hot and moist,
  as was semen; and they caused flatulence, the emission of gas
  somehow being seen as analogous to the 'soul' contained within semen.

Perhaps this gives a whole new meaning to "soul food".

Stefan li Rous
stefan at texas.net


From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
To: "'sca-cooks at ansteorra.org'" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] online glossary
Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 14:48:47 -0500

Saterion is probably more correctly spelled Satyrion, the purple orchis,
Orchis mascula.  It contains starch and is used to produce salep, a starch
meal used as food, as a drink, and as an aphrodisiac.

Here are a couple of period references:

Matiolli:
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/kinney/medium/page334.jpg

Fuchs:
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/kinney/small/pe322.htm

Diasaterion (try diasatyrion) appears to be Orchis militaris.
http://www.kraeuter.ch/Knabenkraut/Knabenkraut.htm

or possibly, a preparation of satyrion:
http://www.bootlegbooks.com/NonFiction/Culpeper/Herbal/chap389.html

the previous URL is only part of Culpepper's Herbal:
http://www.bootlegbooks.com/NonFiction/Culpeper/Herbal/Default.htm

Scincus is a genus of skinks, but this may be a point where the taxonomy
varies from previous usage.

From some of these ingredients, I would say this recipe is meant to be an
aphrodisical comfort to gentlemen and ladies.

Bear


Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 23:40:34 -0400
From: "Christine Seelye-King" <kingstaste at mindspring.com>
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Aphrodisiac foods
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Do we have any info, or are there published resources, on what types of  
Food were considered aphrodisiacs in period?

Petru

We've had this conversation before, when I posted this list the first time.
At the time, there were a couple of other suggestions, none of them period,
and the entire discussion turned to the chemical properties involved in
creating that particular smell in your urine when you eat asparagus.
	So, here is the list of aphrodesiac foods I've got.
	Mistress Christianna

While perusing the "Book of Lists" the other day (my lord wanted me to read
Benjamin Franklin's 8 Reasons To Marry An Older Woman), I came across the
list of:

10 Foods Claimed To Be Aphrodisiacs

1. Asparagus.
	Asparagus contains a diuretic that increases the amount of urine excreted
and excites the urinary passages. The vegetable is rich in potassium,
phosphorus, and calcium - all necessary for maintenance of a high energy
level.  However, it also contains aspartic acid, which neutralizes excess
amounts of ammonia in one's body and may cause apathy
and sexual disinterest.

2. Caviar
	In addition to being nutritious (30% protein), caviar has been considered
an aphrodisiac because of its obvious place in the reproductive process.
All fish and their by-products have been linked to the myth of Aphrodite,
the goddess of love who was born from the foam of the sea. Supposedly,
anything that came from the sea would partake of Aphrodite's power.

3. Eel
	Eel, like most fish, is rich in phosphorus and has an excitant effect on
the bladder.  In addition to its general associations with the aphrodisiac
effect of fish, it has probably been favored as and aphrodisiac because of
its phallic appearance.

4. Garlic
	Both Eastern and Western cultures have long regarded garlic as an
aphrodisiac. The Greeks and Romans sang its praises and oriental lovers
claimed to be towers of strength because of eating it.

5. Ginseng
	The Chinese call ginseng the "elixir of life" and have used it for over
5,000 years.  Although medical opinion is sharply divided as to its merits,
recent Russian experiments claim that ginseng increases sexual energy and
has a general healing and rejuvenating influence on the body.


6. Honey
	Honey is highly nutritious and rich in minerals, amino acids, enzymes,
and B-complex vitamins.  Galen, Ovid, and Sheikh Nefzawi, author of "The
Perfumed Garden", believed that honey has outstanding aphrodisiac  
powers.


7. Lobster
	The lobster has been described as an amatory excitant by many writers,
including Henry Fielding in "Tom Jones".  In addition, it shares the
Aphrodite-derived power attributed to all seafood.

8. Oysters
	Oysters are one of the most renowned aphrodisiac foods.  Like other
seafood, they are rich in phosphorus.  Although they are not a high source
of energy, oysters are easily digestible.  Among the eminent lovers who have
vouched for oysters was Casanova, who called them "a spur to the spirit and
to love."

9. Peaches
	"Venus owns this tree... the fruit provokes lust..." wrote herbalist
Nicholas Culpepper.  The Chinese considered the fruit's sweet juices
symbolic of the effluvia of the vagina, and both the Chinese and Arabs
regard its deep fur-edged cleft as symbolic of the female genitalia.  A
"peach house" was once a common English slang term for a house of
prostitution, and the term "peach" has been used almost universally to
describe a pretty or sexually appealing girl.

10. Truffles
	Truffles, the expensive underground fungi, are similar to oysters in that
they are composed mostly of water and are rich in protein. Rabelais,
Casanova, George Sand, Sade, Napoleon, and Mme. Pompadour are a few of the
many notables who have praised the truffle's aphrodesiac powers,  An ancient
French proverb  warns "Those who wish to lead virtuous lives should abstain
from truffles."

Contributed to "The Book of Lists" by Robert Hendrickson
"The Book of Lists" by David Wallechinsky, Irving Wallace and Amy Wallace
Bantam Edition, February 1978

Christianna


Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 23:45:24 -0400
From: "Christine Seelye-King" <kingstaste at mindspring.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] A Persian Ritual
To: "SCA Cooks" <Sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Another aphrodisiac food thing I have is this Persian Ritual. It came off of
a website called The Aphrodesiac Exchange, but the web address I have for it
no longer works.

Christianna

A Persian "Ritual"

Lady Katherine D' Armagh's contribution to the Aphrodisiacs Exchange (many
thanks!) is as follows:
"When I was a young teenager, my parents bought a house with an apartment
attached. The first tenants were a young married couple from Tehran, Persia,
now modern day Iran. The woman was mysterious and very, very beautiful. She
was quiet and soft spoken, and I was fascinated by her.

She taught me many things, how to knit, how to cook Persian food and best of
all, the "ritual" Persian women have used for centuries to ensure capturing
the heart, body and soul of the men of their choice. She said that in a
country where men made all of the decisions, the only trick was to make them
think that what you wanted them to do, was their idea in the first  
place. The ritual is:

The Wanton Maid

On the head of she who will choose,
a drop of gardenia to catch the zephyr and float to him whom she would choose.
On the eyelids of she who will choose,
a drop of rose oil to entice him whom she would choose.
On her mouth, a drop of honey, to soften the mouth of him whom she would choose.
On her tongue, a drop of peppermint,
to spark the flame in the loins of him whom she would choose.
On her neck, a drop of ambergris, to give the flush of heat to him whom she
would choose.
On each breast, a drop of almond milk, to nourish him whom she would choose.
On her stomach, a drop of vetiver to awaken lust in him whom she would choose.
On her mound of mirth, a drop of patchouli to unleash the throbbing serpent in him whom she would choose.
On the lips of her maiden flower,
a drop of lilacs to lick for him whom she would choose.
For when these drops are combined with her lover's milk of passion,
their union inside her will bring the fruit of happiness and long life to
she who will choose, and he whom she has chosen.


Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 23:19:52 -0500
From: Robert Downie <rdownie at mb.sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Aphrodisiac foods
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Patrick Levesque wrote:
> Do we have any info, or are there published resources, on what types of food
> were considered aphrodisiacs in period?
>
> Petru

Generally nourishing foods, animals thought to be...er...prolific, or foods that
resembled genetalia had aphrodisiac properties associated with them. A look
through Platina, where each foodstuff is analysed from a humoral/health
perspective could yield some useful results.  I won't check right now cause it's
past my bedtime! I can follow up tommorow unless one of the super talented and
resourceful members of this list beats me to it.   I recently did a quick
internet source and found these (not necessarily all documentable in period, but
hey, it's a place to start):

beavers, oysters, carrots, cucumbers, snakes, bulls, rabbits, spanish fly, chick
peas, aniseed, asparagus, almond, basil, corriander, figs, garlic, ginger,
honey, liquorice, mustard, nutmeg, pine nuts, strawberries, truffles (I remember
this one specifically mentioned in Platina), sparrows (which were sacred to
Athena due to their amorous nature)

Sounds kinda like the Tasmanian Devil's menu....and especially rabbits!

Faerisa


Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 09:38:00 -0700
From: david friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Aphrodisiac foods
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

My favorite comment on the subject--I don't remember where I saw 
it--was that, considering the wide variety of foods that have been 
considered aphrodisiac in the past, it's clear that all anyone really 
needed was a square meal.
-- 
David/Cariadoc
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/


Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 18:38:10 -0400
From: "Kirsten Houseknecht" <kirsten at fabricdragon.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Aphrodisiac foods
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

> Do we have any info, or are there published resources, on what types of
> food were considered aphrodisiacs in period?
>
> Petru

well, for general listings. try
The Magical and Ritual Use of Aphrodisiacs
by Richard and Iona Miller

it is not "period" but they do their research really well.....
Kirsten Houseknecht
Fabric Dragon
Philadelphia, PA     USA


From: Gretchen Beck <grm at andrew.cmu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Oysters
Date: Sat, 07 Feb 2004 12:33:52 -0500
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

<asmith1946 at aol.com> wrote:
> Like so many other foods, oysters are supposedly aphrodesiacs (I've tried
> them, and they did work for me, but perhaps some of you have different
> experiences?).
>
> Is this a 20th century invention or historically were oysters considered
> aphrodesiacs? Does this go back to the humoral system of medicine?
>
> Andy Smith

Platina says of all fish "Nevertheless, they are thought to moisten the 
belly and increase fertility".  He also says specifically of the oyster 
that "these stimulate dulled passions, are highly prized among the suptuous 
and libidinous."

That takes it back to at least the 15th C.

toodles, margaret


Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2004 17:47:37 -0500
From: "Daniel  Phelps" <phelpsd at gate.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] The Perfumed Garden
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Was written:
>>>
>Has anyone a reference for an online source for the contents of The 
>Perfumed Garden by al Nefzawi?

>> Is that Burton's translation?  Could you give me the online address  
>> for it?
I can find no reference to the translator on cursory examination.   
Perhaps you can take a peek,
and see if it matches up with your copy of Burton:
http://www.bibliomania.com/2/1/74/121/frameset.html
<<<
> In this edition, I am specifically looking for Middle Eastern references for
> medicinal/aphrodisiacal properties of various ingredients, which are alleged 
> to be in there
> somewehere.  I have not yet had the opportunity to give it more than a
> quick glance.
>
> I have personal reason to suspect that some of these alleged aphrodisiacs
> are, in fact, very powerful ;)

Yes if it is the book I think it is the recipes you seek may be there. I
last read my copy of Burton's translation several years ago and recall
reading several such recipes.  Also IIRC a rather interesting cure for
impotence that involves leather and hot pitch is included.  From my
remembrance of the treatment I would not recommend even to the desperate.
Lots of odd things such as how to save yourself when confronted by a lion
unexpectedly are in it as well.  All and all a rather odd read.

Daniel


Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 13:19:37 -0500
From: "Elise Fleming" <alysk at ix.netcom.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] PPC #77
To: "sca-cooks at ansteorra.org" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>,
	"mk-cooks at midrealm.org" <mk-cooks at midrealm.org>

Greetings!  The newest Petits Propos Culinaires (#77) arrived a few days
ago and there are several articles of interest to SCAdians.

The first is "Parisian Bread Circa 1654". <snip>

Andrew Dalby wrote "Platina, Brantome and the Female Libido" which 
mentions some aphrodisiacs and connections to Platina.

<snip>

Alys Katharine


From: "Volker Bach" <carlton_bach at yahoo.de>
To: <SCAFoodandFeasts at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2005 3:31 AM
Subject: Re: SCA Food and Feast List aphrodisiacs!!

Am Sonntag, 1. Mai 2005 07:46 schrieb Sarah Lynn:
>  Got into a big discussion with some folks about historical Aphrodisiacs
> and was hoping someone/s out there might add to my growing store of
> information on historical types and uses of. I'm being "encouraged" to
> teach more and this sounds like an interesting subject. Any sources ,
> tidbits or general information would be appreciated. I'll file my results
> when I get it compiled

 Here's some I typed up for an A&S Entry I hope to do in the distant future.
 Note the translation is from the German translation, not the Arabic original,
 and I am doubtful about some points.

 Giano


 Abu Abdalla Muhammad An-Nafzawi, based on the new translation by Ulrich
Marzolph 2002 (Munich 2002, ISBN 340649580x)

CHAPTER 13

"To gain strength for the sexual act, mix ground ant eggs with oil and
clear honey; take this on an empty stomach and it will strengthen for
intercourse. Or the penis or the vagina should be rubbed with the gall 
of the jackal wolf; this grants additional strength for intercourse."

"Wise Galenus said 'those who have little strength for intercourse should
drink a glass of thick honey and eat twenty almonds and one hundred 
pine nuts before bed three days in a row'"

"The same effect have ground onion seeds, sieved and mixed with honey;
this should be taken on an empty stomach."

"Melted fat from the camel's hump, rubbed onto the penis before
intercourse, effects a remarkable increase in strength and will make 
the partner happy."

"To increase the experience of sexual joy, chew cubeb peppers, which is a
kind of large cardamom, and rub a little of the chewed pulp onto the glans;
This will afford man and woman great joy. Balm oil has a similar effect."

"Further, for strength during intercourse you can grind a little pyrethrum
and ginger, mix it with oil of lilies and rub it onto the pudenda, the
scrotum and penis. This lends strength."

"To increase strength during intercourse, produce more semen and increase
the erection and sexual potency, take (a piece of) spurge the size of a
mustard seed; This will give a strong erection and improve all other
things mentioned."

"If you wish the woman to desire you during intercourse, take cubebs and
pyrethrum and chew it during sex, rub it on the penis and enter her; She
will desire you passionately. Rubbing the penis with asses' milk is 
even more effective."

"If you cook chickpeas with onions, strew a mixture of pyrethrum and
ginger on it and eat your fill of that, this will work miracles during
intercourse."

CHAPTER 15

"(Male) Infertility caused by coldness of the temperament, incontinence,
cold or fever, by premature ejaculation, a short member, or a cancer of
the penis or bladder, can be cured. Warming medicines such as mixtures of
honey, ginger, pyrethrum, garlic, cinnamon, grains of paradise, nutmeg,
/wachsblume/, cinnamon bark, /paprika/ (bell peppers? can't be) and 
other spices can help."

CHAPTER 17

"The best medicine for those who do not have any erection is the
following:

Take Indian galingale, cinnamon, cloves, Indian liquorice, grains of
paradise, nutmeg, Indian cubeb pepper, /wachsblume/, /beifuß/, cinnamon
bark, Persian pepper, Indian /beifuß/, cardamom, laurel seeds, pyrethrum
and clove flowers; grind all of this exceedingly finely and drink it in
broth; it may be chicken broth, but it must in any case be well boiled. If
you like, you can also take the mixture in honey. Take it in the 
morning and the evening."

"Those who have premature ejaculations should mix nutmeg and 
frankincense with honey and take this carefully."

"He whose penis softens prematurely should mix pyrethrum, /nieswurzsamen/,
a little spurge, green ginger, cinnamon and cardamom and take it mixed with
honey. His weakness will disappear, and all problems will be solved."

CHAPTER 18

"He who has a small penis and intends to enlarge and harden it before
intercourse should massage it in lukewarm water before sex until it
reddens, circulation increases, and it becomes hot and stiff. Then he
should rub it with a paste of honey and ginger and have intercourse.  The
woman will feel such great joy that she will not suffer him to dismount."

"You can also take equal amounts of pepper, lavender, musk, and galingale,
grind and sieve them, and mix the powder with honey and ginger. Rub this
onto the penis after thoroughly massaging it in warm water. It will 
become large and hard so that the woman has great joy from it."

"You can also massage the penis in lukewarm water until it reddens and
becomes erect. Then take a thin strip of parchment, spread hot pitch on it
and wrap it around the fully erect penis; Leave it on until the erection
has ended and the penis become flaccid again. If this is repeated 
often, the penis will become strong and large."

"You can also take a number of long leeches of the kind that live in water
and put as many of them as possible into a bottle. Then pour oil on them
and leave the mixture standing in the sun until the components mingle
through the action of the heat. This oil you must rub onto the penis on
several consecutive days and it will become strong and large."

CHAPTER 21

"Daily eating egg yolks without the whites on an empty stomach increases
the desire for intercourse; the same is true for eating them with chopped
onions for three days in a row. Peeled asparagus, fried in butter with egg
yolks and ground aromatic spices, eaten several days in a row strengthens
for intercourse as well as causing inordinate desire."

"If you place chopped onions in a pot, add aromatic spices, fry this in
butter together with egg yolks and eat it on several consecutive days 
it will grant indescribable strength for intercourse."

"He who takes camel milk mixed with honey over several days will be granted
similarly wondrous strength and his penis shall not rest night or day."

"He who eats egg yolk fried with tripe, cinnamon, and pepper will increase
his strength for intercourse; He will have persistent, strong erections so
that he almost can not sleep any more."

"If you desire to fuck through an entire night but have not had the
opportunity to partake of the abovementioned foods before, take as many
eggs as you need to eat your fill and fry them in a pan with fresh
butterfat or butter until they are done; Pour plenty of honey over them,
mix this and eat it with enough bread. Your penis will stand all night."

"As regards the drinks that stimulate sexual desire, many people consider
the following to be efficacious: First squeeze onions until the juice comes
out; Take one measure of this. Add to this two measures of clear honey. Mix
this and simmer it on a small fire until the onion juice is gone and the
honey remains as it was before. Take it off the fire, cool it and bottle it
for later use. For use, take one ounce of it and mix it with three ounces
of water in which chickpeas have been soaking for a day and a night.  Drunk
before going to bed in a winter's night, you will find no sleep. If you
take this medicine regularly your penis will stand so stiff and firm that
you will not find sleep. Men of a hot temperament ought not to take this
medicine as it causes fever in them. It should never be taken more than
three days in succession, except if one is very old or has a cold
temperament. It should also not be taken during summer."


Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:28:54 -0700
From: David Friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] period aphrodisiacs

My favorite comment on the subject, by whom I don't remember, was 
that, considering how wide a range of things were believed to be 
aphrodisiac in the Middle Ages, it looks as though all anyone really 
needed was a square meal.
-- 
David/Cariadoc
www.daviddfriedman.com


From the fb "SCA Cooks" group:
Urtatim Al-Qurtubiyya
2:54pm Nov 8, 2018

I have this book. It has some recipes that sound like they will be tasty. There are also some beverage syrup recipes that sound good, too.

https://www.amazon.com/Sultans-Sex-Potions-Aphrodisiacs-Middle/dp/0863567479/

The actual text in translation is about, IIRC, 50 pages. A great deal of the book discusses how Arabic-language and Persian books on erotology are serious and well-thought out. Basically the translator is stressing the scholarly and trying to get away from the blushing and giggling factor. So if you are interested, you might want to see if a library has it or can get it.


Urtatim Al-Qurtubiyya
7:44pm Nov 8

Also, there's an aphrodisiac dish in the 13 c anonymous Andalusian cookbook.

Carrot Paste

ORIGINAL
trans. by Charles Perry

Take a ratl of carrots, of which you have cleaned the interior. Cook it in a ratl of water, some two boilings, then take it off the fire and let it dry a little, over a sieve. Add it to three ratls of honey, cleaned of its foam, and cook all this until it takes the form of a paste. Then season it with ginger, galingale, cubeb and flowers [of clove?], half an ûqiya in all for each ratl. Eat it like a nut at meals. Its benefits: it fortifies coitus and increases desire beautifully; it is admirable.

I've made this several times, including for feasts. It's darn tasty. And tastes a lot like gajar halwa, altho no milk or butter. (my worked out version is on my website)

Also I used half honey and half sugar because I think the flavor of honey is too dominant when it's used alone. (I use raw honey)

Urtatim Al-Qurtubiyya
1:29am Nov 9
The original and my version are in this webpage:
http://home.earthlink.net/~al-tabbakhah/2002_Feasts/2002-Mists_Bardic/2002Bardic1-Mixed.html

<the end>
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