feathers-msg - 3/20/03

Period uses for feathers. Feather sources.

NOTE: See also the files: arrows-msg, beads-msg, fans-msg, headgear-msg,
arch-supplies-msg, archery-books-msg, fowls-a-birds-msg.

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NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given  by the individual authors.

Please  respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear  at this time. If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Subject: Re: ANST - Ostrich plumes
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 98 15:36:02 MST
From: Alexis <drwise at swbell.net>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

> Hanse hier, having a spot of trouble.  I've been asked to do a lovely set of
> garments by one of my more refined clients and I find that nobody in all of
> Heidelburg seems to know where I might acquire ostrich plumes in the quality
> and volume that I need for the chappeau.  I don't want those sissy looking
> plumes you so often find at that merchant 'JoAnnes' shop; what I want are
> the HUGE good ones that have a base as big around as a vienna sausage and
> are as full as a frenchman who's been locked up all night in a snail,
> croissant, and wine shop.  My client has a special dispensation from Kaiser
> Max to wear whatever colors he so desires and to completely disregard any
> rules regarding ostentatiousness so we will be needing *no less* than twenty
> plumes... any assistance you good folks can possibly lend us in this area
> would be highly appreciated.
>
> Danke,
>
> Hanse- tailor to the stars of Ansteorra, Burgundy, and the Holy Roman
> Empire.

Greetings 'Hanse'

As one who has been known to sport an ostrich plume or two, I might
direct you to House Morningstar as a reasonably priced vendor of same,
they may be contacted at (713) 729-7990 (11246 S. Post Oak, Houston, Tx
77035).

Sir Alexis LaBouche

Subject: Re: ANST - Ostrich plumes
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 98 10:27:33 MST
From: "George Savage" <grlgeorge at hotmail.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

Dearest Hanse,
upon hearing your request, I had to ask myself, how far is this person
willing to travel to aquire the above mentioned plumes?
So not knowing where you hail from, I will proceed full ahead.
Here in Bonwicke, there is a wonderfull shoppe called "THE JOKER", that
has such mentioned plumes, of various sizes and wonderous colours.
Their address is as follows:

The Joker Costumes Magic & Novelty Company
Briercroft Shopping Center
52nd & Avenue Q
Lubbock, Texas 79412
806-744-6888

They may, perchance, be willing to deal with you over the phone, or
through the mail.

Good Luck!

Lady Ysoulde
Ship's Cook and Surgeon
SS INCONTINENT

Subject: Re: ANST - Ostrich plumes
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 98 11:11:25 MST
From: "Trish McCurdy" <ladyoftherose at hotmail.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

Rooster Cohburn's Ostrich Ranch in Picacho Peak Arizona will ship as
many to you as you want, I dont know what the prices are, but I used to
stop and feed the Ostrich alot *L*

Larissa

Subject: Re: ANST - Ostrich plumes
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 98 11:51:49 MST
From: "Deborah Sweet"<dssweet at okway.okstate.edu>
To: <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>

Guten Tag, Herr Hanse.

        In the current issue of the Renaissance magazine, is an add for
     Ostriches On Line. Their contact information:

        Ostriches On Line
        2218 N 75th Ave
        Elmwood Park, IL  60707

        Tel 1-708-452-7596
        Fax 1-708-452-7510
        email: feathers at ostrichesonline.com
        http://www.ostrichesoneline.com

        I've had no contact with this company, but it's worth looking at
     their web page, at least.

        Estrill

Subject: ANST - Feathers (WAS: Re: Ostrich plumes)
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 98 23:49:20 MST
From: "Mike C. Baker" <kihe at ticnet.com>
To: <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>

Our learned and estimable collector of knowledge, Stefan,
asked:

> How else were feathers used in period?

One method in which they were used was in the creation of
symbols of rank and privilege.  In the British Isles, the
"tugen" was a feathered cloak made of the unplucked
but somehow preserved skins of the ducks which dwelt
upon one specific lake.  The natural feather coloration
was blue-black, no dye was required for the feathers
themselves.

Such cloaks were restricted as the right and privilege of
the most advanced of the bards, filidh and ollave as they
are named in the ancient Irish forms.  However, many of
our SCA membership will have seen a recent example in
use for dramatic purposes.  Recalling the _Merlin_
mini-series, think upon the cloak worn by Sam Neill's
portrayal of the eponymous character.

While there are those who fault most aspects of modern
theatrical works, be assured that for once they got
something _very_ right.  The Merlin of Britain, the Taliesin
of Wales: these would certainly have been accepted as
wearers of the tugen.

At least, such is what I have learnt in my bardic researches.

Mike C. Baker
SCA: Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra (Steppes, Ansteorra)
"Other": Kihe Blackeagle (the Dreamsinger Bard)

Subject: plumes.
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 13:21:50 -0600
From: "adams, ozy" <ozy at door.net>
To: <stefan at texas.net>

A great source for ostrich plumes is ostrichesonline.com.

-0zymandias Breakstock, Squire to Sir Max

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 14:58:17 -0500
From: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Phesants

Melanie Wilson wrote:
>         >3) any ideas for using the feathers?
>
> In hats, feathers were popular in medieval times in hats. Any other ideas
> would be good as I keep saving mine thinking they must be useful for
> something as they sell for pounds at fair, but all I have is jam jars full
> of them on the window sill :)
>
> Mel

Well, there's badminton; stocks and feathers (insert diverse tortures
here); fake birds on hats, etc.

As for cooking - see http://www.labs.net/dmccormick/helmet04.htm

Magnus

Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 13:42:43 -0700 (PDT)
From: H B <nn3_shay at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: SC - gilding the goose?

- --- LrdRas at aol.com wrote:
> Better yet use a feather to apply the egg yolk.

So where does one find food-safe feathers?

There is an ostrich farm somewhere here in NW PA, and they set up a
booth at fairs and things to sell ostrich burgers.  They also sell
feathers, which the woman's daughter collects up and tosses in the
washer inside a pillow case, then in the dryer with a (clean,
for-the-purpose) sneaker.  Is laundry detergent bad, or is it okay
(rinses well enough)?  Could I use these if I re-wash the same way
(washer/dryer) with, say, laundry soap as opposed to detergent (i.e.,
Ivory Snow), or dumping dish soap in the washer?  How much dish soap to
a washer load?  Would this rinse out enough soap, or would I need to
re-rinse?

(I'm asking for opinions/guesses to re-check my thinking here -- I
don't suppose many people wash feathers in their washer or put dish
soap in them.)

- -- Harriet

Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 12:51:18 -0500
From: LYN M PARKINSON <allilyn at juno.com>
Subject: Re: SC - gilding the goose? flooding the kitchen!

NO, NO, NO!  Don't put dish liquid in your dishwasher or your washing
machine.  My 9 year old grandson read the label of some palmolive dish
soap, saw it was for dishes, filled the dishwasher powder container in
the door, and turned on the dishwasher.  Fortunately, his sister saw the
welling suds escaping through door cracks before it got *too* far!  I do
wish I'd remembered the camera when I opened the door!

Wanting to disinfect some scuzzy thing I was washing, I once put 'just a
little squirt' of an antibacterial dish liquid into the washer.  Not so
spectacular as V. Jay's attempt, but don't you do it!

If the rinsing is the only issue, just use plain water--i.e., run the
feathers through without any additives.  Might not be as much fun, but
it's food-grade safer!

Allison

Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 08:03:47 EDT
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - gilding the goose?

nn3_shay at yahoo.com writes:
<< So where does one find food-safe feathers? >>

I use goose feathers. They can be washed in warm soapy water, dried and then
restored by pulling them through your fingers.

Ras

From: Ingeborg Denner <Ingeborg.Denner at erlf.siemens.de>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: cleaning a feather bed?
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 12:29:21 +0200
Organization: Siemens Business Services

Bryanna wrote:
> I've acquired a gently used feather bed from a thrift store, cheap and in
> good condition.  Mostly down with some feathers, Queen size, double layer
> cloth cover.  How do I clean it? It isn't stained or anything, I just want
> to get some of the 'used' out of it.

Personally I found 3 different ways to clean feather beds. 

1. Get to a store where they sell them and have it cleaned. Advantage:
Afterwards it's better than before. Disadvantage: It's so d*** expensive
that you could buy a low-quality *new* featherbed for that. 

2. Give it to the cleaners. Advantage: No bother, the bed is treated
reasonably well. Disadvantage: Costs money, the bed looses some fluff. 

3. Put in in the washing machine, use cold or luke-warm water and down
soap (you get it in outdoor stores). Put a pair of reasonably clean
sneakers in the washing machine, too. Dry cold or luke-warm, again, add
the sneakers. Advantage: Cheap. Plus, clean sneakers ;-). Disadvantage:
Takes long, the bed looses some fluff.  

What I prefer: 

Just air it, preferably in the mornings. Do that for a few days in a
row. Quite often that's enough. 

inge

From: mayfair13a at aol.com (Mayfair13a)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Date: 03 Apr 2001 06:54:43 GMT
Subject: Re: cleaning a feather bed?

I use a feather bed for camping, and like you I aquired mine used.  I asked my
dry cleaner (they adore me, I wonder why?) the best way to clean it.  They told
me to wash it in a big washing machine at the laundry and dry w/tennis balls or
shoes.  I've had it for 4 years now and had no problem with this method.  Sure
is ALOT cheaper than the drycleaner!  I think it is nice to toss in some
vinegar the first time you wash just to get out anything you might not want to
sleep on;).  Every summer when I get it out for camping I run it through my
dryer with some wash rags I soaked lightly(very lightly) in pennyroyal just to
freshen it.  I also agree that sitting it out in the sunshine is a great way to
freshen it.  

Another tip.  I use a flannel duvet cover for mine when I camp.  A little added
protection for the bed and it keeps the feathers from being pokey.

Pasha

Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 08:19:25 -0600 (CST)
From: "Pixel, Goddess and Queen" <pixel at hundred-acre-wood.com>
To: SCA-Cooks maillist <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] chicken plucking

On Fri, 11 Jan 2002, Mark.S Harris wrote:
> So, what did the medieval folks do with all those feathers? 

Mattress stuffing. I have a reference sitting around somewhere for
mattresses stuffed with feathers.

And isn't there a recipe that calls for coloring to be applied to the food in question with a feather? We *just* discussed this one, too.

Margaret

From: Bronwynmgn at aol.com
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 19:38:02 EST
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] chicken plucking
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

pixel at hundred-acre-wood.com writes:
> And isn't there a recipe that calls for coloring to be applied to the food
> in question with a feather? We *just* discussed this one, too.

Yep.  It's in Forme of Cury, Fonnell, numbered, in Pegge's version, with a
confusing series of Roman numerals, namely xx on the top and then III.II.
underneath.

Fonnell
Take almand unblanched. Grynde hem and drawe hem up with gode broth.  Take a
lombe or a kidde and half roste hym, or the thridde part, smyte hym in gobet
and cast hym to the mylke. Take smale bridd ysasted and ystyned(what is
that?), and do thereto sugar, powdor of canell and salt, take yolkes of ayren
harde ysode and cleeve a two and ypanced with flower of canell and florish
the fewe above. Take alkenet fryed and ysondred and droppe above with a
feather and messe it forth.

Brangwayna Morgan

From: Gail Taylor <gtaylor at lonestar.jpl.utsa.edu>
To: ansteorra at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Ostrich feather drying?
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 11:37:53 -0600

I've had a good number of wet feathers now.  Either they dry and fluff
up on their own again or don't.  I never did try the clothes dryer method.

GPT

G. W. S. wrote:
> Dear Gail
>
> I came accross a messgae you left on the internet regarding drying
> ostrich feathers (without recking them). Did manage to get it right?
>
> Tim Pitt
> Gail P. Taylor ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

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