ARHIVELE OLTENIEI - Universitatea din Craiova

26Marin TomaIn the sound made by clarions, the servants bring the food. After thefood is put on the table the Bishop blesses it and water is brought for hand wash.The prince sits at the table first and after him all the others do. The bishop hasseparate food because he is not aloud to eat meat, made from fish and milk.After a while when the heads are a little heated, it is time to drink a glassof wine; first in the name of the Creator, then to honor the sultan, but withoutnaming it. The third glass belongs to the bishop who drinks praying the king.Then he blesses him and all of the people at the table raise and kiss the prince’shand. At the end of the meal, a lot of glasses of wine are drunk in honor of everyperson they can still remember.The meal is over only when the prince puts his napkin on the table. Oneof his servants understanding that, hits with his silver stick in the floor. At thissign, all the people raise up. At least, those who still can. Those that are toodrunk to move are carried away. When the prince turns his back to wash hishands after the meal his servants grab everything they can because for them it isan honor to eat from the meals organized by the prince.On the prince’s command, the nobles are taken to their houses withmusic. The day after, they all go to him, they thank him for the honor given tothem and they apologize for the mistakes made at lunch when they were drunk.Another example of how such a meal was given by the ruler family is the one inthe honor of Paul from Alep and his uncle, the Patriarch Macarie by the princeConstantin Şerban 9 .Paul from Alep says that he observed the Romanians have the custom ofbringing the food to the table with music. His remarks about the habit of drinkinga large number of glasses in the honor of several persons are very funy because hesays he felt like being shudder after all those cups of wine. Paul from Alep tells usthat at the beginning of the meal, a candle was lighted near a Madonna 10 .The Swedish diplomat Clas Brorsson Ralamb, another guest ofConstantin Şerban, appreciated that the food was very good and that there were alot of dishes brought during the meal. He also observed the whole ritual ofdrinking in honor of different persons and, of course, he participated 11 .It is time now to see what people ate. In 1526 the citizens of Sibiu sendfor the wedding of Radu from Afumati with Ruxandra, daughter of the formerprince Neagoe Basarab, wine, fresh fish, 2 oxes, 32 lambs, chickens, flour, breadand oat 12 . The inhabitants of the town of Cluj also served the ambassadors whowent to Wiena or Buda with chickens, ducks, sheep, lambs, rams, cows, rabbits,pigs, sausages, fish, vegetables, fruits, milk, drink and many more 13 .9 Dan Horia Mazilu, Voievodul dincolo de sala tronului. Scene din viaţa privată, EdituraPolirom, 2003, p. 213.10 Ibidem.11 Călători străini despre Ţările Române, vol. V, Bucureşti, Editura Ştiinţifică, 1973,p. 610-611.12 Dan Horia Mazilu, op.cit., p. 218.13 Ibidem.