18 Monarchy
18 Monarchy July 2022 | World and Press Meat was a rare treat for flexitarian Anglo-Saxon kings SCIENCE According to a new study, Anglo-Saxon kings were mostly vegetarian, with meat eaten only infrequently. mit Audiodatei und By Rhys Blakely Übungsmaterial A historical reenactor prepares food in an Anglo-Saxon camp during a reenactment of the 1066 Battle of Hastings in 2016. | Photo: Getty Images 1 FAR FROM living on a meatladen diet of regular gluttonous feasts, Anglo-Saxon kings were what would now be called flexitarians, a study suggests. One relic from the 7th-century reign of King Ine of Wessex is a kind of shopping list. It asks the local farmers to supply ten vats of honey, 300 loaves, 42 buckets of beer, two full-grown cattle (or ten sheep), ten geese, 20 hens, ten cheeses, a bucket of butter, five salmon, and 100 eels. 2 Scholars, quite understandably, had concluded that the medieval elite ate as if attending a “permanent feast”. But the study presents a very different picture: Anglo-Saxon kings like Ine, it suggests, were mostly vegetarian, with meat eaten only infrequently, including at massive barbecues where the nobility rubbed shoulders with the peasantry. One implication is that Anglo- Saxon England as a whole was less hierarchical than has long been supposed. 3 The research began when Dr Sam Leggett, of Cambridge University, analysed the bones of 2,023 people buried in England from the 5th to 11th centuries, looking for chemical signatures that indicate what people ate. She also looked at the social status of each individual, signalled by items found with their bodies and the position of their graves. Confounding expectations, there was no sign that the elites were consuming more meat than the masses. Instead, everybody was sustained mostly by food from plants. 4 Next, Leggett teamed up with Dr Tom Lambert, also of Cambridge University, to look at how this could be reconciled with the shopping list of Ine, who was on the throne from 688 to 726. They estimate that the supplies it mentions amount to more than 1.2 million calories, more than half of which would have come from animal protein. If the elites were eating this kind of food regularly, their bones would have shown much higher levels of nitrogen than were detected, and there would have been a clear difference between the rich and poor. 5 A better explanation, Leggett and Lambert argue, is that the list describes the food required for one massive community barbecue. The 300 loaves mentioned would have been small, probably enough for one person. If one assumes a guest list of 300 people, then they each would have been offered more than 4,000 calories, including 500g of beef, plus plenty of salmon, eel, poultry, and cheese, as well as honey and ale. 6 Ten other comparable food lists from southern England suggest similar menus: a modest amount of bread, a huge amount of meat, a decent but not excessive quantity of beer, and no mention of vegetables. These feasts, the researchers believe, would have been lavish outdoor events at which whole animals were roasted in huge pits, examples of which have been excavated in East Anglia. 7 “Historians generally assume that medieval feasts were exclusively for elites,” Lambert said. “But these food lists show that even if you allow for huge appetites, 300 or more people must have attended. That means that a lot of ordinary farmers must have been there, and this has big political implications ... These were not blueprints for everyday elite diets as historians have assumed.” … 8 The findings were published yesterday in the journal ‘Anglo- Saxon England’. © The Times, London/News Licensing This article originally appeared in The Times, London. 0 – 1 TREAT Leckerbissen — flexitarian “ÆfleksI"te´ri´n‘ — vegetarian “ÆvedZI"te´ri´n‘ — infrequently “In"fri… kw´ntli‘ selten — meat-laden fleischlastig — gluttonous feast “"gløt´n´s‘ Schlemmermahl — relic “"relIk‘ Relikt — reign Regentschaft — Ine “i…n´‘ — vat Fass — bucket Kübel — eel Aal 2 scholar “"skÅl´‘ Wissenschaftler(in) — understandably verständlicherweise — to conclude “k´n"klu…d‘ zu dem Schluss gelangen — medieval “Æmedi"i…v´l‘ mittelalterlich — nobility Adel — to rub shoulders with s.o. mit jdm. zus.kommen — peasantry “"pez´ntri‘ Bauernstand — implication Schlussfolgerung — hierarchical “ÆhaI"rA…kIk´l‘ 3 – 4 to indicate darauf hindeuten — to signal erkennen lassen — to confound “k´n"faUnd‘ widerlegen — to consume verzehren — to sustain versorgen; ernähren — to team up with s.o. s. mit jdm. zus.tun — to reconcile “"rek´nsaIl‘ in Einklang bringen — supplies Vorräte — nitrogen “"naItr´dZ´n‘ Stickstoff — to detect “-"-‘ feststellen 5 – 6 to assume s.th. “´"sju…m‘ von etw. ausgehen — poultry “"p´Ultri‘ Geflügel — ale Bier — comparable “"kÅmp´r´b´l‘ vergleichbar — excessive “Ik"sesIv‘ übermäßig — lavish üppig; großzügig — to roast braten — pit Grube — to excavate “"eksk´veIt‘ ausgraben 7 – 8 historian Historiker(in) — exclusively “Iks"klu… sIvli‘ ausschließlich — blueprint Plan — journal Fachzeitschrift York strips Prince Andrew of freedom of city TITLES By Karla Adam 1 THE ENGLISHcity of York this week joined the legions who have sought to distance themselves from disgraced Prince Andrew, with city councilors voting unanimously to strip him of a minor title: Honorary Freedom of York. But if they could have their way, many people in the city would like to see Andrew lose the title he is most closely identified with: Duke of York. That’s a much taller order. Beyond even the powers of the queen. 2 Prince Andrew has made an effort to travel to York over the years, local councilor Darryl Smalley said. He once opened a community center, and he visited several times after the city flooded badly in 2015. “People appreciated that, and they do appreciate a senior royal connected to the city,” Smalley said. “But now, that’s completely tarnished.” In February, Andrew settled a civil lawsuit with American Virginia Giuffre, who said she was forced to have sexual encounters with Andrew when she was a teenager after being trafficked by U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein. 3 Organizations had begun to cut ties with Andrew in 2019, after he defended his relationship with Epstein, a convicted sex offender. But Andrew retained his military titles and dozens of royal patronages – until his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, relieved him of those in January. 4 The Duke of York title was created in the 14th century. For much of its existence, the title has been given to the second son of the monarch. Queen Elizabeth II gave the title to Andrew, her second son, when he married Sarah Ferguson in 1986. The previous holder of the title was the queen’s father, Albert, who was also a second son of a monarch. 5 But while a British monarch can giveth a dukedom, she alone can’t taketh it away. That would require an act of Parliament. The last time that was done was in 1917, when the Titles Deprivation Act allowed various British nobles with German connections to lose their peerages during World War I. 6 Bob Morris, a constitutional expert at University College London, said that if Parliament were to go that route with Andrew, it would be with at least a nod from the queen. “I think the queen’s wishes would be respected in this, whatever they may be,” Morris said. “I can’t imagine Parliament doing it off its own bat in a matter like this.” Morris added: “It’s a measure of Andrew’s disgrace that anyone thinks it’s worthwhile to call for the title to be removed.” … © 2022 The Washington Post Prince Andrew in April 2021. | Photo: Picture Alliance/AP 0 – 1 TO STRIPs.o. of s.th. jdm. etw. aberkennen — freedom of city (of …); s.w.u. Honorary Freedom (of … ) “"Ån´r´ri‘ Ehrenbürgerschaft (der Stadt …) — to seek to do s. bemühen zu tun — disgraced “dIs"greIst‘ in Ungnade gefallen; s.w.u. disgrace Schande — city councilor Stadtrat(-rätin) — unanimously “ju…"nœnIm´sli‘ einstimmig — if they could have their way … wenn es nach ihnen ginge … — tall order schwieriges Unterfangen 2 – 3 tarnished “"tA…nISt‘ beschmutzt — to settle a civil lawsuit s. in e-m Zivilprozess außergerichtlich einigen — to traffic Menschenhandel betreiben — to cut ties with s. trennen von — convicted verurteilt — sex offender Sexualstraftäter(in) — to retain behalten — patronage “"pœtr´nIdZ‘ Schirmherrschaft — to relieve s.o. of s.th. jdm. etw. entziehen 4 – 6 to giveth “"gIvIT‘ (archaic) h.: verleihen — dukedom Herzogswürde — to taketh away (archaic) entziehen — Titles Deprivation Act “ÆdeprI"veIS´n‘ Gesetz zum Entzug von Adelstiteln — noble Adlige(r) — peerage Adels titel — constitutional “ÆkÅnstI"tju…S´n´l‘ Verfassungs- — nod Abnicken — to do s.th. off one’s own bat etw. im Alleingang tun — measure of “"meZ´‘ Gradmesser für
World and Press | July 2022 The day Elizabeth II became queen in a treehouse in Kenya PLATINUM JUBILEE The story of Elizabeth’s succession to the throne is history with echoes of Arthurian romance. mit Audiodatei By William Booth 1 IN JUNE,Britain and the Commonwealth nations are set to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s “Platinum Jubilee,” her recordbreaking 70-year reign. The people will hoist pints aloft at street parties, nibble proper sandwiches at garden picnics, and watch a huge parade roll through the capital, with a golden carriage led by thousands of honor guards bedecked in military finery. 2 But Feb. 6, the exact day Elizabeth became sovereign in 1952? For the monarch, this is traditionally a more muted anniversary, a day of quiet reflection. Because for a princess to become a queen? A king must die. This date marks when her beloved father, King George VI, passed away, asleep in his bedroom on the ground floor of Sandringham Estate. “It is a day that, even after 70 years, I still remember as much for the death of my father, King George VI, as for the start of my reign,” she wrote in an anniversary statement released Saturday. 3 The story of the day and hour of Elizabeth’s accession to the throne has been told many times, but it remains a captivating tale. It’s history with echoes of Arthurian romance. On the morning of her father’s death, 25-year-old Elizabeth was perched in a treehouse in Kenya, from which she’d watched a herd of elephants led by matriarchs come to a watering hole. 4 “There has been much speculation, not least because of historical parallels, about when precisely Elizabeth became Queen,” Then-Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh on a bridge at Sagana Lodge in Kenya on February 5, 1952. | Photo: Mirrorpix/Getty Images wrote Sally Bedell Smith, in her biography of the monarch. “It undoubtedly happened when she was atop the African fig tree, which draws a romantic line to the moment in 1558 when Elizabeth I, seated next to an oak tree at Hatfield House, heard that the death of her sister, Queen Mary, meant she was the monarch, also at age twenty-five.” 5 For many months, King George had been in declining health. “The King, a heavy smoker, underwent a left total pneumonectomy in September 1951 for what euphemistically was called ‘structural abnormalities’ of his left lung, but what in reality was a carcinoma,” wrote Rolf F. Barth of Ohio State University in a “pathologists’ reassessment” last year. “His physicians withheld this diagnosis from him, the public, and the medical profession,” he and co-author L. Maximillian Buja wrote. 6 Too ill to travel, 56-year-old George tasked Elizabeth and her husband, Philip, with undertaking a months-long tour of the Commonwealth, in what was then the twilight of the British Empire. George saw his daughter off at London Airport on Jan. 31, 1952. Newspapers said the king looked “well and cheerful.” One of his biographers would later suggest “haggard” as a better description. The crowd let out a cheer as he waved goodbye to Elizabeth. It would be the last time the two saw each other. 7 The young couple traveled to Kenya, where a BBC newsreel shows Elizabeth in a print dress and Philip in white naval uniform, bedecked in medals, emerging from the BOAC Argonaut plane. … From the Kenyan capital, the two, accompanied by a small entourage, traveled three hours to Sagana Lodge, a villa alongside a trout stream, presented to them as a wedding gift from the Kenyan state. 8 “It was a dangerous time in the British colony. The Mau Mau campaign had just broken out across the White Highlands,” wrote historian Nicholas Best in the ‘Observer.’ “The officials responsible for the princess’s tour of Kenya, Australia, and New Zealand felt unable to guarantee her safety while she was in Kenya. It was only fear of ridicule that stopped them canceling the African leg of the trip.” 9 On Feb. 5, the couple traveled further into the forest, to Treetops Hotel, a game-viewing lodge. Their three-bed cabin was reached by a rickety ladder and built into the branches of an ancient fig tree, overlooking a waterhole and salt lick. … That afternoon and evening, Elizabeth saw and filmed with her handheld movie camera rhinos, warthogs, baboons, and a herd of elephants. “Look, Philip, they’re pink!” Elizabeth told her husband, according to Smith’s account. The elephants had been rolling in red dust. 10 That same day, King George had been shooting hares at Sandringham Estate back in England. “The King, a great shot, was on top of his form,” his neighbor Lord Fermoy told a newspaper. George dined with his wife and younger daughter, Princess Margaret, before retiring to his bedroom at 10:30 p.m. The ‘Birmingham Gazette’ reported that the king died in his sleep sometime in the early morning hours of Feb. 6, after a “perfectly happy day.” Newspapers later described Monarchy 19 the cause of death as “a blood clot in his heart.” 11 Because of the distance and difficulty of communications, it took hours for the news to reach rural Kenya. The message was relayed to Philip’s private secretary, and from Philip to his wife when they’d returned to Sagana Lodge. Without ceremony or even awareness, but in accordance with British tradition, Elizabeth had become queen. The newspaper front pages rang out, “Long Live Queen Elizabeth,” while noting, “Her Majesty, pale with grief, leaves by air for home.” 12 There was a proclamation of the accession at St. James’s Palace in London that day, signed by 150 members of the Privy Council. More than a year later, on June 2, 1953, the coronation of Elizabeth II took place in Westminster Abbey, a much more joyous, public, televised occasion, watched by millions. A2 – B2 © 2022 The Washington Post Getting to know Ireland and Scotland! Extra: Ireland and Scotland ¤ 21,90 [D] ISBN 978-3-7961-1074-0 www.sprachzeitungen.de 0 PLATINUM JUBILEE“"plœtIn´m "dZu…bIli…‘ 70-jähriges Thronjubiläum — succession/accession to the throne “s´k"seS´n‘ Thronbesteigung — echo “"ek´U‘ Anklang — Arthurian romance “A…"TjU´ri´n‘ Artussage 1 to be set to do tun werden — reign “reIn‘ Regentschaft — to hoist aloft erheben — to nibble knabbern an — carriage Kutsche — honor guard Mitglied der Ehrengarde — bedecked in military finery “"faIn´ri‘ herausgeputzt in Paradeuniform (to bedeck schmücken) 2 – 4 sovereign “"sÅv´rIn‘ Monarch(in) — muted still — reflection Einkehr — beloved geliebt — Sandringham “"sœndrIN´m‘ — captivating “"kœptIveItIN‘ fesselnd — to be perched in s.th. “p‰…tSt‘ auf etw. (Hohem) sitzen — matriarch “"meItriA…k‘ Leitkuh — watering hole Wasserstelle — undoubtedly “øn"daUtIdli‘ zweifellos — fig tree Feigenbaum 5 s.o. is in declining health jds. Gesundheitszustand verschlechtert sich — to undergo s.th. s. etw. unterziehen — pneumonectomy “Ænju…m´U"nekt´mi‘ operative Entfernung e-s Lungenflügels — euphemistically “Æju…f´"mIstIk´li‘ — abnormality “ÆœbnO…"mœl´ti‘ Anomalie — carcinoma “ÆkA…sI"n´Um´‘ Karzinom — pathologist “p´"TÅl´dZIst‘ — reassessment Neubewertung — physician “fI"zIS´n‘ Arzt/Ärztin — to withhold vorenthalten — medical profession Ärzteschaft 6 – 7 to task s.o. with s.th. jdn. mit e-r Aufgabe betrauen — twilight (fig) Endphase — haggard “"hœg´d‘ ausgezehrt — newsreel Wochenschau — print dress bedrucktes Kleid — naval “"neIv´l‘ Marine- — BOAC = British Overseas Airways Corporation ehemalige brit. Fluggesellschaft — trout Forelle 8 Mau Mau campaign Unabhängigkeitsbewegung in Kenia — White Highlands Gebiet im Hochland Kenias — historian “hI"stO…ri´n‘ Historiker(in) — official h.: Mitarbeiter(in) des Königshauses — ridicule “"rIdIkju…l‘ Spott — leg Teil 9 game viewing Wildbeobachtung — cabin Hütte — rickety wackelig — salt lick Salzlecke — handheld camera Handkamera — rhino “"raIn´U‘ (coll) Nashorn — warthog Warzenschwein — baboon “b´"bu…n‘ Pavian 10 hare Hase — shot Schütze — at the top of one’s form in Höchstform — to dine zu Abend essen — to retire s. zurückziehen — Birmingham “"b‰…mIN´m‘ — gazette “g´"zet‘ Zeitung — blood clot Blutgerinnsel 11 – 12 to relay weiterleiten — without awareness “´"we´n´s‘ ohne es zu wissen — in accordance with “´"kO…d´ns‘ in Übereinstimmung mit — to ring out verkünden — proclamation “ÆprÅkl´"meIS´n‘ Bekanntmachung — Privy Council “ÆprIvi "kaUns´l‘ Kronrat — coronation Krönung — joyous freudig — to televise im Fernsehen übertragen
