I
love discovering interesting facts while doing research. Recently,
while researching for my book, Knight Quests, I read about a tonic
called the Four Thieves Vinegar also known as Marseilles Vinegar that
kept four thieves from catching the plague.
The
archives of the Parliament of Toulouse (1628-1631) record that:
"During the great plague, four robbers were convicted of going
to the houses of plague-victims, strangling them in their beds and
then looting their dwellings: for this they were condemned to be
burned at the stake, and in order to have the sentence mitigated they
revealed their secret preservative; after which they were hanged."
However,
there is another version of how their story ends. One which states
that
when they were finally captured, they refused to speak until a
bargain was offered: remain silent and hang. Or, divulge the secret
to their resistance to the deadly plague and walk away.
It
seems that the mother of several of the boys was a midwife and had a
recipe which used natural ingredients that were easily found...yet,
she swore her children to secrecy. Her sons saved their necks and
apparently shared the recipe for the disinfectant.
According
to the book, 1825 Pharmacologia, it is noted that, “It was, however
long used before the Plague of Marseille, for it was the constant
custom of Cardinal Wolsey (1473-1530) to carry in his hand an orange,
deprived of its contents, and filled with a sponge which had been
soaked in the vinegar impregnated with various spices, in order to
preserve himself from infection, when passing through crowds which
his splendour or office attracted.”
According
to wellnessmama.com, there are all sorts of uses for this special
elixir:
- An effective insect repellant
- In the case of illness, you can drink the stuff.
- Use it as a natural disinfectant for household cleaning.
- Fight nail and toe fungus.
- It’s effective on a nasty bout of dandruff.
And of course, as
history shows, it can be used in protecting against the plague.
This
is the recipe that I referenced in my book Knight Quests: Knights of
the Swan #2. It is August 1415, and Henry V’s army has laid siege
to Harfleur, France. Soon after, there was great sickness and disease
amongst the soldiers. Since the heroine, Brigitte de Marnier, is a
thief in Harfleur, I thought it fitting to add this knowledge of the
recipe to her character profile.
Vinegar
of the Four Thieves Ingredients:
- 2 TBSP Thyme (dried)
- 2 TBSP Rosemary (dried)
- 2 TBSP Sage (dried)
- 2 TBSP Lavender (dried)
- 2 TBSP Mint (dried)
- 4-8 cloves of minced garlic (optional)
- One 32-ounce bottle of organic Apple Cider Vinegar with “the Mother.”
Another
version of this recipe can be found at
http://www.kitchendoctor.com/essays/four_thieves.php
C.C. Wiley lives
in Salt Lake City with her high school sweetheart of over 35 years
and their four wacky dogs. When given a choice, she prefers a yummy,
well-written, historical or contemporary romance that is chock-full
of hope, love and a Happy Ever After. She believes there are
wonderful courageous characters waiting for someone to tell their
story. It's her hope that each adventurous romance she writes will
touch the reader and carry them away to another place and time, where
hopes and dreams abound.
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1 Comments
Very surprising story of the mother of a number of of the boys was a midwife and had a recipe which used natural elements that were easily found. I would love to share this story of Life satisfaction and apparently shared the recipe for the disinfectant with students who take nursing assignment help from the qualified academic writers at Assignment Help Folks where I have been assisting them by offering all kind of academic writing services at best price including many subject such as marketing, economics, statistics, nursing, HR, psychology and finance. And I am sure they would like it.
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