중세 말 유럽에서의 향신료 (Spices in Europe in the Later Middle Ages)

서지정보

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· 저자명 : 남종국

초록

This article aims to answer the question why Europeans craved for the
oriental spices with passion during the Middle Ages, which would drive
them to the edges of the world in their pursuit. It investigates in detail
several aspects concerning the spices.
First, it clarifies the meaning of the medieval latin word, species, from
which the modern spices derived. The species had designated almost
everything produced in the soil and came to signify only modern common
spices such as pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves etc. This article shows
that the major oriental spices in common use were pepper, ginger and
cinnamon.
Then it explores for what purposes Europeans used spices. Their two
main usages were culinary and pharmaceutic. Many cookbooks of the
Later Middle Ages testify that spices were essential ingredients for most
of medieval recipes. Spices were everywhere in medieval gastronomy.
Spices also were considered drugs. The importance of spices in the
medicine was their role in harmonizing the body's primary fluids, or
humors. According to theories of health in the Middle Age, health as well
as personality were governed by four bodily fluids, the four humors: blood,
yellow bile, black bile and phlegm. To have healthy living was to prevent
humoral imbalance. Spices were mostly hot and dry and therefore effective
at counteracting the moist or cold properties of many kinds of meat and
fish.
Finally, it investigates marvellous and fantastic imageries of spices. The
Orient or more specifically the India represented a marvellous land full of
valuables gems, aromatic plants, strange humans and animals for
Europeans. One of the most fantastic beliefs was that spices were brought
down by the rivers of the earthly Paradise or found in the regions of the
India, specially near the Paradise. The most famous of dreamlands in Asia
was the kingdom of Prester John where spices were produced near the
fountain of Youth deriving from the Paradise. For those reasons, oriental
spices had mysterious effects.
In summary, not only practical usages of spices but also mystification of
spices have driven Europeans to search for the kingdom of Christians and
spices in the Later Middle Ages.

영어초록

This article aims to answer the question why Europeans craved for the
oriental spices with passion during the Middle Ages, which would drive
them to the edges of the world in their pursuit. It investigates in detail
several aspects concerning the spices.
First, it clarifies the meaning of the medieval latin word, species, from
which the modern spices derived. The species had designated almost
everything produced in the soil and came to signify only modern common
spices such as pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves etc. This article shows
that the major oriental spices in common use were pepper, ginger and
cinnamon.
Then it explores for what purposes Europeans used spices. Their two
main usages were culinary and pharmaceutic. Many cookbooks of the
Later Middle Ages testify that spices were essential ingredients for most
of medieval recipes. Spices were everywhere in medieval gastronomy.
Spices also were considered drugs. The importance of spices in the
medicine was their role in harmonizing the body's primary fluids, or
humors. According to theories of health in the Middle Age, health as well
as personality were governed by four bodily fluids, the four humors: blood,
yellow bile, black bile and phlegm. To have healthy living was to prevent
humoral imbalance. Spices were mostly hot and dry and therefore effective
at counteracting the moist or cold properties of many kinds of meat and
fish.
Finally, it investigates marvellous and fantastic imageries of spices. The
Orient or more specifically the India represented a marvellous land full of
valuables gems, aromatic plants, strange humans and animals for
Europeans. One of the most fantastic beliefs was that spices were brought
down by the rivers of the earthly Paradise or found in the regions of the
India, specially near the Paradise. The most famous of dreamlands in Asia
was the kingdom of Prester John where spices were produced near the
fountain of Youth deriving from the Paradise. For those reasons, oriental
spices had mysterious effects.
In summary, not only practical usages of spices but also mystification of
spices have driven Europeans to search for the kingdom of Christians and
spices in the Later Middle Ages.

참고자료

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