Feasting and Fasting

From the style of the language of the opening of this text it is clear that it was composed between 1790 and 1804 during the middle period of the reform movement established by the Shehu, which began in 1774 until his death in 1817. The specific target of this text was his son, Shaykh Muhammad Sanbu who requested the Shehu to put in writing some principles on the methodology of disciplining the soul through hunger and fasting. Shaykh Abd’l-Qaadir ibn Mustafa informs us in his Bayaan at-Ta`abudaat that as a result of applying the discipline of the text at the hands of his father, Shaykh Muhammad Sanbu ibn Shehu Uthman ibn Fuduye` had attained the station of champion of truth (siddiqiyya) at an early age. The general target audience of this text were the many spiritual disciples of the Shehu who were apart of his close assembly in Degel just before the hijra in 1804. Among them were Shaykh Umar Kamuni, Shaykh Muhammad Yero, Shaykh Abdullahi Mujjin Mahwi, Shaykh Muhammad Kari`angha, Shaykh Muhammad Tukur, Shaykh Ali Dhimbu, Shaykh  Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Bukhari, Shaykh as-Sayyid Ibrahim, Shaykh Umar Ghurba, the wife of the Shehu A`isha Iyya Gharka bint Shaykh Muhammad Sanbu; and others. Shaykh Umar Ahmad Zaruq said that another important beneficiary of this text was the Shehu’s eldest son, Muhammad Sad, who died in the year 1791, which means the text was probably composed between 1789 and 1790. At the time of the composition, Shaykh Muhammad Sanbu was about 17 years old and Shaykh Muhammad Sa`d was about 20 years old.

The book introduces the reader to the time, place and participants of the tsar’s feasts, talks about ware, table setting, food and drink, reveals the subtleties of ceremonial and etiquette, indicates the changes that have occurred in this area during the XVII century. Simultaneously the book exposes complex mechanism of the feast, hidden from the eyes of its members and affiliated with the preparing king's feast and decorated banquet chamber. Special value of edition has publication of historical documents, describing the tsar’s feasts of the XVII century, and images of unique items from the collections of the Moscow State Integrated Museum-Reserve.
Книга знакомит читателя со временем, местом и участниками царских пиров, рассказывает о предметах посуды, сервировке стола, кушаньях и напитках, раскрывает тонкости церемониала и этикета, указывает на изменения, произошедшие в этой сфере на протяжении XVII века. Одновременно обнажается сложный «механизм» застолья, скрытый от глаз его участников и связанный с организацией царского пира, заготовкой продуктов и оформлением пиршественной палаты. Особую ценность изданию придают публикуемые в нем фрагменты исторических документов, характеризующие царские пиры XVII века, и изображения уникальных предметов из фондов Московского государственного объединенного музея-заповедника.

The presentation is a material for the Course of Advanced Study of Christianity, organized by the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia on 24 April 2020. It meant to be a space of interaction between Muslim tradition of fasting and Christian's version of fasting. As it might be expected, there were many affinities and overlapping concern in this tradition. Christianity is holding huge spectrum of fasting and abstinence traditions

Emma Donoghue’s 2016 novel The Wonder places a young woman’s refusal to eat at the center of highly charged narratives about fasting as resistance to oppression and women’s bodies as repositories for shame. Set in 1858 Ireland, the novel tells the story of the English nurse Lib Wright, who is hired to conduct a fortnight-long watch of the so-called “fasting girl” Anna O’Donnell either to determine her a fraud or prove her “a magical girl who lives on air.”1 She uncovers instead how young women’s bodies become canvases for projecting shame experienced by the community, while silencing the woman’s own histories.

Fasting is the act of a person deliberating not consuming food or drink for religious or medical purposes. This paper will use anthropological research methods to show the multiple variations of fasting and its vast purposes, some unknown to the majority of public. I created a blind sighted survey to get a brief idea of the public's knowledge then conducted personal interviews with professionals in multiple areas for their view of fasting. The data was interesting as was my research in previous findings of other researchers. This topic has a personal side to me and the results were shocking at times.

Focusing on the practice of fasting, this article traces the ethical efforts and conundrums of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians who take their religion seriously, but do not necessarily see themselves as disciplined believers. I argue that the flexibility and lenience of the Orthodox system allow for morally ambivalent disciplinary projects that, in order to preserve their efficacy, must be sustained by an array of intimate relationships with more pious individuals who are fasting for others or on others' behalf. By examining this relational economy of spiritual care, its temporalities and divisions of labor, I ask whether recent preoccupations with 'technologies of the self' in the anthropology of religion might have overlooked the relevance of 'technologies of the other'.

My recent article offered a model by which to better classify feasts by distinguishing between archaeological correlates of group size and sociopolitical competition. Applying this model to remains from a precontact mound site, I highlighted feasting's role in promoting group solidarity in the American South. Hayden's comment argues that my scheme does not accommodate certain types of events, and it questions my noncompetitive interpretation. I address both critiques here by citing further data from the Southeast, emphasizing the importance of interpreting feasts within their cultural and historical contexts, and highlighting Hayden's continued reliance on long-standing assumptions about feasting and monumental architecture.

This paper reviews, in the light of recent archaeological discoveries made since the early 2000s, the notion of Gallic symposion and the nature of commensal practices in communities from the Late Iron Age. It leads to a halftone statement, indicating different relations of certain social categories with regard to imported wine and it reveals the complexity of a process of acculturation too often reduced to economic or colonial patterns. The detailed analysis of this process within a precise site, the oppidum of Corent, underlines the usefulness of planned archaeological excavations as an experimental field.

Cet article réexamine, à la lumière des découvertes archéologiques récentes réalisées depuis le début des années 2000, la notion de symposion gaulois et la nature des pratiques de commensalité en vigueur dans les sociétés de la fin de l’âge du Fer. Il débouche sur un constat en demi-teintes qui témoigne d’un rapport différencié de certaines catégories sociales à l’égard du vin importé et révèle la complexité d’un processus d’acculturation trop souvent réduit à des schémas économistes ou colonialistes. L’analyse fine de ce processus à l’échelle d’un site, l’oppidum de Corent, souligne toute l’utilité des fouilles archéologiques programmées en tant que terrain expérimental.

This paper examines the changes in settlement patterns, internal trade relations and material culture that occurred in Philistia and the Shephelah during the Iron I–II transition. It appears that the Philistines were hegemonic during the Iron Age I. They lived in large fortified settlements, accompanied by smaller settlements
in the coastal areas. The Shephelah was only sparsely settled at the time, probably as a result of Philistine policy. Since it was to their advantage to maintain high boundaries with their neighbours, the Philistines increased their use of ‘foreign’ elements in their material culture. The Philistines were significantly weakened during the transition to the Iron Age IIA, with many sites becoming
significantly smaller and others abandoned. As the Philistines withdrew westward, the Shephelah was gradually filled with new Israelite/Judahite settlements. In tandem with their weakening, the Philistines changed their boundary maintenance strategy, and in a quick process of cultural change, abandoned many of the foreign traits that previously characterised them. Instead, they adopted a local material vocabulary, symbolising that they had become ‘one of the neighbours’. The city of Gath is an exception: Philistine identity was negotiated there differently than in other sites in  Philistia.

En esta comunicación centramos nuestra atención en los saleros o especieros, una tipología de objetos que abordaremos desde una perspectiva tanto gastronómica como artística y socioeconómica. Recogiendo obras conservadas en museos, colecciones particulares, catedrales y parroquias vamos a conocer el importante papel que las especias tenían en las mesas aragonesas de los siglos XVI, XVII e inicios del XVIII. Con este objetivo aportamos numerosa documentación procedente de los archivos notariales, con especial énfasis en la aparición de estos recipientes en inventarios y tasaciones. Así mismo, también nos serviremos de su representación pictórica y gráfica y algunos ejemplos literarios, todo ello con el objetivo de ilustrar aquellos ejemplares que no se han conservado.

In this paper we focus on salt and spice cellars, a kind of object we will study from a gastronomic, artistic and socioeconomic perspective. To achieve this purpose, we will make a catalogue with pieces from art from museums, private collections, cathedrals and parishes, so we'll get to know the important role spices had in the aragonese tables and kitchens in the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. In addition, a large amount of notarial documentation, graphic and pictorial representations and literary testimonies will be presented to illustrate certain artworks that have disappeared.

El artículo describe las doctrinas y prácticas específicas en cuanto a las leyes y reglas del ayuno eclesiástico. Partiendo de la definición del tópico en la tradición romano-católica de la temprana edad moderna y se estudia el desarrollo de las reglas canónicas en el contexto de las Indias españolas.

Pour bien de Grecs, la semaine pascale orthodoxe est la fête la plus importante pour assurer une bonne santé et la fertilité. La fête présente également des rites des morts. L'article aime faire une présentation des rites de la semaine pascale du village d'Olympos dans l'île de Karpathos et analyser leur place dans la tradition grecque, contemporaine et ancienne. 1

Editori / Editors: Sorin-Cristian AILINCĂI, Alexandra-Clara ȚÂRLEA, Cristian MICU Tehnoredactare / Computer graphics: Camelia KAIM Toate lucrările publicate au fost recenzate de specialişti în domeniu This is a peer-reviewed volume Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Naționale a României DIN PREISTORIA DUNĂRII DE JOS -50 DE ANI DE LA ÎNCEPUTUL CERCETĂRILOR ARHEOLOGICE LA BABADAG (1962-2012). Conferință națională (2012; Tulcea) Din Preistoria Dunării de Jos : 50 de ani de la începutul cercetărilor arheologice la Babadag (1962-2012) : conferință națională : Tulcea, 20-22 septembrie 2012 / ed: Sorin Cristian Ailincăi, Alexandra Țârlea, Cristian Micu : Editura Istros a Muzeului Brăilei, 2013 Bibliogr.

The article surveys evidence for Christians and Christian Jews observing festivals of autumn (New Year, Tabernacles and mostly the Day of Atonement): Paul, Hebrews, Luke-Acts, Hegesippus, Origen, Chrysostom and Abd Al-Jabbar as well as polemics.
One can perhaps distinguish 3 progressive stages in the perception of such religious behavior as the observance of Yom Kippur by followers of Christ: 1) normative (Luke) or acceptable (Paul); 2) peculiar, Judaeo-Christian but tolerable (Justin Martyr); and 3) un-Christian and prohibited (Diognet, Origen). There is a clear difference between the first century and later times regarding the social status of Jesus-followers observing Yom Kippur. In the first century, some leaders regarded the fast as normative (Luke-Acts) or acceptable (Paul). In later times, those observing the fast were probably ordinary Christians while those who defined Yom Kippur as un-Christian belonged to the leaders of the mainstream.

Esta obra presenta los resultados de los distintos estudios sobre los materiales aparecidos en una fosa del yacimiento de Mas Castellar (Cataluña, España), que se interpretan como el testimonio de un banquete. Este hallazgo se sitúa en el contexto de las prácticas alimentarias en el mundo ibérico y de la historia de la alimentación.

In a previous study, du Preez noted that An investigation of all available documents has yet to reveal any scholars whose writings on the " feast, new moon, sabbath " of Colossians have seriously examined any of the terms used in the Bible for the ritual feast days of the Israelite nation. 1 This study aims, at least partially, to rectify that shortcoming. It is commonly assumed that when the terms feasts, new moons and sabbaths are used together in the Bible that these are being used in a chronological sequence of yearly, monthly, weekly. However, the fact that in most cases these terms are used in reverse order seems to 2 mitigate against such an interpretation. While the perception that these are technical terms is a 3 correct, it would be helpful to study what was meant by each term vs. assuming that we already know what they mean. To that end this study will focus its attention on the word " feast " (using the KJV as our base) to determine what it meant in the time of the OT. We will examine the terminology used in the MT and the LXX (comparing them with some English translations, other than just the KJV) with respect to the various feasts that were held during that time-frame. We

The carbon isotope values in the exhaled breath
of an animal mirror the carbon isotope values of the metabolic
fuels being oxidized. The measurement of stable carbon
isotopes in carbon dioxide is called 13C-breath testing
and offers a minimally invasive method to study substrate
oxidation in vivo. 13C-breath testing has been broadly used
to study human exercise, nutrition, and pathologies since
the 1970s. Owing to reduced use of radioactive isotopes
and the increased convenience and affordability of 13C-analyzers,
the past decade has witnessed a sharp increase in the
use of breath testing throughout comparative physiology—
especially to answer questions about how and when animals
oxidize particular nutrients. Here, we review the practical
aspects of 13C-breath testing and identify the strengths
and weaknesses of different methodological approaches
including the use of natural abundance versus artificiallyenriched
13C tracers. We critically compare the information
that can be obtained using different experimental protocols
such as diet-switching versus fuel-switching. We also
discuss several factors that should be considered when
designing breath testing experiments including extrinsic
versus intrinsic 13C-labelling and different approaches to
model nutrient oxidation. We use case studies to highlight
the myriad applications of 13C-breath testing in basic and
clinical human studies as well as comparative studies of
fuel use, energetics, and carbon turnover in multiple vertebrate
and invertebrate groups. Lastly, we call for increased
and rigorous use of 13C-breath testing to explore a variety
of new research areas and potentially answer long standing
questions related to thermobiology, locomotion, and
nutrition.

La recurrencia de patios cercados (canchas), «audiencias» y pórticos, lugares destinados para albergar largas filas de personas sentadas de manera cómoda a la sombra de techo y de espaldas a una pared, así como la presencia de plataformas accesibles por medio de rampas o escaleras cuentan entre los rasgos que definen el carácter peculiar de la arquitectura de los periodos tardíos en los Andes, un aspecto difícil de interpretar desde el punto de vista de la función. Recientes discusiones sobre las características de la arquitectura palaciega en los Andes prehispánicos han puesto en evidencia los problemas con los que tropiezan los intentos de hacer el deslinde formal y funcional entre la residencia principal del gobernante y el templo a partir de las evidencias arqueológicas. Las investigaciones realizadas en Pueblo Viejo-Pucará desde 1999 hasta el presente en el marco del Proyecto Arqueológico-Taller de Campo «Lomas de Lurín», Convenio Cementos Lima S.A.-Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, bajo la dirección de Krzysztof Makowski, aportan datos valiosos a la discusión del tema dado que han abarcado más de 6000 metros cuadrados de superficie excavada en cuatro de los cinco sectores del sitio, incluidas dos estructuras residenciales de elite de carácter palaciego y un templo que corona una elevación, denominado «Templo de la Cima». La comparación entre las hipotéticas moradas de dos curacas, dos residencias de elite y las demás unidades residenciales excavadas en Pueblo Viejo-Pucará deja en claro que la presencia del patio central con amplias cocinas y áreas de agasajo en forma de recintos anexos y pórticos constituye la principal diferencia entre la residencia de elite y la casa común. El patio es el área central de la vida pública, donde, de manera frecuente, se ofrecen banquetes con comida de carácter festivo, rica en la preciada carne de camélidos y de cérvidos, así como en chicha, la que se sirve en vasijas finas ejecutadas en estilos de prestigio. El palacio principal difiere de las demás residencias por la presencia de un ushnu con cámaras funerarias adosadas, dos plazas relacionadas con el culto de dos huancas y de, por lo menos, un afloramiento rocoso con ofrendas de conchas Spondylus princeps, oro y plata, el que habría sido venerado como huaca.

Feast or rave?
A study of the feast with Josef Pieper

What is a feast? It seems that when asking this question, one encounters the same difficulty as St Augustine when he was asked to define what time was: “If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain to him who asks, I do not know.” A philosophical study would lead us more surely to an understanding of the essence of the feast than a socio-historical study could. A feast, in its essence, is the affirmation of goodness of existence, and the substance of a feast is living out this affirmation. This central affirmation provides us with multiple keys to understand what is festive, and one is not. A feast pre-supposes a sane rapport to work; it is moreover an activity which possesses its end in itself. The fast is also a certain relationship to sacrifice and time, and this is at this level that a feast and a rave are most clearly opposed in our society. The rave falls within the realm of a form of consumption walling itself in the present and inciting one to withdraw into himself, the feast on the contrary encourages participation to a mystery opening the soul on the infinite horizon of time, in communion with others.

Of course, feasts are not typically Christian, and non-Christians can celebrate in festive ways; but the feast par excellence is Easter, and through emanation, the Christian Sunday. Drawing from Josef’s Pieper writings and wisdom on the subject, this article concludes that the feast is radically opposed to the rave, and hopes to encourage the reader to think about his or her own manner to celebrate the diverse events of life – for the capability to celebrate in a truly festive manner is nothing less than the sign of true existential richness.

This article contributes to an ongoing critical examination of feasting by developing a classification scheme that emphasizes the variable contexts in which feasts have occurred. Many recent archaeological and ethnographic accounts have focused on the political and economic roles feasts play in creating power and status differences among participants, while others have highlighted how they build community and increase solidarity within a group. My scheme reconceptualizes the term by giving two independent variables-group size and level of sociopolitical competition-equal roles in determining whether a given eating event is a feast; in turn, my dual-dimensional model facilitates more sophisticated interpretations of archaeological remains. After outlining its utility for describing and comparing eating events, this article evaluates the evidence for feasting at a precontact Native American mound site in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Botanical, faunal, and ceramic analyses of materials from the Feltus mounds (AD 750-1100) reveal fairly typical food-related assemblages, whereas the sheer amount of material, speed with which it was deposited, and size of individual specimens are exceptional. The resulting interpretation emphasizes feasting's role in creating and maintaining group solidarity at Feltus and advances understanding of noncompetitive outcomes of feasting behavior in the precontact American Southeast.

At the time of the publication of this issue of the Review of Religions, Muslims throughout the world will be fasting during the sacred month of Ramadhan. This article by one of the greatest international statesmen and jurists of his age, the late Hadhrat Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, gives a brief and lucid insight to the fourth Pillar of the Islamic faith.

Please cite as
Elena FELL, Natalia LUKIANOVA, Fast food and the semiotics of gastronomy. ESSACHESS - Journal for Communication Studies. Vol 8, No 2(16) (2015). P.49 – 57. http://www.essachess.com/index.php/jcs/article/view/298/342

Nourishment stands apart from other physiological events: whilst we normally exercise discretion in relation to bodily functions, food consumption takes place in public. We dine, snack and nibble in front of others, and the imagery associated with food takes on the manifold of meanings—religious, cultural, historic and so forth. Gastronomic practices unite or divide people, and as such are a powerful communication tool. As the twenty-first century confrontational stance between fast food and family meal traditions intensifies, we investigate fast food’s visual imagery and its ability to attract consumers.



Résumé: La nutrition se distingue d'autres événements physiologiques: alors que normalement nous exerçons avec discrétion les fonctions corporelles, la consommation d'aliments a lieu en public. Nous mangeons, prenons une collation et grignotons devant les autres, et l'imagerie associée avec la nourriture prend une multiplicité de significations: religieuses, culturelles, historiques, etc. Les pratiques gastronomiques unissent ou divisent les gens, et sont en tant que telles un puissant outil de communication. Alors qu'au 21ème siècle la confrontation entre le fast-food et le repas traditionnel en famille s'intensifie, nous enquêtons sur l'imagerie visuelle de la restauration rapide et sa capacité à attirer les consommateurs.

Human eating behaviors are often non-homeostatic, and thus unlike homeostatic behaviors, they are not exclusively reliant on rigid brain mechanisms, but heavily depend on psychological, sociocultural, and educational factors as well. A clear understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of various eating behaviors is necessary for giving comprehensive educational guidance. However, recommendations regarding breakfast (BF) eating behavior are perhaps the most peremptory yet scientifically (especially metabolically) groundless health guidelines, and thus the widely accepted notion of BF as the most important meal of the day has been called into question. In a recent meta-analysis, Brown et al. (1), not arguing with the established link between obesity and BF behavior, concluded: “The current body of scientific knowledge indicates that the proposed effect of breakfast on obesity is only presumed true” (p. 1298). The authors state that numerous articles demonstrating negative metabolic effects of skipping BF have yet to establish a causal relationship due to a lack of probative value and that the major obstacle in establishing causality is neglecting the possible confounding factors.

The 14th century mystic Saint Catherine of Siena has implemented an ascetical devotional
model, which implied sleep and rest deprivation, using a couple of planks instead of a proper bed, vow of silence,
voluntary mutilation, together with continuous and fervent prayers and vigils. It also involved fasting, to the
point where she took only bitter herbs, cold water a nd the host, which have drawn some scholars‟ attention o n the
similarities between this practice and eating disorders. Secondly, as a consequence of her ascetic completion, the
Saint achieved such a state of grace that she became able to live in a completely spiritual manner, without any
corporeal food. Nevertheless, this miraculous subsistence raised suspicions and doubts, even by the Saint herself.
On the other hand, this issue is not confined to food and feeding only; it is about an absolute commitment to
God, to the effect that the body becomes a means of seeking God and a reflection of divine almightiness, as it is
transformed by the mystic union wi th Christ.