My college feast (the Boar's Head Gaudy) was yesterday evening. The story is that the feast originates from an incident when a scholar was attacked by a wild boar in the woods, and successfully defended himself by thrusting a copy of the works of Aristotle (in Greek) into its jaws.
Lots of ceremony in Latin, passing of silver cups around, sounding of trumpets, handing out of sprigs of rosemary and bay, and a Boar's Head on a platter brought in by a small choir singing. I was seated with mathematicians, including my old tutor, still there, and a don on my left whose speciality was history of maths in the seventeenth century -- which basically means Newton plus a bunch of other ones nobody has heard of. She had some interesting comments about Newton's attempts to work out the chronology of the Old Testament.
The menu (vegetarians look away now) was
- champagne in the library to start
- parma ham with figs and stilton - with a very good white wine (Les Gravieres 1er cru)
- venison - with a very good red wine (Gigondas)
- a sort of praline mousse with armagnac
- savoury - a slice of wild boar
- dessert: fruit nuts biscuits and chocolate - with port and/or claret (Warre, Pauillac)
- then drinks in the common room (whisky)
I am sorry to have to report that I was very sick afterwards, and again the next morning. I attempted breakfast, but couldn't retain it. My stomach was closed for refurbishment until about 3pm today.
The two old friends I'd most have liked to see weren't there, unfortunately, but several others were, and we had some good conversation remembering old times. (Apparently the place admits women nowadays....)
