Much MUCH more on turkeys and who can claim the REAL first Thanksgiving
on this week's "BackStory" program. Check it out and let us know what
you think by leaving a comment on our website:
http://www.backstoryradio.org/2008/11/american-as-pumpkin-pie-a-history-of-thanksgiving/
--
Catherine Moore
Assisting Producer of Research
BackStory With the American History Guys
Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Radio
145 Ednam Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22903
434-924-4403
www.backstoryradio.org
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Digital Heritage of Virginia wrote:
> ...and so the fabled turkey found its way to Jamestowne by 1607, and
> became part of America's long loved legend of Thanksgiving by the
> Pilgrims...... uh...... er......... doggone it. Those pesky
> pilgrims have done it again :))
>
> Randy Cabell - The Trumpeter of Jamestowne
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Henry Wiencek"
> <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 1:37 PM
> Subject: [VA-HIST] Why Is Our Thanksgiving Bird Called a Turkey?
>
>
> Answer: Because, of course, it came from Turkey
>
> by Larry E. Tise, Historian
> East Carolina University
>
> (Here are some brief excerpts from a post on H-SHEAR)
>
> How the American bird we know as turkey got the moniker "turkey" and not
> _huexoloti_ (Aztec) or _guajolote_ (Mexican)-authentic early American
> names for American turkeys-has much to do with the fact that Turkey was
> the center of the world at the time Christian Europeans began taking a
> few baby steps toward finding an alternative route to India. [snip]
>
> When corn, tobacco sprouts, and, of course, our _huexoloti_ arrived in
> the heart of the thriving and vibrant Ottoman Empire-seated in what we
> now know as Turkey-they came into the hands of probably the most
> advanced farmers and husbandmen in the world. Turkish farmers had
> previously seen the nearest cousins of the _huexoloti_ from Asia
> (pheasants) and from Africa (Guinea fowl). But these birds were skinny
> runts compared to the majestic _huexoloti_. Making use of sophisticated
> growing and seeding techniques, savvy Turkish farmers within a few short
> years had produced surplus quantities of corn and tobacco-enough to
> export to other parts of the world. And with smart breeding and
> feeding practices they also grew vast flocks of big breasted _huexoloti_.
>
> Within the space of just twenty years or so from the time these New
> World crops and creatures had arrived in Spain and had made their way to
> the Middle East, Turkish merchants were selling these products in
> Eastern Europe. During the 1540s corn, tobacco, and, yes, our
> _huexoloti_ arrived in England. The first mention of the exotic big
> birds in England was in 1541. These crops and the large winged
> creature were embraced, at first, as novelty foods among the English
> upper crust-faddish items to be consumed or enjoyed in posh castles.
> But by 1577 what was once nouveau had become one of food staples for all
> English souls. By that time the _huexoloti_ had become the principal
> food bird in the entire realm-surpassing chickens and other fowl.
>
> And, at this point in the story, it will probably not come as a surprise
> that these crops and creatures originally brought forth from the New
> World had acquired interesting new names. Corn when it arrived in
> England came as Turkish maize. Tobacco arrived at the same time already
> known-as it still is today--as Turkish tobacco. And the good old
> _huexoloti_ had lost all association with the world encountered by
> Spanish explorers. The larger and more robust bird produced by Turkish
> husbandmen would forever be known in English simply as the turkey.
>
> ******
>
> Full text to be found at
>
> http://www.h-net.org/~shear/
>
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