our _huexolotl_
===
Related, perhaps, to the spastic Aztec duck, the _Jerqxandquaxalotl_?
-----Original Message-----
From: Digital Heritage of Virginia <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tue, 25 Nov 2008 9:10 am
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Why Is Our Thanksgiving Bird Called a Turkey?
...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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