Object of the Month: Grisset & The Forgotten Tradition of Michaelmas
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As we move out of the summer and into the autumn months, we may start to feel a little more inclined to the warmth and festivity of the darkening end to the year. However, there is one day that is often overlooked and has been since around the 18th century, with its ceasing as a Holy Day of Obligation – Michaelmas.
Michaelmas falls on the 29th of September and was intended as a feast day in recognition of the archangel Saint Michael, whose strength and power as a defender against Lucifer granted him acknowledgement as one of the most respected of God’s messengers. It is said within Christian belief that Saint Michael protects against the hidden evils that may arise within the aforementioned darkening months, and that is part of why the day falls around this time of the calendar.
Above: Archangel Michael, wall mural from Panagia tou Arakos, Cyrpus (1192)
Harvard Image Library
Traditionally through the Middle Ages, its significance involved marking the end of harvest time. It was celebrated in this manner in England until Henry VIII’s religious reformation and the break from the Catholic Church. Although celebrating harvest has become an uncommon custom in our contemporary British society, with the vast majority of our food being sourced through large chain supermarkets, there are still elements within Michaelmas that hold significance to some in connection to their faith. We also see it frequently used as a term in the academic year. But how does a grisset, this unusual wrought iron pan, relate to Michaelmas? You may be wondering where they connect.
Well, there used to be a wide array of customs that accompanied the coming of Michaelmas, and the most famous of these is regarding geese. It is traditional to eat a well-fed roasted goose on this feast day, but there is also a suggestion that in the medieval period, tenants would offer their landlords geese in repayment for any outstanding debt which had to be cleared before the end of the quarter.
Above: Grisset in the Selly Manor Kitchen surrounded by many other kitchen utensils. This unremarkable object made the dark winter nights more bearable.
As you can see from the photograph, grissets were kitchen items that almost resemble a self-standing ladle. They would be positioned under a spit in the cooking fire, in order to collect drips of animal fat from poultry and other animals. A rush, which is a wick-like plant, would be drawn through this fat and left to set and harden. It could then be used as a rushlight, which we have many holders for here at Selly Manor. These candles were very inexpensive to make as you can imagine, so they were quite popular with the less fortunate populations of Britain.
Our grisset is from the early 18th century, so it may be likely that it would have seen a good few Michaelmas geese! We do know for sure that, at least, this would have provided the ability to make those gloomy September nights a little brighter, with or without the guard of Saint Michael.
Written by Tristram Flood, Volunteer
Edited by Megan Ward, Museum Assistant