the 4th century. The fasts are not that burdensome for southern
European Christians, who can easily get vegetables and fi sh to eat,
but it was both culturally and economically burdensome for the
Germans in the north to fast. The idea of Lent, Friday fast, and all of the other fast days meant
that the whole idea of moderation, balanced diet, and seasonal
adjustment according to weather and exercise that existed among
Greco-Roman culture now gave way to a culture of fast and feast.
Periods of want set by the church contrasted with periods of gross
overindulgence. However, in stark contrast, the idea of competitive
feasting is built into Germanic society. There are basically three opposed ideals: the quasi-ascetic
Christians, the meat-eating Germanic tribes, and the classical
ideal of moderation—all of which become an integral part of the
culture. The fast/feast mentality is introduced among the Germanic
Christian kingdoms, and it extends throughout the social hierarchy. Another interesting feature of this mix of cultures is that wheat
cultivation was maintained where it was feasible in Italy and Spain,
but beyond that, only the wealthiest people could afford it, and fi ne
white bread became a kind of status symbol (along with drinking
wine). However, the rest of the Germanic populace ate rye, which
was practically unknown to the Romans but thrives in the colder
northern climate. Rye alone—or mixed with spelt—makes really
dark, dense bread. From this point on, the color of bread will be a
matter of social distinction.Charlemagne’s Infl uence on Food
Charlemagne is the most interesting ruler of the early Middle
Ages. The Franks emerged as the dominant tribe, then eventually
a kingdom, and fi nally an empire for various reasons—among
the most important is that most of the other Germanic kingdoms
collapsed. Only the Franks built a large state, beginning with Clovis
in the late 400s and the Merovingian dynasty, which descended
from him.