Miscellaneous Middle Dutch Soap recipes.

All three recipes are attributed to medieval Dutch manuscripts, unfortunately none of them are specifically dated. They are likely of a similar time frame as T Bouck va Wondre and Dat Batement van Recepten, which are both from the 16th century.


From the Jonghe Lanfranc:
Hier beghint den Jon Lanfranc, ende hy beghint erst an dat hooft. 
Folio 16va: Ofte nemt dese salue: Nemt zwinen smout ende puluer uan spanschen groen ende seepe: dit minget alte samen ende doeter toe ene lettel leuende calc, dit minget ouer een jn eenen mortier ende dat legt der op. Dese salue vorseit doet alle fistelen, mormale ende alle teerende onghemaken. 

Here begins the Jonghe [young] Lanfranc, and he begins first at the head:
Folio 16va: Or take this salve: Take hogs smout [?] and powder of spanish green and soap: mix this all together and add one spoon living chalk, mix this together in a mortar, and put this on. This salve helps against fistula's, normal and all lingering discomforts.

part of the Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie (editors), Cd-rom Middelnederlands. Sdu Uitgevers/Standaard Uitgeverij, Den Haag/Antwerpen 1998.
For the digital text: http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_lan013rmul01_01/colofon.php
© 2012 dbnl 


Recepten uit [Recipes from] Hs. 8o MS. Med. 3 (Kassel) (no 1-196)
12. Item noch ieghen tselue. Neemt nitrum, dats .i. maniere van zoute, ende asyl ende (fol. 3r) seepe ende olie ende siedet te gadere tote et dicke wert. Ende daermet salft die iocte biden viere. 

12. Item another of the same. Take nitrum [natron, native soda], that's a type of salt, and asyl [?], and (fol.3r) soap and oil and simmer to cook until it becomes thick. And therewith anoints the iocte biden viere [joints that hurt?].


 Recepten uit [Recipes from] Hs. Sloane 345 (Londen) (no 494-1217)
 628. Thoe maken spaense seepe. Recipe weedasche ende leuende calck ende water ende maket daer loghe af. Ende dodet yn enen potte ende byneden eyn cleyne gaat heuet ende stoppet deen pot dichte thoe, ende latet .ij. daghe staen, dan lucket dat gat vanden pot op, ende wat daer eerst wt lopet dat hetet capitellum, dat salmen yn loghen doen opt fuer. (fol. 45v) Ende daer thoe salmen olij ghieten, ende sydent hent dicke wort. Oeck soe wert swart wander syedinghe ende kokinge. Mer vildi wytte sepe maken, doet woer dy olij wytte ongel gemact van capitello, dat hetet sapo gallicus et factum est.

628. To make spanish soap. Recipe weed ash [white ash] and living chalk [naturally found chalk] and water and make lye therewith. And put it in a pot and below it a small one, and stop the pot up, and let it stand .ij. days, then open up the hole of the pot, and what comes out first is called capitellum, that together in the lye goes over the fire (fol. 45v) And therein oil should be poured, and simmered until it becomes thick. This is how it becomes black from the simmering and the cooking. But if you want to make white soap, add to your oil liquid only made of capitello, that is called sapo gallicus et factum est.


Willy L. Braekman (ed.), Medische en technische Middelnederlandse recepten. Een tweede bijdrage tot de geschiedenis van de vakliteratuur in de Nederlanden. Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie voor Taal- en Letterkunde, Gent 1975. (Medical and Technical Middle Dutch recipes. A second addition to the history of trade literature in the Netherlands. Royal Flemish Academy for Language and Literature).
For the digital text: http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_med002medi01_01/colofon.php
© 2004 dbnl / Willy L. Braekman