Diet as a marker of identity in the leprosy hospitals of medieval northern France

Food and drink had special significance in medieval leprosy hospitals, since providing sustenance to the sick formed part of both the practice of charity and bodily care. Giving food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty were two of the biblical works of mercy, charitable acts that medieval Christians needed to fulfil to ensure their future salvation. The charters and statutes of northern French leprosy hospitals shed light on dietary arrangements in these institutions, revealing how the consumption of food and drink was a marker of identity for both the leprous and the non-leprous members of the community. These were monastic or quasi-monastic institutions, where communal eating was a central aspect of devotional and social life. The provision of food and drink also formed part of palliative care, with medical texts advising that the leprous should consume mild, moist substances. Yet diet also served to distinguish leprosy sufferers of differing social and religious statuses from one another. Similarly, the diet of the non-leprous monks and nuns, lay brethren, and servants varied according to status. The practical arrangements surrounding meals reflected status and identity, and changed over time. Issues of contamination and contagion also came into play, with leprosy sufferers prohibited from contact with the food and utensils of the non-leprous, but themselves sometimes served contaminated food. The chapter considers how information about diet reveals the range of identities of people with leprosy, and others who resided within leprosy hospitals, as well as the identities of the institutions themselves.