In Cod We Trust

Was John Cabot the first European after the Norse to set foot in North America? Brian Fagan takes us on a fascinating 1,500-year archaeological and historical journey in search of the answer, which is closely linked to the importance of fish like cod to Christian doctrine. We begin with Christ’s 40-day fast in the wilderness, with the symbolism of fish in Christian belief, in a world of abstinence, atonement, fasting and penance. Within a few centuries, enormous numbers of (now vanished) fish farms appeared throughout Europe. Soon afterward, a huge international fish trade developed to satisfy an insatiable demand for fish on holy days and during Lent. This is a story of salt, herrings and cod, of busses, doggers, cogs, and caravels, of fishers sailing the North Atlantic in mid-February for Lenten catches. The journey culminates in the discovery of the Newfoundland cod fisheries and with the permanent settlement of New England well before the Pilgrims. This lecture is the opening event of the IHC’s “Food Matters” series.Sponsored by the IHC; part of the “Food Matters” series.

hm 10/22