Notes & Queries, 3rd December 2013: Has anyone got a better name for mincemeat?

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If, for the sake of festive novelty, you are prepared to endure weary expressions from friends whenever you offer them a mince pie, you could revert to using the old English word: Hafbæmbodig.

This superannuated fragment of Anglo-Saxon is derived from the pagan god Haf, who is associated with cycles of birth, decay, death, and rebirth, as they relate to agriculture, the waxing and waning of the moon, and the gradual changing of the seasons.

Haf was worshipped in sacred groves across England and in parts of Northern Europe. The first mention of him is in a Roman document called the Inventarium, which has been dated to 51BC and describes the indigenous tribes of Britannia, their culture and religions.

The focal point of Haf worship was a mature apple tree. In the summer months this was usually colonised by one or more bee hives, and surrounded by fruit-bearing brambles and briars. Careful excavation around the roots would have unearthed subterranean epiphytes such as the spud fern (a tuber similar to a potato, with strong psychotropic properties) and common English spices – the funereal barrow root and mæhnutu. From the latter we derive the word 'May' and the song 'Nuts in May' (a light ground frost would bring these brittle kernels to the surface in early Spring). These eye-wateringly pungent seasonings have fallen out of favour with the modern British palate, although both are still exported in large quantities to Indonesia. In the United Kingdom, mæhnutu is more commonly used as an ingredient in pepper spray. Douglas Huffman, in his 2003 Mooney Prize winning novel 'Before We Meet', mentions its use by riot police to the quell the civil disturbances that occurred during the anti-capitalist May Day protests.

Haf groves appeared spontaneously in wooded areas - a phenomena that was attributed to the will of their patron deity. In reality they were seeded by an extinct wading bird known as the Drutern which nested inland and fed predominantly on fruit and berries, with the seeds from these plants being deposited around breeding areas. The abandoned nests were often colonised by bees and would drip honey. Druterns were popular in medieval and Tudor cuisine. The species disappeared from England at some point during the 16th century, most likely as a result of over-hunting.

In early Autumn the fruit of the Haf groves was harvested, chopped-up and combined into a mixture that was allowed to partially ferment. This is the earliest known example of mincemeat. Hafbæmbodig was eaten during a festival that took place in mid-October, as the groves began to die back and Haf's influence commenced its seasonal fade from the landscape. In a ritual which bears strong similarities to Catholic communion, the participants would consume the body of Haf and pledge to carry the god's essence with them through the cold, dark months so that he could be reborn again in the spring.

A less savoury embodiment of this symbiotic relationship between man and god played out in a sacrificial rite: A candidate was dosed with milk from the spud fern, which induced an hallucinogenic trance. Their beating heart was carefully lifted out of their body and the bloody cavity filled with Hafbæmbodig. At this point the victim was regarded as the physical manifestation of Haf and was interrogated by a high priest, who would request insight into future events, and guidance regarding important decisions affecting the tribe. This would carry on for as long as the host body remained alive.

During the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, Christianity began to spread by word of mouth across England. These early missionaries attempted to gain traction for their new faith by subverting existing beliefs and recontextualising them within the Christian mythos. Haf's association with death and resurrection made the god a crude cipher for Jesus, although it should be noted that, while the Messiah descended from the heavens, the Pagan deity manifested from the earth and harboured no footing in the firmament

A popular account of the crucifixion during this period - one likely to resonate with pagan worshippers – was that Jesus had been nailed to an apple tree, which was itself a likeness of the Tree of Knowledge. In common with the first man, Adam, who ate the apple and knew mortality, so too did Jesus become accustomed with human frailties.

The rise of Christianity had a marked impact upon Haf groves which began to change in order to incorporate these new ways of thinking: In this incarnation the sapling of a young apple tree would be nailed to larger tree, usually an oak. The two trees would then be allowed to slowly grow together. Occasionally the apple tree would be partially or fully enveloped by the trunk of the oak. More commonly it would be torn from the soil by its roots, or its nailed boughs would be wrenched from their trunk. These conjoined trees were considered holy and played a significant role in Christian worship right up until the 14th century.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, mincemeat was still produced using the October harvest from Haf groves, however it was now combined with novel spices and exotic fruits from abroad. The groves had little, if any, association with pagan belief, having been completely absorbed by the Christian faith and tied-in with the ritual of Lent. They now resembled overgrown arbours. On Ash Wednesday the wealthy would dress in their finery and parade solemnly through the tangle of briars emerging from the other side ragged and bleeding.

In contemporary England we can see evidence of Haf's influence in the stained glass and woodwork of some of the nation's earliest surviving churches. The Haf Apple is still traditionally used in the production of mincemeat.

I hope this is of help.