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<div id="content"><h1 id="some-gossip-on-gossip-and-what-coffee-has-to-do-with-it.">Some
Gossip on gossip and what coffee has to do with it.</h1>
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<img src="image1.jpg"
alt="Tittle Tattle; or The Several Branches of Gossipping, British Museum Collection" />
<figcaption aria-hidden="true">Tittle Tattle; or The Several Branches of
Gossipping, British Museum Collection</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p>In the 12th century, “Godsipp” (God and sib (akin), godmother or
godfather) was a word used for both men and women in fables and society.
The church also recognized this word. It was used to name companions
present at childbirth, e.g. the midwife. Sometimes, it was used to
mention close friends. It represented the strong ties between women,
which surpassed their relationship with their husbands. Was it witchery
that strong and independent women preferred their gossip over their
husbands? Well, that is something that hasnt changed since the middle
ages. </p>
<figure>
<img src="image2.jpg"
alt="Tittle Tattle; or The Several Branches of Gossipping, British Museum Collection" />
<figcaption aria-hidden="true">Tittle Tattle; or The Several Branches of
Gossipping, British Museum Collection</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“Godsipp” began its journey with nothing but good and emotionally
strong connotations. Women bloomed and blossomed among each other and
were autonomous in their existence. Men were never a part of this party
women were throwing. By the 16th century, as things began to change, the
traditional meaning lingered on. In 1602, the word was still used to
signify female friendships. This can be seen in Samuel Rowlandss
<em>Tis Merrie When Gossips Meete</em>, a satirical piece describing
three London women spending hours in a tavern talking about men and
marriages. It implied that women could create their social networks and
their own social space and stand up to male authority (Federici,
2019).</p>
<p>Solidarity and friendship amongst women were demeaned and
female-exclusive parties were banned; women who met in public were
identified as “witches” and womens first duty was now to be obedient
and quiet. The talk about husbands at taverns was too hurtful for the
sensitive male ego. The public, the church and the law punished women
who engaged in “idle talk”. Centuries past, the sensitive male ego
remains and continues to attack women from many angles which now include
cyberbullying, mobbing at the workspace and other violent
iterations. </p>
<p>Wives who were seen as “scolds” and “witches” were forced under
sadistic torture with a “scold bridle”. Looking back, I cant help but
see these sadistic, desperate acts as a meek scream of how men couldnt
get even close to satisfying women physically or mentally. If they spent
some time working on female anatomy rather than these horrifying torture
methods, we would be living in a different world today… </p>
<p>Here is an excerpt from a song which portrays women in a tavern.
These words on ale and wine are an ancient remedy for us to consider
today when we are out drinking with our “gossips”:</p>
<p>“In a 1630s song, Fowre wittie gossips disposed to be merry, a group
of married women in a tavern debate the merits of ale and wine in
relation to cost and value. They conclude, If our opinions do not
faile: / a quart twelve cups [of wine] containeth, / Its cheaper then a
dozen of ale, / where froth and snuffes remaineth. (Snuffes was the
backwash left when, as was common, multiple people drank from a single
vessel.) The wives also point out that the after-effects of drinking
sack (a Spanish white wine) are much less injurious than those of
drinking too much ale. In consequence, they will not suffer hangovers
from drinking all night, as all their husbands are” (McShane,
2016). </p>
<p>It was in this context that “gossip” turned from a word of friendship
and affection into a word of denigration and ridicule (Federici,
2019).</p>
<h3 id="so-what-does-coffee-have-to-do-with-it">So what does coffee have
to do with it</h3>
<p>Fortune telling over coffee stretches back to the 16th century, when
the beans made it to the Middle East and the Ottoman Empire. In the
Ottoman Empire, concubines in the Harem were banned from talking and
“gossiping”. They had a great influence on sultans (although not
officially recognized by men themselves), and therefore affected the
political decisions and affairs of the Empire. Out of solidarity, women
began to perform fortune-telling over the remains of coffee inside and
outside coffee cups. This way, they could talk about their fears and
inner</p>
<div class="centered-image">
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<img src="image3.jpg" alt="kahvegibikahve.com/blog" />
<figcaption aria-hidden="true">kahvegibikahve.com/blog</figcaption>
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<p>worlds freely. I cant help but see the similarity with the
oppression women went through in relation to “gossip”. The striking
difference is that fortune telling over coffee didnt change its
connotation with time. Today, it is also an act of solidarity or a
chance to “gossip”, one might say. </p>
<p>“In this painting, an Ottoman woman drinking coffee and her maid
serving her is depicted. It is known that the painting is from the first
half of the 18th century. The work of Jean-Baptiste Vanmour, Turkish
Girl Drinking Coffee on the Sedir was based on this Ottoman woman, who
is the main figure of the painting. The maid, who is positioned on the
right side of the painting and serves on her knees, is noticed as the
other interesting side of the painting. The large and ostentatious
headdress on the head of the Ottoman woman stands out as another element
that focuses attention on the work. It is also known that the headdress
in question was inspired by the picture of a serpentine woman in the
book of the Dutch painter Cornelis de Bruyn, who visited Turkey in the
17th century.”</p>
<p>Whether with gossip or chatting over coffee, women have always found
a way to express themselves regardless of oppression. These rituals were
performed by women as an act of sisterhood and out of respect for both
their inner worlds and each other. It is undeniable that gossip still
brings people together and that centuries of oppression failed to change
that. Through the centuries, as the word began to be weaponized against
women and became a tool to turn against each other, I cant help but
wonder how unfair pop culture has been to women. In any magazine or TV
series, anyone can spot a gossip scene</p>
<div class="full-image">
<figure>
<img src="image4.jpg" class="white-caption"
alt="kahvegibikahve.com/blog" />
<figcaption aria-hidden="true">kahvegibikahve.com/blog</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p>with negative consequences or aim. A woman is sassy, “bitchy” or evil
when she gossips, but why do we still let our acts be defined by the
misogynistic portrayal of men?</p>
<p>Nowadays, the notions of gossip or fortune telling may be used as
something you wouldnt want to be a part of because it could harm
someone. Lets oppose the negative connotation assigned by men to these
words and use them as a joyful gathering. Reclaiming gossip and fortune
telling as an intimate support system, a strong web, is the least we can
do to honour the women who met at taverns and shared a part of their
souls with each other.</p>
<p><br class="page-break"></p>
<h3
id="how-to-make-the-perfect-turkish-coffee-and-some-guides-for-fortune-telling">How
to make the perfect Turkish coffee and some guides for
fortune-telling:</h3>
<ol type="1">
<li>Put two teaspoons of coffee in “cezve”, the traditional pot. </li>
<li>Add one cup of cold water to the pot. Mix once with the spoon. The
ratio is one cup, and two teaspoons of coffee. </li>
<li>Begin cooking at a low temperature until the top coat
gets darker. </li>
<li>Cook at a high temperature until the point where the coffee begins
rising. </li>
<li>Take the pot off the oven right before it overflows. </li>
<li>Take the foamy part with a teaspoon and put it in the cup before
pouring the rest. This will protect the foam. The foam is important for
quality check.</li>
</ol>
<p>😊</p>
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