ABSTRACT
In the medieval period neither cakes in the usual modern sense nor icing had yet appeared.1 Nothing directly equivalent to the wedding cake could therefore have any part in the celebration of marriages. Feasts and celebrations might be held but marriage was simply their occasion. No specialised food object had a place at them, nor was there as far as has been recorded any special action of a ritual nature using any food item as part of the wedding. Medieval feasting is nevertheless one of the roots from which cakes and their use in weddings were to grow. This should be discussed first since it is what contributed most directly to the material basis of the cake. It is the church ritual of marriage which was the basis for its use.
