Why?

Why, in la messe noir (The Satanic Rituals, A.S.L.), should a turnip or black bread be used?

I can understand why black bread would be used, considering the catholic host is BASICALLY white, brittle bread, thus black brittle bread would look blasphemous. Looks are important. But a turnip is not black. Dried beet would look 'blacker' than a turnip.

Of course, I could always use the dried beet, since I like it more, and the most emotion-producing items are the most effective etc. etc. Although that seems like the logical solution, it still does not answer my question.

Perhaps some of you would like to ponder with me. Perhaps some of you know the answer and would like to share it with me.

If turnips and black bread do nothing for you, use something else that does.

This is all about YOU.

The turnip is also either stained black or is putrid (see what happens to a turnip slice over time).

The turnip is pulled out of the earth, as opposed to descending from heaven.

Finally the ultimate answer was revealed in the BBC Black Adder television comedy series in which in one episode a great deal of the plot revolved around the appearance of a turnip that "looks just like a thingy".

I believe I've read that a turnip was the "traditional" item substituted for wafer in Black Mass (according to the sources that document such things). I suspect it is part of the "traditional mockery" that characterized Messe Noir.

Turnips are also bitter, which is probably why early accounts of Black Mass mentioned their use (instead of the comparatively sweet bread).

But hey, if you like black beet, use black beet.