The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-11-27
SOME SAXON CUSTOMS
Row Our Remote Ancestors Ate, DRAM
and Transferred Real Estate.

How Our Remote Ancestors Ate, Drank
and Transferred Real Estate.
It seems somewhat paradoxical. per-
haps to use the term table manners
about a people who had no tables
strictly speaking, but board that.
when required, was brought out from
its place of storage and placed upon
trestles, and on this. after covering
with piece of carpet or tapestry, the
meal was placed. From this source
comes our word ''boarder;" one who
sits at our board - eat, but who is not
of the family.
The salt-cellar was the most inn
portant article upon the table. 1t was
very large, made with cover and.
when the host could afford it, was OF
| solid silver deliberately chased. 1t oc-
cupied the place of honor on the table,
and the most distinguished guests
sat above it. Thus ito sit below the
SALT shows the position of an inferior
The meats were brought in on splits,
| lust as they were cooked, and IN tnst
way passed around by the servants to
the guests, who in the more barbarous
times tore off portion as best they
could When they were a little further
| advanced IN civilization there was
| carver wb aeld the meat in one hand
while he . with the other. The guests
helped themselves, using their hands,
throwing the bones and refuse to the
dogs and cats, of which there was
coodly number, and which scrambled
for their share among the rushes. a
few had knives shaped like razOrs, but
forks were unknown. Even the greas
Elizabeth ate with her fingers. In her
reign, however, commerce was extend
ed and luxures began to appear; porce-
Iains and glasses to drink from instead
of pewter mugs. In her bathroom she
had mirrors, and this was considered
great extravaganza.
At first, two persons ate from ono
"trencher.'' These trenchers wero
nothing more than huge slice Of
bread. Two qualities of bread were
made; one fine. to be eaten; the other
of coarse, inferior flour, which was cut
in substantial slices aud used as plates.
After the meal was ended, if the guest
or member of the family was unusually
hungry he was at liberty to eat ms
plate, which was found to be quite pal
atable in consequence of having soaked
up the gravy; if he did not choose to
3 devour it, it was placed in the aims
basket, which was always to be found
in the dining hall and into which was
gathered the broken food and sent out
to the poor, waiting at the gate.
When plates first came into use the
rich provided then elves with hand
: some silver ones, while the poorer
classes had to be content with those
made of pewter or wood.
Every one had his drinking horn or
cup. Usually it was horn deliberately
carved and ornamented with gold and
silver. and considered very valuable
article among a mans possessions
} The drinking horn was often left BY
will. as in later times people be
queathed snuff boxes and as now the!
might dispose of valuable watch o.
diamond ring.
In the transfer of land, before tn
- custom of witnessing by seal was intro
. duced, the owner gave something il
pledge as an assurance or token OF tn
contract, and in such cases it was no
uncommon to make use of the drinking
horn for this purpose. One family he'll
their estate from Canute by his drink
ing horn. This was their sole proof
One can get from this fact an idea {
= the value which was attached to TIL
''' article of personal property. Probabl
the expression taking a horn" coul
be traced back to the use of this forI
of drinking utensil, for they were {
fashioned, as were the first drinkin
glasses also, that they could not
placed in an upright position. therefor
it became necessary as soon as the
u.s. were filled to swallow their contents
once. From their propensity to tumb
over is said to have come our VOL
.'tumbler,'' as applied to drinkiT
glass.-Loattse Phillips, IN Current.