St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-05-14

EATING WITH THE FINGERS.

y ~ ~ = ~ ANS ~ - = AAAsA AVA
EATING WITH THE FINGERS.
uessl the ssvestsesth centsry Forhs were
EatfFsly Waknown.
''Frorn the osUattuu q the world I'd
the beginning of the seventeenth cen.
tury," says q French writer on the his.
tory Of table customs and manners,
''man ate only with his flngersL" And
to think that the sentiment of neat.
ness. which was the principal 9ansA u
the inventiua NJ ehe implements and
diakes used in serving food and in eat.
Ing. should have been 80 slow of devel.
opmcnt! The first men, ARMED With
the simplest weapons. Or with none At
al. pufsued In the chase the animals
that served them - food. and being
generally In . state Of STARVATION.
tore them Ii pieces with their
hands and devoured on the spot
the flesh, raw and bloody. In
time they domesticated animals that
assisted them In hunting. and invented
the bow and spear that enabled them
10 kill their prey at . greater distance,
The knife wsA invented - an instru-
tscnt o. attack or defenae. or for rough
cutting and carving. and. being com
monty worn on the pcrscr, w5s found
convenient ID eating. and became in
time an accessory Of the table for rea-
SONS 20 obvious that they require no ex-
PLANTATION. The spoon came into use At
. very ancient date. and a. it Il still
found among savage tribes that have
never come into contact with civiliza-
tion. It II evident that It's use was sug.
gestcd by the needs Of the most primi-
tive beings, and not BY any instinct Of
cleanliness or propriety. It was pre-
ceded in the process Of mechanical evo-
luton by vessels for carrying water
and BY calabashes or dippers Of some
sort for dipping water from rivers or
sprines or handling other liquids. The
habit Of conveying these larger recepta-
oles to the mouth in eating and drink
ing probably suggested the spoon as
more convenient for sHch uses. How
long these two Aimpls implements pre-
eeticd tho dawn Of civilization NO one
can ever know, but il must have been
more than 1000 years after they came
into use before the fork appeared on
the tables Of civilized Europe. after
nearly hundred years were required
to render its usage general
II seems not to be precisely known
when it became habitusl to sit at table.
Among the first men e was customary
to rccline In circle or to place them
selves in a half-sitting posture about
the rcpast, whether It was an animal
roasted over the flre or caldron contain.
ing food cooked by boiling. Seats for
kinRs or noRles were common among
the AssyrianA. Egyptians and Hebrews.
but persons Of inferior rank, OF even
lords themselves. sprawled on carpets
or on the bare ground. The Greeks
feclined at their meals and for the rest
Of the time reclined, sat or lounged. ac-
cording - they found ono posture more
agreeable than auother or their occupa-
tions permitted. The Romans followed
The same custom. though benches and
chairs were probably moro numerous
among them. What were the customs
in this RESPECT Of the Romans who
colonized and whose descendants occu-
pied the coantries now called France
md Spain we do not precisely know,
but it is reasonable to suppose that the
habit of citing at meals or elsewhere
n tho house became general on &C.
count Of the severity Of the climate and
the different architectural conditions
IL which the people lived. Il was
more natural TO recline In a |
climate that permitted life to be largely
passed in rooms open to the weather,
'r in the open air, than In buildings
lamp and cold in winter where contact
with the floor was particularly TO be |
wooded. The Romans reclined 1t their |
oanquets on couchea. all supporting |
on one elbow, and partak-
ng with their fingers from dishes |
placed In the center of the table. Each |
vas supplied with . napkin. and |
tnives were used. though it does not |
'ppear that Everyone was supplied |
With one. Nothing. it would seem,
'ould be more fatiguing than to partske |
II -epast in such IN awkward pos
ure or less conducive to neatnesa, it /
,eing almost impossible 70 keep
he hands clean even with water /
upplied BY the slaves, q 70
'revent the food and wine from
alling ON the clothing and the draper.
es of the couch. This manner Of eat
ng disappeared during the dark ages
o far ss the couch was concerned, but
he peculiarity of taking the food with
he fingers from common dish contin-
led afterward for more than thousand
cara
Details in regard to the manner in
which meals were served do not abound
Turing the dark ages. It Is only toward
he twelfth century that we begin to
ave . little light on this interesting
ubject When . meal was ready In the
hirteenth century the guests Of .
astle, with the vassals, were assem-
led TO the sound Of . horn, . method
{ summoning that appears to have
een the privilege only Of the greatest
ordA Some hundreds Of years later .
ell was used for the purpose. On large
arms in the southern and western
tates the horn has survived. though Q
arge bell Is sometimes used. The
,anner which . meal was served In
$50 is thus described BY IN old French
ritter. who gives without doubt cor
ect idea Of . repest1throughout civilised
'urope at that epoch among people
'ell-to-do. Tho table. il il remarked,
RS often constructed with boards
laced ON trestleA