Etiquette of the past: how they behaved at the table in the Middle Ages

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Compliance with the rules of behavior at the table has always been considered a sign of good form. Some of today's norms of etiquette are rooted in ancient times Middle Ages … How people behaved at the table several centuries ago - further in the review.

The collapse of the Western Roman Empire marked the end of the ancient era. The Middle Ages have come. Europe suffered from feudal strife. The gentlemen's daily menu was not very different from that of the peasants. They mostly ate cereals, beans, vegetables and a lot of bread. The lack of nutritional value of food was compensated by the amount eaten. At that time, it was customary to gorge themselves to the dump. Looking at medieval paintings, one gets the impression that many men were overweight then. You might think that a bloated stomach is a sign of affluence, but, in fact, it is a sign of indigestion.

Meat on the tables of the peasants appeared only on holidays, and among the feudal lords - always at feasts. The aristocrats ate pork, hare, fish, and geese. Tables were arranged with the letter "T" or "P". The guests took their places according to their status. The higher the position of the invitee, the closer he sits to the owner.

In the early Middle Ages, the concept of a tablecloth was completely absent, they began to lay it much later. Depressions were made on the oak surfaces of the tables, where food was laid out. Only men were sitting at the table, women ate separately in another room.

With the development of the cult of the Beautiful Lady (XI century), men began to dine with women. The first "rudiments" of table etiquette appeared. It has become obligatory to wash your hands before eating and after the end of the feast.

Liquid food was poured into bowls (one portion was meant for two), and each one put the meat on a slice of bread. The remains of the bread were then thrown to the dogs or given to the beggars. In the Middle Ages, they usually ate in the morning and evening. An ancient proverb said: "Angels need food once a day, people - twice, animals - three times."

If the time was not festive, then the menu of a commoner from an aristocrat differed only in the amount of food eaten. So, from historical chronicles it is known that the dinner of the royal couple in England in the XIII century consisted of a couple of pounds of smoked bacon and two liters of beer.

In the XII century, tablecloths began to be laid on the tables. The owners of the house and guests actively wiped their hands and mouths with its edges. Among the cutlery in the Middle Ages, they used knives that looked more like cleavers, and spoons made of expensive metals, decorated with precious stones. Soups were not eaten, but drunk. Sweets and other sweets were taken with spoons.

The fork began to be used in the 15th century, and even then, only Italians. It was there that the Renaissance began its development, which replaced the Middle Ages. As for the rest of the European powers, even the monarchs were in no hurry to use the fork. It is known that Queen Anne of Austria ate meat stew with her hands, and her son Louis XIV completely forbade the use of a fork at court, since he himself ate cooked dishes with his hands.

It was in the era of the Sun King that the observance of etiquette, including those of the table, became the basis of court life. The rules of conduct became so complex that numerous etiquette manuals were issued. A position appeared at the court - master of ceremonies. He had to monitor the fulfillment of all requirements. There are many legends not only about the requirements of etiquette at the court of the French king, but also about the irrepressible appetite of Louis XIV.