Origins of ordinary things: Forks

Can you remember the last time you ate an entire meal without using a fork? Neither can many other people. A fork is one of the most common dining accessories used by people around the world during meal times. Even though they are now more popular than table knives and spoons, forks were the latest addition to cutlery. They were originally two-pronged and used for cooking and serving food. This is according to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. Ancient serving forks, according to ‘Eating Utensils’, an online platform for knowledge about eating apparatuses, were made from wood and animal bones. Later, they were made from bronze and silver. This is to say that forks are not a thing of the recent past. Their existence is said to go as far back as the 4th Century. Since there was little documentation during ancient times, it is hard to tell exactly where forks originated. Some studies say that they came from ancient Egypt while others say that they originated from ancient Rome. What’s true though, is that forks were not popular from the get go. For instance, according to ‘Today I Found Out’, an online knowledge website, in 11th Century Venice, Byzantine princess, Theodora Anna Doukaina, took gold forks as part of her dowry during her wedding. This became a scandal as people were opposed to the idea of using cutlery, saying it was insulting to God who had provided fingers which they could use to eat. According to ‘History’, an online knowledge platform, when Princess Doukaina died in 1083, it was widely believed that it was a punishment from God for being excessively exquisite. After that, forks were not used at dinner tables for a long time. This is according to ‘Food Reference’, an online website about food. Apart from religious reasons, in some parts of the world such as Europe, forks were shunned because apparently they looked feminine. It was in the 1500s that forks started making their way back to people’s homes. They were mainly used by elite groups. According to ‘Slate’, a web-based magazine, in the late 1600s, the masses started buying cutlery, including forks for their homes. During this period of time, forks with three and then four prongs were made. The popularity of forks is widely attributed to Catherine de’ Medici, an Italian noble woman after she had married French King Henry II in the 16th Century. She is said to have created the aura of sophistication in using a fork. Today, forks are so popular especially among the educated masses that it is deemed uncouth to eat with one’s fingers. And where people were once condemned for using forks, now people are ridiculed for their inability to use them.

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Origins of ordinary things: Forks