Popular Wealth

Fork Fear

Although, today forks as dining accessories have gained profound popularity among people, there was a time when these forks where considered to be scandalous. That’s right! Way back in the middle ages, the use of forks was considered to be scandalous. The prime reason being the death of a Greek princess, who died shortly after she introduced forks during her wedding ceremony. Back then, it was interpreted as being a divine punishment.

While forks found their usage in Italy right in the 11 century, it began to be used in France and England much later. In fact, forks in England came in vogue only after a book by Thomas Coryat named, “Coryat’s Curdities Hastily gobbled up in Five Months Travels in France, Savoy, Italy, &c”. There have also been wide evidences, suggesting the nominal use of forks in Spain in the 16^th century. Records show the existence of only one man, the Governor Winthrop of Massachusetts, in the whole of colonial America, to possess the first and only fork.

Long before forks had been introduced, it was only wooden spoons and knives that where used as an alternative for eating with hands. Today these split spoons or forks as they are better known, are available in all sorts of varieties from three-tined to four and even five-tined ones.