The Fork: The Work of the Devil?

 So today, I just wanted to do a fun post. So we will be looking at how the fork was evil.

Two pronged forks are a pretty old invention. They can be found in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome but were really only used for cooking, not eating. By the Middle Ages, wealthy families in the Middle East and Byzantine Empire were using a smaller two pronged fork to eat. But it was a rather scandalous utensil. 

Picture this: the year is 1004. The Greek niece of the Byzantine Emperor is getting married in Venice and used a golden fork. Now, at this time, most Europeans were still eating with their fingers and knives and this Greek woman is using a golden fork! This odd utensil was seen as a sinful decadence by the local clergy. One Venetian claimed "God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks - his fingers... Therefore it is an insult to him to substitute artificial metal forks for them when eating." As if this was not enough, when the woman died a few years later from a plague, Saint Peter Damian claimed her death was God's punishment for her hateful vanity!

Spoon and Fork with Animal Hoof Finial, 300s AD, Early Byzantine, perhaps Syria, silver - Cleveland Museum of Art. Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

It is also interesting to note that Damien had little use for grammar, he believed the study of grammar was routed in the devil. He also did not support literary or other studies because he believed the human purpose was to be found in the contemplation of God. As a result of this, he was very critical of monks as they often studied both religious and secular topics.

All this to say, Saint Peter Damian believing God would punish a woman to death by plague was not out of character for him.

8th to 9th Century bronze forks from modern-day Iran. Photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen via Wikimedia Commons

It is speculated by Sarah Coffin in Feeding Desire that its resemblance to the devil's pitchfork would have also affect the image and acceptance of the fork. 

Now, if you are thinking that was so long ago, I'll leave you with two more fun facts.

According to Carline Young in Feeding Desire, in 1609 an allegorical novel about the courtiers of Henry III (France) told the story of an island of hermaphrodites. Their behavior is conveyed as theatrical and deceitful. In their pursuit of "the new and unnecessary" they, of course, use forks and spill more food than they manage to consume.

Finally, in 1897, many British sailors still ate without forks. They considered them unmanly. That was a mere 125 years ago.

Bramen, Lisa. "A History of Western Eating Utensils, From the Scandalous Fork to the Incredible Spork. Smithsonian Magazine. July 31, 2009. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-history-of-western-eating-utensils-from-the-scandalous-fork-to-the-incredible-spork-64593179/

Goldsmith, Sara. "The Rise of the Fork." Slate. June 20, 2012. http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/design/2012/06/the_history_of_the_fork_when_we_started_using_forks_and_how_their_design_changed_over_time_.html

"Peter Damian." Encyclopedia. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/peter-damian-1007-1072