Can we clear up a point of medieval etiquette?

Question

We went to an 'Authentic' medieval banquet in a castle with a roaring log fire, long wood tables and roaming dogs but they stopped me throwing my spare rib bones over my shoulder for the dogs because of health and safety issues- Some were hitting the guests seated in the row behind. The manager said it was not an authentic action anyway, I had seen it in a film and no-one really did it.

Answer 1

your an idiot

Answer 2

Although records are scarce from this period of time (it was the Dark Ages after all), it appears to be most likely that the action which you descibe may have been rather class based. Pending the situation itself, were you to be at a high class dinner with Royal or suchlike guests, it would most probably be considered quite rude to do so, however, at a middle class social, it would have been acceptable and normal for 'bone throwing to occur'.

This mainly is based on a balance of hygene and feeding the surrounding pets (usually dogs or similar). The higher classes would feed their animals (or have them fed), wheras the middle classes' pets would be fed from the bones and the lower classes would simply not care for the hygene (without pets).

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

It would not have been done in mediaeval times for the same reason - the risk of it hitting someone. If you wanted to give your dog the bone at the table you dropped it discreetly by your side.

Remember that back then people were far more concerned with etiquette than nowadays even if their behaviour might have seemed a little rough by our standards. This was because if you offended someone you risked having to debate the point with lengths of sharpened metal (or your fists if you were working class).

Answer 4

You saw Hollywood version of a banquet I imagine there were times when a ruler or head of a house would eat and beside him was a dog and he probably tossed his bone to the dog but to do this in a dinning hall with people around you is very low class I wouldn't do that again

Answer 5

On a completely different facet, cooked bones are an absolute NO-NO for dogs!!!!! When the bone is cooked it becomes hard and brittle, which makes it easy for the bone to splinter. If a dog were to get one of these splinters stuck in its mouth or throat, it would be horrible. Dogs should only be given RAW bones, which do not pose a choking hazzard because they are still pliable.

Answer 6

Ha ha ha, that sounds funny, mind you I don't think I would appreciate somebodies spare rib bones landing in my meal! I would have thought that the roaming dogs were more of a health and safety issue!!
Sounds like loads of fun anyway.

Answer 7

Well, I'm sure in midieval times they probably did throw the bones over their shoulder. But they also peed in an urn while still sitting at the table. I think it's best we don't try to be authentic.

Answer 8

That is correct; no one really threw their bones over their shoulder back then. If there was a dog present, it could be fed to the dog (like dinners of today). Also, the practice of eating with mostly your hands is also incorrect - there has been documented evidence of a three-tined fork for personal use.

Answer 9

guests seated in the row behind?
health and safety issues?
This was far from an 'Authentic' medieval banquet !
Demand your money back!!

Answer 10

yeah..it doesnt make sense to throw it over ur shoulder,i mean think about it,those dogs were allowed to roam becuase some ppl didnt mind them around while others used to think of them as pets...i can imagine someone feeding a begging dog with a rib from their hands...that sounds quite authentic

Answer 11

Sounds like a health and safety cop out to me! In medieval times they also ate their food off tranches of bread - which acted as plates - and not porcelain plates - did you have those? And I bet you also had, ate potatoes, sugar, which weren't available then either|? Never mind, as long as you had a good time and the serving wenches were tolerable!