A Christening Gift, a Silver Spoon and a Charmed Life
Author: Richard Hoare
We all know somebody who was "born with a silver spoon in his
mouth." That lucky friend who inherited money or to whom wealth,
health and happiness came without any effort on their part. And,
admit it, we are just that tinsy winsy bit jealous.
Well, how did family wealth and easy good fortune become
associated with a commonplace eating utensil?
Spoons have been around for thousands of years. Most early
spoons were wooden spatulas or even re-worked seashells. The
Greeks and Romans did manufacture the occasional spoons of gold,
silver and bronze, but the most common materials, as in the
later Medieval period, were wood, pewter and bone.
It is probably in the 15th and 16th centuries that the link
between fortune and spoons became established. By Tudor times,
it was not uncommon for godparents in wealthy society to present
their godchildren with a Christening gift of silver Apostle
Spoons. A set of twelve spoons, each with an image of one
apostle on the handle was a prestigious Christening gift. An
alternative was a set of four spoons representing the
evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Silver spoons are
still given as Christening gifts and Baptism presents today, but
Apostle Spoons are less common and more difficult to find.
In the sixteenth century a silver spoon was still pretty rare,
so any child receiving such a Christening gift would have to
come from a wealthy background. Moreover, if some recent medical
research is correct, they were also blessed with a bit of luck.
Silver spoons and teethers have been popular for centuries, but
it is only in the last few years that the antibiotic properties
of silver have been recognised. To put it bluntly, the wealthy
Little Lord Fauntleroy teething on a silver Christening spoon
had a better chance of survival than a pauper sucking on a lump
of pewter. I rather poo-pooed this idea of silver's miraculous
properties until I remembered my granny dropping a silver
thrupenny bit into the milk churn to "stop it turning."
As with so many of our current customs and traditions, the
Victorians have had a large influence on Christening gifts. By
the mid nineteenth century the Christening gift of a spoon was
commonplace amongst the middle and upper classes. Often these
were combined with teethers and rattles, so, once again, a well
off godchild could be seen with a silver Christening spoon in
his mouth.
We cannot be certain of this etymological link between
Christening gifts and the phrase "to be born with a silver spoon
in his mouth," but there is obviously something way back in our
subconscious that associates spoons with success, or the lack of
it.
For example, "The Wooden Spoon" is a symbol of failure. Sports
teams that come last in a tournament or league are handed "The
Wooden Spoon," a tradition that goes back many centuries. There
is also reference to it in the distant past at Cambridge
University where the "Junior Optimes" - the graduates at the
bottom of the order of merit - were presented with a wooden
spoon. And what did the more successful honour men receive?
You've guessed it ... a gold or silver spoon.
Similarly, there used to be an expression in the Royal Navy
describing a young officer who received preferential treatment
and accelerated promotion as "born with the silver spoon."
So, the jury is still out as to the exact origins of the phrase,
but the romantic in me would like to believe that it finds its
origins in silver Christening gifts.
So the next time you talk about someone "born with a silver
spoon in his mouth," you're allowed to say it with a touch of
jealousy, just a hint of that little green-eyed monster, but
also a touch of smugness ... at least you may know where the
phrase has come from.
About the author:
Richard Hoare is a director of ASSERgerrard Limited, owners of www.christeningsilver.com where you will find the perfect sterling silver Christening Gift or Baptism Gift including silver Christening cups, egg cups, napkin rings, rattles, jewellery, bibles and, of course, silver spoons.
