The Medieval Table

The Table in the medieval world exemplified the world denying vs world affirming divide so prevalent at the time. The communal meal shared by the monks was austere in character and was meant to feed the spirit more than the body. Whereas the the secular feast in the hall focused on the deployment of power - it mattered if you were seen to have been be invited. This element was to be seen in the conviviums and symposiums of the ancient world. Surely the whole idea of the feast should be to feed both body and soul without resort to excess or prejudice