By: Adrian Smith

Today we explore this habit while uncovering (and debunking) three theories that could explain why we clink our goblets, mugs and glasses in the ways that we do.

Keeping Evil Spirits at Bay

The medieval ages were a haven for religious beliefs and, of course, wine. It could be possible that our clinking habits stem back to a time when dark magic, witchcraft and evil energies were feared throughout communities. In order to keep the demons and evil energies at bay, people would clink glasses together in order to replicate the sound of church bells ringing. A similar story arises from pagan cultures in earlier times. Germanic tribes would actually bang their cups to the table in order to scare away ghosts. Talk about getting in the spirit.

Debunked: Clay and wooden mugs were generally used to drink from during this era, neither of which would sound like chiming bells, adding a certain skepticism to this theory.

Safeguard Against Poisoning

Another story believed to originate from the medieval ages looks to the popular fashion of poisoning one’s enemies. Rumor has it that enemies would frequently slip vials of poison into cups and jugs of wine before using their best possible acting skills to avoid suspicion. In order to avoid such travesties, a custom was thought to have been created where all those drinking would slam their goblets together so wine would spill over the edges into everyone’s cup. That way everyone would be screwed.

Debunked: After further research, it turns out these ‘poisoning tales’ were exactly that, just tales! A fictional novel written by Alexandre Dumas in the 1800’s advanced the idea that enemies often poisoned each other, but alas, his stories were just fiction. Medieval folk may have been nicer than we thought.

Wine and Toast (Literally)

Possibly the most entertaining theory dates back to the 16th century, the first major account of which was noted in Shakespeare’s ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor.’ Back then it was quite common for folks to add a stale piece of bread to a jug of wine. Often stuffed with fruit and rubbed in spices, the bread would become full of flavor and incredibly tasty.

Over time this ritual became a celebration, and the piece of bread would be given to the person being honored, while everyone else drank. Here, the phrase ‘toasting’ was born. In fact, ‘toasting’ became so popular throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, we also saw the introduction of the ‘toastmaster.’ Toastmasters were responsible for ensuring patrons didn’t over-toast, which was becoming a major issue for drinking establishments.

As hybrid forms of toasting emerged, such as drinking from women’s shoes and even mixing one’s own blood with wine, an anti-toasting movement was born. People were becoming so drunk and reckless that many venues actually banned toasting altogether. It seems we’ve mellowed out a little since… (or at least we think we have).

Not Debunked? Although not 100% proven to be the exact origin of ‘toasting’, this theory is yet to be disproven, so it may be the closest we ever come to discovering the truth!

So there you have it, three theories, each with their own whimsical explanations. Whether you’re keeping evil spirits at bay, trying not to get poisoned, or simply just want to drink out of a stranger’s shoe, toast responsibly!

Source: Vivino

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