SC - serving whole chickens at feast

[Bonne of Traquair]

the best prices are still for whole chickens when I buy fowl for
>feasts, but sometimes it's more economical to get parts. I know that the
>parts are generally more appreciated at the feast table, since people don't
>have to hack their meat off the bird in the dark...But the whole birds LOOK
>a lot more Medieval. It's a tradeoff.

Is it really more Medieval to send the bird or roast out to table whole?

I've read that
A. People ate with spoons and/or fingers and also had small personal knives 
with which to cut their own food smaller
and
B. the squires and servants have great big knives and a duty to make the 
food ready for the table.

I've combined these bits into the idea that by the time the food is placed 
in front of the guests, it has already been divided into portions, if not 
bite-sized pieces.  Makes for more elegant, less messy eating and serving.   
Sending out a whole bird for the diners to have to WORK at getting their 
serving from seems not quite the thing.  Perhaps it would stay intact from 
kitchen to the sideboards where someone cut it before serving it.

Note: I haven't read this as a stated fact, I've just inferred it and filed 
it away to find out more about later.  So, now is later I guess. Anyone know 
the real deal?

Bonne


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