The Welsh Love Spoon Tradition

The tradition of cutting and handing out Welsh Love spoons began in Wales thousands of years ago. The modern-day young men are likely to buy chocolates, flowers, or jewelry as a token of love.

A century ago in Wales the young love of their lives could also present cakes or sweets as gifts However, they also present a unique and more intimate present to the person of their affection such as that being the Welsh Love Spoon. A few of the first love spoons are displayed at the Welsh Folk Museum in Cardiff. One even was made in 1667.

The man would spend many hours making the spoon with his own hands, with hoping to convince the woman take it in the spoon. If the girl did accept this spoon, then she could show her love for him, and they would begin an intimate relationship. This is the reason for the term “spooning”.

This custom wasn’t restricted to Wales and was prevalent throughout Europe particularly among Celtic countries. Because the people of the countryside were using wooden spoons for eating and to cook food, they were required to create spoons of various sizes to serve this reason. It’s likely that more elaborate carvings evolved naturally out of this and the most stunning Love TinySpoon were used for gifts.

Young men had plenty of free time in the winter nights and, while some be writing poetry or writing tunes, the rest would make various things such as kitchen equipment or toys for children out of scrap wood.

It’s not difficult for a person to envision a youthful man, after an exhausting day of work with no radio, television, or automobiles and spending his time during the dark nights creating a spoon for the girl whom he loved. Spoons might also represent meals on the table and a warm and cozy home that would show the girl how he can provide for her and her family.

The most authoritative source on the art in carving Welsh Love Spoons in Wales present is the Gwenda Breeze. According to Gwenda Breeze, who was the one who taught the art at the hands of Paul Curtis (the main craftsman behind our selection of love spoons), although the tradition of carving love spoons not exclusive to Wales The high-quality of these made in Wales is among the highest around the globe, and the evolution that the spoon has gone from being a simple kitchen tool to an intricately created design is a uniquely Welsh unique phenomenon.

There is no other nation has ever created such a wide range of carving and design techniques, And the young people invested a huge amount of thought and time into the creations. Wales was a society that was poor that was unable to purchase expensive jewelry Therefore, they would strive to create the most beautiful spoons they could.

In the past the ability to be a practical husband were highly desired, and a gorgeously made spoon would show the talents of the young man. Carvers would try to make more intricate designs while competing for the attention of the girl they wanted to attract. The more difficult and complicated to create a design the more likely it is to represent the intensity of the artist’s passion and love for working for his beloved one. It’s also possible that the dimensions of the spoon could reflect the love that the carver has for his loved ones however, the spoons differ in their size, ranging between 8cm and one meter long.

The first reference to”llwy” or “llwy” (which is ‘spoon” in Welsh) is in the writings of Taliesin an early 6th-century Welsh poet, suggesting the existence of such a piece of equipment for centuries prior to the first known example. The kitchen utensils made from wood will not last a long lifespan, and only a few authentic wooden work utensils survive from before that of the 17th century.

The custom was widely used throughout Wales There isn’t any evidence that some regions were more favored by particular styles. It is difficult to determine the quantity of love spoons made; they were often delicate and even though they were not employed for cooking or eating, they could have easily broken. The oldest examples date in the late 17th century and it could be that the form of spoons laying together may have influenced the design of lovers seated together.

There’s been plenty of discussion regarding the significance of various symbols and themes employed in the carving of love spoons. Many youngsters who were carving were afraid and reluctant to express their feelings and thus, they would attempt to express their feelings with the help of different symbols. Over time, new symbols and patterns have been added. As the love spoons have become more intricate and attractive, they became collector’s items.

A lot of the symbols used to represent love were utilized from the earliest spoons and are common across Europe. For example the chain symbolizes the desire to be with someone for the rest of your life, diamonds would symbolize wealth or good fortune and a cross is a symbol of the belief in God, a flower will symbolize love and a dragon symbolizes protection, etc.

Traditionally, spoons were constructed from one chunk of wood. The most well-known wood was sycamore. However, there are also examples of yew boxwood, oak, and fruit trees like wild cherry or apple. Wood with a closely cut grain needed to be dried as fresh wood may split as it dried. Carvers would take an old trunk, then cut it in half prior to making the rough shape of the spoon within one of the halves.

The first spoons were not too intricate, and they might have a basic style, with possibly an initials or the name of the couple, and the possibility of a hole at the top of the spoon for hanging it against the wall. The early carvers utilized the simplest tools available, namely the pocketknife as well as an axe or the saw. They didn’t have a design to follow, nor any technical expertise, though they might have copied other designs and their own designs are quite remarkable given the circumstances.

Should the man was successful in winning the girl’s heart the spoon will be kept in a prominent place on the walls of their house, just like a wedding photo could be in the present. It is also possible that a popular girl could receive several spoons from prospective suitors However, it is unlikely an individual would put in all of his time and energy in the event that he didn’t think that he was likely to have a possibility of winning the girl. If a girl accepts the spoon, youngsters would most likely begin the journey of a relationship, and would be considered as a “couple” by the community they live in.

It is important to keep in mind that the custom of “engaging in a wedding ceremony was not widespread in rural Wales until the middle at the end of 18th century as the vast majority of couples would live together.

These days, in addition to being a token of affection or a souvenir of a trip in Wales, Lovespoons are given to celebrate many occasions like weddings, birthdays and anniversaries and births, engagements, home warmings, christenings as well as St. Valentines Day.