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Dining In
Many of our customs, traditions and procedures are traceable to the earliest warriors. The dining-in is one such military tradition that has its roots in the shadows of antiquity. The pre-Christian Roman Legions probably began the dining-in tradition. Roman military commanders frequently held great banquets to honor individuals and military units. These gatherings were victory celebrations where past feats were remembered and booty of recent conquests paraded. The second century Viking war lords stylized the format of the victory fest. With the exception of the lookout, or watch, the entire clan attended these celebrations. Feats of strength and skill were performed to entertain the members and guests. The leader took his place at the head of the table, with all others to his right and left in descending order of rank.
The dining-in custom was transplanted to ancient England by Roman and Viking warriors. King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table practiced a form of dining-in the sixth century. The tradition eventually spread to non-military groups, such as the Saxon nobles of the tenth century and the medieval monasteries. The monks, who followed a more rigid regimen, had their form of dining-in as an integral part of monastic life. The clergy spread the custom to the academies and universities. The British officer corps, with many graduates of these centers of learning, carried the tradition back to military units.
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