Alcohol & The Ancient Man: Tipsy Trip From Rotting Berries To New Year Bash

Probably it all began with the ancient man having a taste of fermented berries strewn on the leaf bed of the forest floor. It was a bit rough on the taste buds but the aftermath was really good. It gave a heady feeling and strange lightness. The yeast in the air and sugar in the berry had cooked a conspiracy to take his mind off the humdrum hunter-gatherer existence. It had freed his tongue and the usual grunts came out fast in the shape of primitive words. He longed for company and soon a few of them were together, gorging on the berries and dancing like there was no tomorrow.

The party continues many millennia later. The spirit is unchanged, only the rituals around drinking have shifted across civilisations, taking many turns and twists over time. Meanwhile, the bond between humankind and alcohol has gone deeper. Back then finding alcohol was a matter of chance and dependent on seasons. So captive production was necessary. Among the most important tasks for the next generation after it settled down to agricultural life was to use grains to prepare their tipple. Alcohol production was under control, now they needed excuses to indulge. The party, after all, had to go on.

They involved gods. It was an intelligent move. The dubious indulgence needed social acceptance and a degree of legitimacy. Who else but the deities could assure it? Thus we had gods enjoying the tipple in Greek and Roman mythology. Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstasy, and his Roman counterpart, Bacchus, just loved the good drink. The female devotees, the Maenads, worshipped him in a drunken frenzy. Hathor was the Egyptian goddess of love wine and drunkenness; Liu Ling was the Chinese god of wine; Nephthys was the Egyptian goddess of beer and Ninkasi was the Sumerian goddess of beer. Our own mythology mentions Lord Indra as a consumer of Soma Rasa, an intoxicating drink.

Beyond gods and goddesses, alcohol was assigned other important roles in some civilisations. According to Herodotus, the Greek historian, the ancient Persians drank before taking important decisions, and then again when sober. If in both cases the result was the same, they acted. Liquor was a good source of revenue and rulers were quick to see the merit in letting booze flow in watering holes. These were also the places where espionage operations and adult socialising took place.

They didn’t probably say ‘cheers’ then. It is believed to be a French contribution, originating from the word ‘chiere’ in the 18th century, or clink glasses, a practice from medieval ages, or raise a toast as a sign of good faith. But different civilisations developed their own drinking rituals. In Thailand it was bad manners to empty the glass; in Russia and Poland vodka had to be finished in one gulp; in the Czech Republic, maintaining eye contact was a must while clicking glasses; and so on. In some places in India, a bit of liquor is sprinkled from the glass before the beginning of the session.

The ancient man travelling in the present would be surprised how far his accidental discovery had gone. He could never have imagined the funny drink to get embedded in the human psyche and society so deep and transcend all barriers. He would marvel at the the range of liquor, from whiskey to gin to vodka to brandy and to what not. He would, of course, appreciate the smartness of humankind in turning every life occasion – happy or sad, religious or secular – into an excuse to indulge. He would be specially elated at the sight of people in celebration mode from Christmas.

Now, it’s time to raise a toast to the ancient man. Without his eagerness to add a little fun to life there would be no alcohol, no parties. Say cheers. Happy drinking. Don’t overindulge please!

(By arrangements with Perspective Bytes)