Lest there are thems amongst you who look upon the very idea of
teeth as jewelry with disdain … think of necklaces of shark teeth
… and pendants with bear teeth hanging dead center in order to
ward off the many evils that pervade this planet … or perhaps even
that strange little extra-terrestrial who somehow got hold of a
human molar and even as you read this wears it in his third ear as
he struts with pride on the glistening surface of the 26th planet in
the third galaxy.
Did you know that in 800 BC the Etruscans who dwelled in the land of
Italy in what is now called Tuscany were considered the best dentists
in the world. They carved full or partial dentures from ivory. Alas
… as modern medicine advanced … technology regressed a tad …
for in the 1500’s women of class kept their “uppers” in place by
having their gums pierced with hooks in order to secure denture
wires. Ye gads man … things were getting out of hand back then.
The importance of wearing necklaces of teeth can not be overstated
when considering their magical properties. We all know about the
tooth fairy putting money under a child’s pillow. But did you know
it is considered an ill omen should a baby be born with teeth? Or if
the first tooth to be exposed resides in the upper jaw the portend
of death in childhood hangs heavily over the young tot. Dream of
teeth falling out … a relative is about to die. Eat some food
while a funeral bell is tolling … you will get a toothache.
So … it occurs to me that at this point you can not wait to see
just what sort of tooth-jewelry I’m going to show you. Alas … it
ain’t to be. What I am going to show you is a sculpture in stone
made in England around the 12th century. It is carving of a man who
surely knew the agony of a toothache. It’s a rather striking image
… and a little off-beat.
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits…may I
direct you to my home page at www.tyler-adam.com where you will
scroll down the left side menu till you get to the area that says
Tidbits Graphics … and then click on the link that says: Toothache
… where you’ll see an image of a stone carving of a fellow truly
suffering from not having flossed on a daily basis.
And there ya have it.
That’s it for this week folks.
Catch you all next week.
Benjamin Mark