The fork, an everyday utensil we take for granted, was once considered a scandalous affront to God. While the Greeks and Romans used large forks for carving, individual dining forks appeared in the Byzantine Empire around the 10th century. When a Byzantine princess brought forks to Venice for her marriage to a Doge, the local clergy condemned them, claiming, 'God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks—his fingers.' It took centuries for the fork to become a common everyday item. It was popularized in France by Catherine de' Medici in the 16th century, primarily because the high 'ruff' collars of the era made it difficult to bring food to the mouth with fingers without staining the clothes.