Originally posted by Renee Scattergood:
Its been a while since I put up a cat video, so here they are...
Just because!
Just because!
What you wore, where you slept, and what you slept on were all related to your social status. The average person in the Middle Ages didn’t have a separate sleeping area. In a one room cottage, everyone slept crammed in together on thin woven mats, or mattresses stuffed with wool, hay or moss. Fleas, lice, and other pests were frequent, unwelcome guests that plagued commoners and kings alike. They were sometimes combated with ticking (tightly woven mattress covers), herbs that were known to be insect-repellents, or by storing bedding in cedar chests. While the wealthy had the advantage of feather beds and pillows, and fur coverlets, pest were attracted to them. Bed filling was usually only changed once each year.
If you had a bit more wealth, your sleeping arrangements would be more comfortable, but surprisingly not any more private. A real bed, with a mattress and drawn curtains was quite expensive and might be passed down through the family. Though the likelihood of having a separate sleeping room was greater, the whole family would sleep together in one bed, with servants sleeping nearby on straw mats. Guests of the household might also be invited to share the bed.
It is generally thought that most medieval people slept without clothes, but period artwork shows a variety of nightly attire. Some slept nude while others wore simple gowns and shirts, or even just their daily underclothes. Monks were known to sleep in their robes for warmth since they always slept alone. By the late Middle Ages nightshirts and nightgowns were common. What was worn depended on one’s means, personal preferences, time of year, and sleeping conditions, and who else was sharing the bed.
Aloneness fulfills his heart; Ethon pricks his poor pate,
An unruly doom held for the most striking sire of the fire,
Alas, the choir denotes a fate for his audacity judged amiss.
Hubris! Zeus’ detestation for mankind’s undying prying,
Implying that the finite might materialize beyond the wise,
Cries echo from Hera of the duplicity, vigilant of a heifer, Lo,
Oh, hidden by tricky Bosporus, the lustful ox was underlying.
Relying on Prometheus to direct the desired maiden, forbidden,
Again, an eminent one plants a fruitful seed, an honorable deed,
His creed reprimanded by his prosperities; nay, heed Heracles,
Such glories sung louder than Prometheus’ kindness and Zeus’ sin.
When legends of compassion are tethered with assent to men’s essence,
The evanescence of each intention will disperse with mankind’s insolence.
An unruly doom held for the most striking sire of the fire,
Alas, the choir denotes a fate for his audacity judged amiss.
Hubris! Zeus’ detestation for mankind’s undying prying,
Implying that the finite might materialize beyond the wise,
Cries echo from Hera of the duplicity, vigilant of a heifer, Lo,
Oh, hidden by tricky Bosporus, the lustful ox was underlying.
Relying on Prometheus to direct the desired maiden, forbidden,
Again, an eminent one plants a fruitful seed, an honorable deed,
His creed reprimanded by his prosperities; nay, heed Heracles,
Such glories sung louder than Prometheus’ kindness and Zeus’ sin.
When legends of compassion are tethered with assent to men’s essence,
The evanescence of each intention will disperse with mankind’s insolence.
There is no doubt that the seasons ruled medieval life, dictating what work needed to be done and what food was available to eat, but did you know they affected sleep habits as well? With our ability to brighten up stores, homes, and streets with electric lights, our modern-day sleep patterns don’t change a whole lot with the seasons. Most of us aim for a solid 8 hours and adjust our bed times and alarm clocks accordingly.
According to historian Roger Ekirch, medieval adults broke up their sleep into two parts, with a time of wakefulness in between. They might use this time for intimacy, prayer, study, light household chores, or even visiting neighbors. After an hour or two, they would go back to bed until the sun rose. This was common practice for everyone, including monks, who were required to get up in the middle of the night as part of their prayer rituals. This was thought to protect the monastic community and its surroundings from demonic attacks. Children were the exception to the “first and second sleep” norm, and it was recommended that they sleep straight through the night.
During the winter months the shortness of the days, and lighter workloads, allowed abundant opportunity for sleeping, but summer was quite different. Field labors in the heat of the sun were more intensive, and exhausting. Under the feudal system, people were required to first labor for their lord or king before they took care of their own fields and gardens. This made for very long, back-breaking days that didn’t always leave enough time to sleep, especially in the northernmost areas of Europe. The remedy? Afternoon naps.
