Bedding Through the Ages
[ad_1]
Bedding through the ages has changed drastically. Start by looking at the average Roman bed. These were quite simple bed frames made of wood or iron. If a Roman was wealthy he would have his bed covered in the furs of exotic creatures. If a Roman couple was rich they would sleep in separate beds while the poor masses would sleep together in pairs or more.
With the fall of Rome, the elaborate bedrooms became a thing of the past and the bedrooms of most Saxons and Viking families were basic, one-roomed bedrooms. These warriors would sleep on nothing more than benches and hard plank wood. Even their blankets and pillows were made from leaves and straw. Poor people also made beds of straw and leaves during the medieval period. The wealthy upper class had beds which included actual bedding and mattresses. This period also saw the first bed drapes which would hang down low from the top of the bed canopy. This was more to protect the occupants of the bed from elements and bugs.
The ideal medieval bed was made to be moved on the spot. When a Lord and Lady would travel, they would also travel with their bed. As the times rolled on to the age of the Tudors, many people could afford the normal framed beds. Still made from planks and hard boards, these beds were more readily available to the general public. They started to take on the appearance of the beds we have today. However the construction of a Tudor bed was rather lacking. Held together with nothing more than stretched cords, these cords would need to be replaced when they would become stretched beyond use.
As Stuart and Georgians beds came to pass the design improved. The French had added the idea of a bed cover. These beds were made from elegantly carved wood and fastened together without the aid of cords.
As the years came and went the Victorian Age came around. These beds were the first bed frames made completely of iron. Sometimes fitted or welded together, Victorian Beds were fashioned with huge ornate head-boards and foot boards. As well as a box on which the mattress is placed.
Today our beds are mostly made of metals, plastics or wood. Our mattresses are encased in plastic covers as well as sporting bed sheets made of silk and other expensive materials.
[ad_2]
Source by Claire M Jefferies
