SGHOM
14-07-2004, 10:51 PM
THE 1500s
> > >
> > > The next time you are washing your hands and complain
because the
water
> >temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how
things used to
be.
> > > Here are some facts about the1500s:
> > > These are interesting...
> > > Most people got married in June because they took their
yearly bath in
> >May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they
were starting
to
> >smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the
body odour.
> > > Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting
married.
> > >
> > > Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The
man of the
house
> >had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other
sons and
men,
> >then the women and finally the children Last of all the
babies. By then
the
> >water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.
Hence the
saying,
> >"Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
> > >
> > > Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw-piled high, with
no wood
> >underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm,
so all the
cats
> >and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When
it rained it
> >became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and off
the roof.
> >Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."
> > >
> > > There was nothing to stop things from falling into the
house. This
posed
> >a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings
could mess
up
> >your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet
hung over
the
> >top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came
into existence.
> > >
> > > The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other
than dirt.
> >Hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors
that would get
> >slippery in the winter when wet , so they spread thresh
(straw) on floor
to
> >help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they adding
more thresh
> >until when you opened the door it would all start slipping
outside. A
piece
> >of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a
"threshold."
> > >
> > > (Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
> > >
> > > In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big
kettle that
> >always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and
added things
to
> >the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much
meat. They
would
> >eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get
cold
overnight
> >and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in
it that had
> >been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge
hot, peas
> >porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."
> > >
> > > Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel
quite special.
> >When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to
show off. It
was
> >a sign of wealth that a man could "bring home the bacon."
They would cut
> >off a little to share with guests and would all sit around
and "chew the
> >fat."
> > >
> > > Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high
acid
content
> >caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead
poisoning.
> >This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400
years or so,
> >tomatoes were considered poisonous.
> > >
> > > Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the
burnt bottom of
> >the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top,
or "upper
> >crust."
> > >
> > > Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The
combination would
> >sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days.
Someone walking
> >along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for
burial. They
> >were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and
the family
> >would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if
they would wake
> >up. Hence the custom of holding a "wake."
> > >
> > > England is old and small and the local folks started
running out of
> >places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would
take the
> >bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the grave. When reopening
these
coffins,
> >1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the
inside and
they
> >realized they had been burying people alive. So they would
tie a string
on
> >the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up
through the
> >ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in
the
graveyard
> >all night (the"graveyard shift") to listen for the bell;
thus, someone
> >could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead
ringer."
> > >
> > > And that's the truth... Now , whoever said that History
was boring !!!
> > >
> > > The next time you are washing your hands and complain
because the
water
> >temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how
things used to
be.
> > > Here are some facts about the1500s:
> > > These are interesting...
> > > Most people got married in June because they took their
yearly bath in
> >May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they
were starting
to
> >smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the
body odour.
> > > Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting
married.
> > >
> > > Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The
man of the
house
> >had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other
sons and
men,
> >then the women and finally the children Last of all the
babies. By then
the
> >water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.
Hence the
saying,
> >"Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
> > >
> > > Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw-piled high, with
no wood
> >underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm,
so all the
cats
> >and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When
it rained it
> >became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and off
the roof.
> >Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."
> > >
> > > There was nothing to stop things from falling into the
house. This
posed
> >a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings
could mess
up
> >your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet
hung over
the
> >top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came
into existence.
> > >
> > > The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other
than dirt.
> >Hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors
that would get
> >slippery in the winter when wet , so they spread thresh
(straw) on floor
to
> >help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they adding
more thresh
> >until when you opened the door it would all start slipping
outside. A
piece
> >of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a
"threshold."
> > >
> > > (Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
> > >
> > > In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big
kettle that
> >always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and
added things
to
> >the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much
meat. They
would
> >eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get
cold
overnight
> >and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in
it that had
> >been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge
hot, peas
> >porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."
> > >
> > > Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel
quite special.
> >When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to
show off. It
was
> >a sign of wealth that a man could "bring home the bacon."
They would cut
> >off a little to share with guests and would all sit around
and "chew the
> >fat."
> > >
> > > Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high
acid
content
> >caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead
poisoning.
> >This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400
years or so,
> >tomatoes were considered poisonous.
> > >
> > > Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the
burnt bottom of
> >the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top,
or "upper
> >crust."
> > >
> > > Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The
combination would
> >sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days.
Someone walking
> >along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for
burial. They
> >were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and
the family
> >would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if
they would wake
> >up. Hence the custom of holding a "wake."
> > >
> > > England is old and small and the local folks started
running out of
> >places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would
take the
> >bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the grave. When reopening
these
coffins,
> >1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the
inside and
they
> >realized they had been burying people alive. So they would
tie a string
on
> >the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up
through the
> >ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in
the
graveyard
> >all night (the"graveyard shift") to listen for the bell;
thus, someone
> >could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead
ringer."
> > >
> > > And that's the truth... Now , whoever said that History
was boring !!!