Life In The 1500's

Oxford · 07-02-2007, 10:29 AM

These are interesting...and true.

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 odor. 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 fall 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 added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start sliding outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a thresh hold.

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 death. 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 the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock the drinkers 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 History was boring ! ! !

just_a_car · 07-02-2007, 11:41 AM

I actually knew about some of these, due to watching the History Channel. Good stuff.

Most I didn't know and found quite informative and fascinating. Thanks Ox!

troy2000 · 07-02-2007, 12:09 PM

Some of them I don't believe, but I'm getting cynical in my old age...

ash · 07-02-2007, 01:12 PM

If OX says I believe it.

He probably came up with a lot of those sayings.

just_a_car · 07-02-2007, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ash

If OX says I believe it.

He probably came up with a lot of those sayings.

*chuckle* You're probably right ash.

billy · 07-02-2007, 06:33 PM

[quote=ash;318037]If OX says I believe it.

yep

chrish · 07-02-2007, 08:46 PM

id say that version of the truth is alot more interesting

ArkansasHunter · 07-02-2007, 09:23 PM

My momma said when you learn something new you get a new wrinkle in your brain...I just had an earth quake lol...A.H

.22guy · 07-03-2007, 12:22 AM

Very interesting stuff. I wonder how much is really true....

chrish · 07-03-2007, 12:43 AM

that last one does remind me of the big flood of 1993, an old part of a graveyard got washed out and a few were found to have some kind of scratch markes on the inside of the lids. not much more was said i think it was just to creepy for any details of it.

07-02-2007, 10:29 AM	#1
Oxford Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gladstone, Missouri Posts: 13,022 Blog Entries: 4	Life In The 1500's These are interesting...and true. 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 odor. 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 fall 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 added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start sliding outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a thresh hold. 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 death. 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 the upper crust. Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock the drinkers 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 History was boring ! ! ! __________________ "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right". Last edited by Oxford; 07-03-2007 at 07:29 PM.

07-02-2007, 11:41 AM	#2
just_a_car Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Edmonds, WA Posts: 3,512	I actually knew about some of these, due to watching the History Channel. Good stuff. Most I didn't know and found quite informative and fascinating. Thanks Ox! __________________

07-02-2007, 12:09 PM	#3
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 9,409 Images: 9	Some of them I don't believe, but I'm getting cynical in my old age... __________________ If a million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. -Anatole France

07-02-2007, 06:33 PM	#6
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 11,970 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 146	[quote=ash;318037]If OX says I believe it. yep __________________ just leave britney ALONE! she's going thru a hard time snivel sniff....WAH

07-02-2007, 01:12 PM	#4
ash Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Maryland Posts: 934 Images: 3	If OX says I believe it. He probably came up with a lot of those sayings.

07-02-2007, 08:46 PM	#7
chrish Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: IOWA Posts: 373	id say that version of the truth is alot more interesting

07-02-2007, 09:23 PM	#8
ArkansasHunter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Arkansas Posts: 10,678	My momma said when you learn something new you get a new wrinkle in your brain...I just had an earth quake lol...A.H

07-03-2007, 12:22 AM	#9
.22guy Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 4,140	Very interesting stuff. I wonder how much is really true....

07-03-2007, 12:43 AM	#10
chrish Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: IOWA Posts: 373	that last one does remind me of the big flood of 1993, an old part of a graveyard got washed out and a few were found to have some kind of scratch markes on the inside of the lids. not much more was said i think it was just to creepy for any details of it.