History Hammock

1 history

1.1 european first contact
1.2 naval hammocks
1.3 el salvador hammocks
1.4 mexican , mayan hammocks
1.5 venezuelan hammock
1.6 jungle hammock
1.7 indian hammock

history

european first contact

the hammock icon of america herself: engraving theodor galle after stradanus, ca 1630

spanish colonists noted use of hammock native americans, particularly in west indies, @ time of spanish conquest.

columbus, in narrative of first voyage, says: “a great many indians in canoes came ship to-day purpose of bartering cotton, , hamacas, or nets, in sleep.”

the word comes taíno culture arawakan word (haiti) meaning stretch of cloth arawak root -maka.

a hammock in clipper ship days

early hammocks woven out of bark hamack tree, , later material replaced sisal fibers because more abundant. 1 of reasons hammocks became popular in central , south america ability provide safety disease transmission, insect stings, or animal bites. suspending beds above ground, inhabitants better protected snakes, biting ants, , other harmful creatures.

the dream, 1844,

gustave courbet (1819–1877)

the origin of hammock in americas obscured in english-language sources late 18th century onward. samuel johnson claimed word hammock of saxon origin. etymology debunked, , later 19th-century sources attributed invention athenian politician alcibiades. inferred plutarch, wrote alcibiades had galley bed hung ropes, did not describe net or sling. few european sources mention historical use of cloth slings carriage seats, not regular beds.

east german school ship crew in hammocks, 1951.


naval hammocks

around 1590, hammocks adopted use in sailing ships; royal navy formally adopted canvas sling hammock in 1597. aboard ship, hammocks regularly employed sailors sleeping on gun decks of warships, limited space prevented installation of permanent bunks. since slung hammock moves in concert motion of vessel, occupant not @ risk of being thrown onto deck (which may 5 or 6 feet below) during swells or rough seas. likewise, hammock provides more comfortable sleep bunk or berth while @ sea since sleeper stays balanced, irrespective of motion of vessel. prior adoption of naval hammocks, sailors injured or killed fell off berths or rolled on decks on heavy seas. sides of traditional canvas naval hammocks wrap around sleeper cocoon, making inadvertent fall virtually impossible. many sailors in royal navy, during 1950s @ least, used spreader - length of wood v cut in each end engage second hammock string on each side. first string set more tightly others raised protective lip along each side keep out drafts , prevent sleeper being thrown out. narrow mattress issued protected user cold below. in addition naval hammocks rolled tightly , stowed in out of way place or in nets along gunwale additional protection during battle (as case during age of sail). many sailors became accustomed way of sleeping brought hammocks ashore them on leave. naval use of hammocks continued 20th century. during world war ii, troopships employed hammocks both naval ratings , soldiers in order increase available space , troop carrying capacity. many leisure sailors today prefer hammocks on bunks because of better comfort in sleep while on high seas.

hammocks have been employed on spacecraft in order utilize available space when not sleeping or resting. during apollo program, lunar module equipped hammocks commander , lunar module pilot sleep in between moonwalks.

el salvador hammocks

the central valley in el salvador s capital city, san salvador sits upon, coined valley of hammocks .



typical hammocks in el salvador.



three salvadoran synthetic-thread hammocks (hamacas) strung inside living room in morazán department, el salvador.

el salvador hammock cultured country, , large producer , exporter of hammocks. valley in san salvador city sits upon dubbed valley of hammocks because native americans used hammocks repel constant earthquakes. later, colonizing spaniards used term allusion of earthquakes rocking valley san salvador city is, hammock. hammocks big part of salvadoran culture , used afternoon naps. hammocks swing doorways, inside living rooms, on porches, in outdoor courtyards, , trees. everywhere hammock can seen hung in social classes of salvadoran homes. socially acceptable lay around in hammock day in central american country, hammocks can seen humble rural home, prestigious city hotel chains, there colorful , comfortable hammocks. honor such pleasure craft, municipality of concepcion quezaltepeque celebrates traditional hammocks festival, artisans produce , sell hammocks tradition celebrated every year, between first , second weekend of november, “the festival of hammocks”. hammocks sold in every corner in towns , cities.

mexican , mayan hammocks

hand weaving, yucatán, mexico

in mexico, hammocks made in villages surrounding capital city of yucatán, mérida, , sold throughout world locally. not part of classic era maya civilization; said have arrived in yucatán caribbean fewer 2 centuries before spanish conquest. in addition bark , sisal, hammocks constructed various materials, including palm fronds in western amazonia. quality of native , modern hammocks depends on quality of material, thread, , number of threads used. mayan hammocks made on loom , hand woven men, women , children. hammocks symbolically , culturally important yucatecans humble of homes have hammock hooks in walls; in rural el salvador, family home may have multiple hammocks strung across main room, use seating, beds, or sleep-swings infants.

venezuelan hammock

in venezuela entire villages raised families in hammocks. during first part of 20th century, many scientists, adventurers, geologists , other non-native visitors central , south american jungles adopted venezuelan hammock design, gave protection against scorpions , venomous snakes such fer de lance. difficult jungle environments of south america encountered western explorers stimulated further development of venezuelan hammock use in other tropical environments.

the venezuelan hammock s panels made of breathable material, necessary prevent onset of fungal infections caused constant rain , high humidity. fine-woven sandfly netting added provide more complete protection mosquitoes, flies, , crawling insects, in regions notorious malaria or screwworm infestations. waterproof top sheet or rainfly added protect occupant drenching heavy nighttime rains, along drip strings - short pieces of string tied suspension lines — prevent rainwater running tree trunk down hammock cords hammock itself. breathable false cotton (later nylon) bottom panel added these jungle hammocks, allowing air pass through while still preventing mosquito stings occupant.

jungle hammock

the venezuelan hammock, modified, became known jungle hammock. wetting hammock suspension ropes insecticides or insect repellent, jungle hammock gave protection against crawling insects mandibles bite holes through insect netting.

the united states army adopted own version of jungle hammock, complete rain proof fly , sandfly netting use u.s. , allied forces in tropical jungle regions such burma during world war ii. while @ first reluctant accept idea of men sleeping in hammocks, united states marine corps later employed jungle hammocks in new britain , later pacific island campaigns heavy rain , insects prevalent; concerns on injuries machine gun , artillery fire overcome first digging slit trench, staking hammock s support lines suspend hammock beneath ground level.

later u.s. army hammocks issued during vietnam war, such m1966 jungle hammock, mistakenly fitted waterproof bottom panels, became filled water overnight. on other side, north vietnamese army (nva) , viet cong (vc) forces regularly employed jungle hammocks fabricated scavenged or captured parachute cloth , shroud lines. hung off jungle trails, hammocks kept down incidence of disease , illness, nva commanders regarded greater threat shrapnel injuries caused sleeping above ground.

indian hammock

baby sari-hammock in tamil nadu, india

ceiling mounted hammocks babies traditional south india. textile used woven 5 meter sari, long enough hung high, yet reach low enough safe toddlers. light material allows perspiration , cooling in hot climate native region.