Life in the 1500's This is really interesting (and TRUE!!) > > > > ~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~ > > > > > > > > Most people got married in June because they took their yearly > bath > > > in > > > > May and were still smelling pretty good by June. However, they were > > > > starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the > > > b.o. > > > > > > > > ~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~ > > > > > > > > Baths equaled 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 > > > pets > > > > ... dogs, cats and other small animals, mice, rats, 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 > > > > really mess up your nice clean bed. So, they found if they made beds > > > with > > > > big posts and hung a sheet over the top, it addressed that problem. > > > Hence > > > > those beautiful big 4 poster beds with canopies. > > > > > > > > ~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~ > > > > > > > > The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than > dirt, > > > > hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors which would > > > get > > > > slippery in the winter when wet. So they spread thresh on the floor to > > > help > > > > keep their footing. As the winter wore on they kept adding more thresh > > > > until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A > > > piece > > > > of wood was placed at the entry way, hence a "threshold." > > > > > > > > ~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~ > > > > > > > > They cooked in the kitchen in a big kettle that always hung over > > > the > > > > fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They > > > mostly > > > > ate vegetables and didn't 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 the stew had food in it that had been in there for > a > > > > month. Hence the rhyme: "peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas > > > > porridge in the pot nine days old." > > > > > > > > ~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~ > > > > > > > > Sometimes they could obtain pork and would feel really special > when > > > > that happened. When company came over, they would bring out some > > > > bacon and hang it to show it off. It was a sign of wealth and that a > man > > > > "could really 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 a high acid > > > > content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food. This happened > > > most > > > > often with tomatoes, so they stopped eating tomatoes ... for 400 > years. > > > > > > > > ~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~ > > > > > > > > Most people didn't have pewter plates, but had trenchers -- a > piece > > > of > > > > wood with the middle scooped out like bowl. Trenchers were never > washed > > > and > > > > a lot of times worms got into the wood. After eating off wormy > > > trenchers, > > > > they would get "trench mouth." > > > > > > > > ~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~ > > > > > > > > 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 them 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 they started running out of places > to > > > > bury people. So, they would dig up coffins and would take their bones > to > > > a > > > > house and reuse the grave. In reopening these coffins, one out of 25 > > > > coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they > realized > > > > they had been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a > > > string > > > > on their wrist and 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 > > > > to listen for the bell. Hence on the "graveyard shift" they would know > > > that > > > > someone was "saved by the bell" or he was a "dead ringer." > >