Bronwen

>
Subject: Fw: HiSTORY IS NOT BORING
> > >
> > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > This is quite interesting and understandable
> > > > > > 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 the 1500s:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 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
> > > > > > dogs,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.
that
> > > posed
> > > > > > a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings
could
> > > > > > really 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
> > 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 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 the stew
had
> > > food
> > > > > > in 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
> > > > > > and 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
> > "upper
> > > > > > crust."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. 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 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
> > > > > > thought 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...

unolist

I searched and found the website where this came from, to share
without all the quote arrows...thanks for sharing this! I am passing
it along via copying and pasting from the website, i know people who
won't forward or read something if it has all the >>>>>

http://www.history-magazine.com/facts.html

unolist

--- In [email protected], "unolist" <unolist@a...>
wrote:
> I searched and found the website where this came from, to share
> without all the quote arrows...thanks for sharing this! I am
passing
> it along via copying and pasting from the website, i know people
who
> won't forward or read something if it has all the >>>>>
>
> http://www.history-magazine.com/facts.html


Strike that. This website actually says that these are myths that
have circulated on the internet, and explains each one.

Ang

[email protected]

**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."**

Too bad it's not true, it's such an evocative picture. :)

My mother counts modern plumbing as the greatest advance of the last century.
She was 8 years old in 1946 when the R.E.A. brought electricity to her home,
but there wasn't a plumbed bathroom in her parent's home until the year she
married and left it. She grew up taking baths in the kitchen, all the kids on
Saturday night - big tin wash tub, hot water added between bathers but still
last one got the dregs. In her family the order was first the oldest boy,
then the littler kids, and lastly her, the oldest girl.

Deborah in IL

Heidi

1) thanks to whoever posted the website where this email is discussed.

2) thanks to whoever posted it, because I'm going to use it, probably
today, if the kids want to talk about it.

The first one that struck me as odd was the "baby/bath water" one.
Really? So dirty that you could lose a BABY in it? LOL

"raining cats and dogs" It's pretty believable that mice and other
small mammals might house in a thatch roof...but dogs and cats???

I'd like to have the kids read through this and tell me how any of
them could be known to be wrong, by just common sense and knowledge
of history. Could turn out to be a fascinating discussion.

HEidiC


--- In [email protected], "unolist" <unolist@a...>
wrote:
> --- In [email protected], "unolist" <unolist@a...>
> wrote:
> > I searched and found the website where this came from, to share
> > without all the quote arrows...thanks for sharing this! I am
> passing
> > it along via copying and pasting from the website, i know people
> who
> > won't forward or read something if it has all the >>>>>
> >
> > http://www.history-magazine.com/facts.html
>
>
> Strike that. This website actually says that these are myths that
> have circulated on the internet, and explains each one.
>
> Ang