Hammock HistoryThe hammock’s journey from the mighty civilizations of ancient Central America to our own back yard is a one that is long and varied. Hammocks are first thought to have been developed in Pre-Columbian Latin America. The indigenous peoples of Central and South America have a rich and ancient cultural heritage associated with the hammock that predates North American civilizations by almost 900 years.
It is widely accepted by cultural anthropologists that the hammock was first developed by the Mayan civilization out of tradition and necessity. Woven from the fibrous bark of the hamack tree, which grows throughout Central America, the Mayan’s innovative invention elevated the sleeper off the ground. This protected him from snakes and other crawling ground dwellers as well as raising the sleeper above water, dirt and other unsanitary conditions. An elevated sleeping area also exposed the sleeper to cooling breezes that are crucial for staying comfortable in the humid rainforests of Central America.
Through trade and travel along the Central American land bridge, the hammock spread to South America and even made its way to the islands of the Caribbean. When Christopher Columbus journeyed to the New World he first made landfall in the Caribbean, on the islands we now consider the Bahamas. There he found that the native peoples used hammocks as their primary sleeping apparatus. Columbus found hammocks to be ingenious and brought them back to Europe as one example of the unique riches the New World held.
Hammocks were quickly adopted by Europe’s growing navies. European sailors found hammocks ideal for sleeping at sea within a limited space. Hammocks swung with the ocean’s swell and the movement of the ship so sailors were less likely to fall out of bed, while sleeping, and injure themselves. Hammock’s also had the advantage of being compact and the ability to be rolled up and stored in a small space. This made hammocks ideal for use on a ship where storage space was always limited.
Hammock construction also has a diverse history. Hammocks derive their name from the hamack tree which provided the material for the first hammocks. Shortly after, Latin American natives started to use the Sisal plant as the material of choice for hammock manufacture. The Sisal plant grew more abundantly than the hamack tree and its fibers could be softened by rolling them between the hands or against the thigh; making for a more comfortable hammock. When the Spanish and Europeans conquered and colonized Latin America they brought cotton, canvas, hemp and other materials to the New World and these materials eventually came to be used in the making of hammocks. Now you can find hammocks made from virtually any material under the sun; from traditional, natural fibers to synthetics that will last for years.
Hammock design has also developed. Hammocks need no longer be webbed cocoons; spreader bars open them up and make them convenient and comfortable and new innovations like hammock chairs and recliners make for an abundance of choice in hanging furniture design. |
