And you thought History was boring...Until you read this lol

[Mouse869]

This is really interesting > > 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 the1500s: > > > > 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 slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the > > entranceway. Hence the saying a thresh hold. > > > > (Getting quite an education, aren't yo u?) > > > > 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 whisky. The combination > > would sometimes knock the imbibers 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 ! ! !

[cosmocat308]

Jan. 4, 2009 at 11:24 PM

i love reading this