Interesting facts from the history of beds. The history of the bed The bed is a very common piece of furniture

Etymology

According to one version, the word “bed” comes from the word “roof”. According to Vasmer, this word comes from Ancient Greek κράββατος, Middle Greek κραββάτι(ο)ν, Modern Greek κρεββάτι. In modern Greek - κρεβάτι, pronounced [krevati].

Bed design

The bed usually has four legs (except for specific models), with the help of which its frame is raised above the floor, backrests (front and back) and a mattress. The frame, supports and headboards of the bed can be made of metal, wood and, less commonly, other materials.

This design of the bed allows you to temporarily place or store things under it (for example, a suitcase with things) and hang things on the back.

More complex bed designs include vertical posts and even a roof in some cases. This addition, combined with the curtains covering it, separates the space of the room from the space where the bed itself is located. Additional function Such a compartment may provide protection from insects.

History of the bed

The bed has been known since Ancient Egypt. Before the widespread use of beds, people slept on chests, benches, and sheets.

In ancient times, beds were arranged under a roof, a roof. The roof was installed on four pillars, which were called plows. Two timbers were inserted into the plow. Bridge planks were installed on the beams. The beams and bridge boards made up the frame, which was called the frame. The machine was fastened with iron ties. Large boards were installed in the plows - dungeons, that is, headboards at the head and feet. Four bars with domes were installed on the tops of the plows; on these bars it was arranged sky, or ceiling (ceiling). The sky was made of stone. Curtains descended from the tops of the beams; also made of damask with fringe. At the feet and heads of the bed the curtains were called dungeons.

The beds were decorated with carvings, the fabrics of the sky and dungeons were embroidered, decorated with tassels and lace. Stands, blocks, and steps were placed next to the bed, which were called bed stocks, or access blocks.

In 1662, Alexey Mikhailovich sent the Persian Shah a bed worth 2,800 rubles as a gift. This was probably the most expensive bed in the 17th century - the boyar's annual income did not exceed 700 rubles per year. This bed was purchased in 1659 from the German Ivan Fansweden.

Types of beds

The bed allows for some variations, among which the most famous are:

• Folding sofa (sofa bed)
• Folding chair (chair-bed)
• Cot
• Waterbed
• Bed in the form of cars or carriages

Standard sizes

Modern manufacturing agreements have limited the number standard sizes commercial bedding for mattresses and spring mattresses. They depend on the country of manufacture.

Bed in art

Numerous works of literature, painting and sculpture are dedicated to the bed.

• Sergei Yesenin wrote about the bed: “Our life is a sheet and a bed.”

Literature

• I. Osinovskaya. Poetics of a thing: bed // Osinovskaya I. A. Irony and Eros. Poetics of the figurative field. - M., 2007, p. 155-168
• Ivan Zabelin " Home life Russian Tsars in the 16th and 17th Centuries." Publishing house Transitbook. Moscow. 2005. pp. 202-212 ISBN 5-9578-2773-8

Notes

Links

• How to choose the right bed (Russian). Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2009.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what “Bed” is in other dictionaries:

- (2) 1. Bed: From evening to night, dress me, speaking, in black papolom on a yew bed. 23. [And Izyaslav himself, under the articulated shields on the bloody grass, was battered by Lithuanian swords. And with the desire to go to bed, and the river: Your squad, prince, the bird’s wings are passing, and ... Dictionary-reference book "The Tale of Igor's Campaign"

BED, beds, women. (Greek krabbatos). A piece of home furnishings used for sleeping and consisting of a long frame on four legs with two backs, on which the bed is placed. Iron bed. Double bed. Children's bed... Dictionary Ushakova

Beds, w. [Greek krabbatos]. A piece of home furnishings used for sleeping and consisting of a long frame on four legs with two backs, on which the bed is placed. Double bed. Children's bed. Lie down on the bed. Read,… … Dictionary foreign words Russian language

See bed... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian Dictionaries, 1999. bed bed, bed; bed; furniture, machine, hat, shkontsy, beds, sexodrome, trachodrome, sex mill, crib,... ... Dictionary of synonyms Technical Translator's Guide

BED- A bed seen in a dream foretells that soon you will have to go on a long trip far from home. An iron bed with armored mesh will mean failure household appliances and her urgent repairs or replacement, which will require considerable... Melnikov's Dream Interpretation

Bed- furniture, intended for sleep. The first mention in Russia is in the Tale of Igor's Campaign. The prototype of K. in Russia were wide bunks located under the ceiling between the stove and the opposite wall, as well as wide benches and chests. During the reign... ... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic Dictionary

A bed is a very familiar piece of furniture. And we hardly think about the historical path of development it underwent before it acquired its modern appearance.

For a long time people slept in groups. And the larger they were, the safer sleep was considered. Even now in some African, Guinean and Australian tribes The tradition of communal sleep is alive. A large building is allocated for him, in which the entire tribe is located at nightfall.

At the dawn of civilization, people slept together. And, of course, they slept on the ground, covering it with grass, tree branches or animal skins. Everything changed when houses appeared. They began to have separate rooms for sleeping. Naturally, there was also a place to sleep in the bedroom, but it was no longer a couch, but a rather noticeable elevation.
True, it was hard and narrow. And yet, the nobility slept on such an uncomfortable bed - Sumerian, Assyrian, Egyptian.

But the ancient Romans did not like such asceticism. Pampered patricians valued their own comfort most of all and wanted to sleep with every possible convenience. This desire led to the appearance of the bed, or rather its prototype. It was a raised platform covered with rich fabrics and fur. The emperor's entourage also basked on such a bed.

It was from among them that the governors were chosen. They traveled to the lands conquered by Rome and brought there their habits, traditions, household items and furnishings. The latter included, first of all, the bed.
The situation changed only in the Middle Ages. At this time, construction began in Europe stone houses and castles. This is what gave impetus to arranging a sleeping place.
His rise began. The reason for this was the banal cold. Or rather, not cold, but drafts on the floors of houses.

Therefore, the bed began to grow above the floor, and quite rapidly. At first, the bed was arranged on a small pedestal. Then several steps began to lead up to it. And after some time, beds appeared that had to be climbed up the stairs.

Gradually the beds became a real work of art. They were made from the most valuable species wood, covered with amazingly fine carvings and decorated with various figures. Such products were of great value, they even became war booty.

In the Middle Ages, another transformation took place - the canopy into a canopy. The Romans often covered their beds with translucent material, which protected the sleeper from insects. IN medieval Europe this light canopy was transformed into a canopy, enveloping the bed on all sides. Thick fabric It did not so much protect from flies and mosquitoes as from the cold.

The Tsarist “perestroika” did not affect peasant families in any way. There, as before, they continued to sleep on the beds - high up wooden flooring. There was another place to sleep - a Russian stove, which retained its heat throughout the night and warmed those lying down.

This was the most comfortable corner in the house, so it was given to the elderly, the sick and young children. Adults and healthy people It was prescribed to sleep on the floors. In many peasant families, this way of life was preserved until the twentieth century.

As for the merchant families, a strictly defined way of life reigned here too. There was in the bedroom standard set items, starting with the bed and ending with the slide where the dishes were stored, as well as the ever-present silver samovar.

The furnishings of the bedroom were the wife's dowry. The most expensive thing for her parents was the bed. It was huge, with a lush feather bed and many pillows, which were carefully fluffed and stacked one on top of the other. The feather bed evoked only contempt. One might even say that she disgraced the bride's family. The price included fluff. Therefore, the mother prepared a dowry for her daughter almost immediately after her birth.

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In China, attributes of fertility have always decorated bed linen. It mainly featured fish and small Chinese ducks. They were always depicted against a very bright background - predominantly pink and red. Eastern people never neglected the psychology of color and believed that bright linen promotes marital harmony and also makes the room more comfortable.
Russian people always prepared very carefully for going to bed. First, the children were put to bed and the babies were rocked to sleep. Only when complete silence reigned in the house could the hostess take care of herself.

We are luckier than those who lived before us. Progress is a great thing! We can choose the bed different designs, with different functions. From classic to high-tech, from waterbed to air-cushioned bed.

Some of the latest bed trends include:

Improved linen drawer. It is made, for example, in a spherical shape.
The headboard began to be equipped with shelves and lamps. Both innovations will especially please those who like to read before bed. A shelf at the head can be an alternative bedside table for those who fight for free space in the bedroom.
Soft backrests: it’s comfortable to lean on your elbows, and this bed looks more comfortable.

Combinations of wood (walnut, cherry) and glass that are fashionable for living rooms have made their way to the bedroom. Also, the fashion for silky-glossy surfaces has migrated from living rooms and dining rooms to the bedroom.
For decoration use inserts from natural wood or from a film that imitates its texture.

Naturally, the basis for “bed” production is the most relevant principle healthy image life. Hence the prefix “orthopedic” to many mattresses and bed frames.

Today the story will be about the most desired item of a tired person - a bed. Everything about it is convenient and pleasant. Mattress, soft pillow, warm blanket. Lie down and relax for yourself! Just try sleeping on the ground - it’s hard, damp, all sorts of bugs are crawling. Even our ancestors did not lie down on the ground, but for convenience they lined their beds with pine branches or animal skins. The very first bed that archaeologists found looked like a trough, and it served as a bed for several people at once. A separate bed was a great luxury and privilege of the ruler.

The predecessors of the bed were mounds of clay or earth (among some African tribes, wooden mounds). And among the natives of New Guinea and tribes South America His favorite bed was a hammock woven from wood fibers. Egyptian pharaohs rested on richly decorated beds with wooden stands under the head. And the Japanese still sleep on a rotating reed cylinder instead of a pillow.

Among the ancient Greeks, the role of a bed was performed by couches, similar to a modern sofa. One could say that their whole life was spent on them: feasts, conversations, reading, concluding business deals. The bed of the ancient Romans was long-legged: to climb onto it, a ladder was required. At that time, people already knew what a mattress and pillow were, and stuffed them with wool, grass, feathers, and occasionally down.

Around the 4th century BC, bed making became an independent craft. What kind of things were beds made from? They were both wooden and bronze, decorated with carvings, bone, gold and silver. And so that it would not be cold in the bed at night, they attached a roof to it and hung thick blankets on all sides. In ancient times, the Chinese even came up with a bed with a heating system.

In medieval Europe, beds ancient tradition, were very large, up to four meters wide. And if a dear friend was late and stayed overnight, he went to bed with the owners in this hefty bed.

For a long time, it was fashionable in the homes of rich people to arrange canopies - canopies over the bed - from tens of meters of luxurious fabric. Canopies, like everything else, had their own fashion. But there is an assumption that these canopies served not so much for beauty, but to prevent bedbugs and cockroaches from falling from the ceiling on the owner at night.

Later, during the Renaissance, the bed becomes an office. The ministers spoke at important topics with the ambassadors nestled here in the bed. There were even state beds on which no one ever slept.

In 1715, the Paris Academy of Sciences introduced the picture bed. During the day it hung on the wall, and at night you could sleep on it. But the funniest bed appeared in 1789. Imagine you are sitting at desk, you are studying, and suddenly the table turns... into a comfortable bed.

Looking at the beds of Peter the Great’s times, I can’t even believe that adults slept in them, tall people. The beds seem somehow short, childish. But the fact is that they slept in a half-sitting position. It was allegedly believed that blood rushing to the head while lying down had a very bad effect on health.

And one foundry worker came up with a bed made of copper pipes. This happened in 1831 - and since then the world began to sleep on a metal bed. Then they appeared in the houses soft sofas and moody couches.

But the Russian people did not pay attention to all sorts of European fashions and slept, as before, on sheets, on warm beds along the stove, on chests and wide benches. Only old people slept on the stove itself. Only in mid-19th century, the bed was finally recognized by merchants, landowners, and wealthy peasants. These beauties with feather beds, a mountain of pillows, and quilted blankets appeared in every self-respecting home. Not a bed, but a sight for sore eyes!

They say that a hundred years ago the highest were German beds filled with feather beds. It was impossible to climb them without a ladder. The Princess and the Pea probably slept on such a bed.

Today, a bed is a must-have piece of furniture in absolutely every home. People perceive a bed as a thing that they simply cannot do without. But it’s worth noting that this was not always the case. Let's look at the history of the appearance of the bed. And Ivanov A.P., editor of the online store of goods for healthy sleep"Ascona": askona.ua/krovati/.
Old times

Old times

If we consider ancient times, for example, primitive people, then they slept on the floor in pairs. The floor, in turn, was covered with:

• grass;
• skins of killed animals;
• branches.

All this made it possible to maintain warmth. This continued until houses appeared in people. In their homes, the ancient Sumerians were the first to allocate special ones. rooms reserved for sleeping. In these rooms they arranged special elevations. But that was about 5 thousand years ago. Of course, such an elevation is not a full-fledged bed, because it was very narrow and hard. But be that as it may, it is precisely this that is the prototype of the modern bed.

Ancient Egypt

IN Bronze Age The ancient Egyptians began to use rectangular beds as beds. wooden frames, on which, in turn, a mesh of ropes and belts was pulled. This frame was installed on 4 supports, which were often made in the form of the paws of some kind of animal. So, the Egyptians raised the couch above the ground. True, there is one thing - only noble people rested on these beds, but ordinary Egyptians used deck chairs made of stones and boards, as well as mattresses with hay, as a bed.

Ancient Rome

Wooden beds that had a headboard were first made by the ancient Romans. Such a bed was decorated with bronze plates and was called “lectus”. Mattresses and pillows stuffed with wool were specially made for her. Lecti were often hung with translucent material, which after a while was transformed into a canopy.

Ancient Greece

The ancient Greeks called their beds “krabbatione”. Probably the name “bed” comes from of this word. also in Ancient Greece In addition to crabbation, special beds for eating, called “kline,” were common. These beds had shaped support legs and a small headboard. Kline was more often used by men because women ate while sitting on chairs.

Middle Ages

Over time, beds began to be made with more complex design, they began to decorate ivory And precious stones. In the Middle Ages, refined and luxury beds. It was believed that the higher the bed is from the floor, the better it is. The beds became a real work of art - they were decorated with precious stones and carvings, and made of precious wood.

14th-16th centuries

The appearance of beds in homes ordinary people dates back to the 14th-16th centuries. Often, absolutely all family members slept on the 1st large bed. In Rus', the bed appeared at the beginning of the 17th century, although it appeared then only among the nobility. But ordinary peasants, as before, continued to sleep on stoves and wooden flooring. This continued until the 19th century.

18 century

In the 18th century there were 2 types of beds: Polish and French. The first ones were located in a special niche and they had 2 backs. The latter were placed in the middle of the bedroom and had one back. By the end of the 18th century, more affordable beds with simple designs began to appear.

19th century

The Frenchman Delagle came up with a spring mesh in the mid-19th century. From that time on, for another 100 years, it was used in the production of beds (it was stretched over a frame made of metal pipes).

20th century

Metal beds were replaced in the mid-20th century folding sofas. C. Hall invented the waterbed in the late 60s, which was popular for the next 10 years. Next significant invention became a lift-up bed, which was invented by William Murphy. It combined the functions of a cabinet and made it possible to significantly save space. Today you can buy yourself a bed of almost any shape and size.

Video: "Floating Bed in the Bedroom"