Who Invented Hammocks, Anyway?
March 31st, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Image via WikipediaIt’s believed hammocks originated over 1000 years ago as bedding in Central America. The Mayans are generally credited with inventing the hammock; but an exact attribution is difficult at best. By the time Christopher Columbus landed in the New (to him) World, hammocks were extensively used by the native civilizations of the Caribbean, Central and South America.
The word hammock is derived from the word hamaca from the Arawak language of the Taino Indians of Hispaniola (today’s Haiti and Dominican Republic); and it translates roughly as “fishing net”. Hammocks served as a functional and creative solution to the need for tropical bedding that wouldn’t harbor snakes or pests (most fall through the mesh), was cooling and hygienic (by swinging, one could catch quite a good breeze, while generating little, if any sweat), took up little carry space for travel when camping; and yet was very comfortable. Read the rest of this entry »
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