Trying to stay warm in bed this winter? In pre-industrial Europe they did it with ten in the bed

Trying to stay warm in bed this winter? In pre-industrial Europe they did it with ten in the bed

There Were Ten in the Bed

Though the Bureau of Meteorology originally predicted temperatures would be higher than the average this winter, those living on Australia’s east coast may beg to differ. Social media sites are increasingly attracting comments, images and videos featuring users lamenting the frigid turn in the weather.

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One notable strand of these posts typically presents a user more familiar with a northern European winter coming to terms with the fact that Australian houses and apartments aren’t insulated or heated as well as those in colder climates.

In an age before central heating, Europeans too suffered through the dilemma of how to keep warm in winter. People experienced the cold extremely differently depending on factors such as socioeconomic status or the region in which they lived, and what materials were available there.

Ten in the Bed

One of the simplest ways to stay warm for those of relatively modest means was to huddle together. In Early Modern Europe and colonial America, the quality of bedding materials varied greatly and would likely not have been enough to keep the cold at bay in the depths of winter.

Historian Carole Shammas has revealed that common bedding was made from straw, while woolen flock was considered a luxury reserved for the prosperous. Fluffy plant down, such as the seed heads of thistle, cattail, or bulrush, were also used, but even this was costly.

As historian A. Roger Ekirch has shown, bedding was so expensive it might equate to up to a quarter of the value of a modest household, explaining why commodities such as pillows were reserved for those with some great need, like women during childbirth. For most people, some other form of bolster was used, such as a log.

Bedding Down

Finer quality bedding materials were available but came at a prohibitive financial cost. In his diary entry of September 9, 1665, the great English writer and naval official Samuel Pepys wrote: "I lay the softest I ever did in my life, with a down bed, after the Danish manner."

Various down-filled mattresses were used in Europe since the 7th century, and a down mattress was often laid over one of stiffer material – like straw – to provide more support and even better insulation.

The most coveted down came from the Eider duck, the female of which pulls down to make a nest. Eider-down is the down a female Eider duck pulls from her body to make a nest and has very high insulating properties, along with lightness, cohesion, and resilience.

Not All Share the Same Opinion

Elizabeth Charlotte, duchesse d’Orléans, was the sister-in-law of King Louis XIV of France. Upon sleeping with eiderdown for the first time, she wrote to a relative to explain that she much preferred her usual method of keeping warm in bed.

That is, she simply tucked her small dogs around her body in her bed, under her covers, and slept comfortably through the night warmed by her furry companions.

Conclusion

Trying to stay warm in bed this winter might be a struggle, but it’s no new problem. In pre-industrial Europe, people found creative solutions, from huddling together under straw to using eiderdown-filled mattresses. No matter what material they used, finding comfort in the cold was and remains a challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What was bed like in pre-industrial Europe?

A: In pre-industrial Europe, bedding materials varied greatly, and some people couldn’t afford beds at all. Those who had beds used materials like straw and wool, which were often expensive or difficult to source.

Q: How did people keep warm in bed?

A: People found creative ways to keep warm, such as huddling together or using bolsters like logs. Those with more means might invest in finer bedding materials, like wool or eiderdown. However, even these materials were often expensive, and comfort was not always achieved.

Q: What was eiderdown used for?

A: Eiderdown is the soft, fluffy down pulled by female Eider ducks to make a nest. It was highly valued for its insulating properties and was used to fill bed mattresses and blankets.