Why do so many medieval Europeans sleep in box beds?

For most of human history, privacy during sleep is a concept quite alien to many. Many poor families live in small houses and only have one or two rooms. In which the bedroom and living room will probably have to share space. But even large houses or palaces, it was not uncommon for servants to sleep in the master's room.

During the reign of King Henry V of the United Kingdom, most housekeepers slept in the same room as him. If privacy is desired, people often use curtains to cover the bed. But if you want real privacy, you'll have to sleep in a special bed in a box.

In many rural houses in Scotland, France and parts of the Netherlands, the UK, many people often sleep in box beds. Basically it is a big wooden closet and inside there is a bed enough for 1-2 people to lie down at the same time. At first glance, the box bed is shaped like a large wooden closet.

Some beds are structured as furniture, but some box beds are packed in niches and structures of the house. But of course, not all box beds are just rough doors outside. Some people have modified outside the door are very beautiful decorative curtains.

Decorative curtains on the outside of the bed make sleeping space more private and beautiful

A bed box with pretty decorative curtains

In addition to keeping privacy, the small, enclosed space in this box bed also helps keep people warm during the winter. Besides, the bed also forms a block to protect the sleeper if any uncertainty occurs such as intruders or strange animals sneaking into the house.

There have been many oral stories about farmers leaving their children in box beds to reassure farming.

According to Encyclopedia of Cottage, Farmhouse and Villa Architecture and Furniture published in 1833, box beds have one shelf and sometimes two, fixed at the bottom of the bed, sometimes at the top of the bed. . These shelves serve as a compact closet.

In some places, the door of the bed is fixed by bolts or locks, so that the person sleeping inside can easily protect personal property or prevent strangers from breaking into the bed and stealing property during the day. .

A medieval box bed is not only a place to sleep and rest, but it is also a trendy piece of furniture. Even in large houses and with many bedrooms, people use this type of box bed.

Many 18th-century cabinet builders once designed secret box beds, disguised themselves as closets or sliding cabinets, or hidden behind rows of bookshelves and drawers.

By the 19th century, box beds were gradually dying and were no longer popular because of hygiene and the smell of dampness. However, some places in Scotland maintained the habit of sleeping in box beds until the 1900s.

Refer to AmusingPlanet