Constructed of many different types of materials, the hammock has been used for centuries for sleeping as an alternative to sleeping on the ground. This keeps them safe from poisonous bugs and snakes. Mexicans adopted the use from Native Americans. Sailors began using them on ships as a more comfortable way to sleep compared to bunk beds where they frequently were thrown to the deck during the rise and swelling of the sea. Army forces and inhabitants of jungles found that by sleeping off the ground they were not as prone to fungal diseases and bug bites.
Spanish Colonists used Hammocks
Spanish colonists adopted the use of hammocks from Native Americans who lived in the West Indies at the time of the Spanish Conquest in the late 1400's and early 1500's. They were made from the bark of the Hamack tree. They were later made from sisal fibers because of its abundance in the area. The Taino culture called the hammock "arawakan" which means "fishnet." The inhabitants of Mexico hung the woven bark hammocks between 2 trees to keep them off the ground while they slept while the Taino culture wove them from fine fibers of the sisal tree. They also constructed them of palm fronds which were easy to find in the South Pacific Islands.
The Navy used Hammocks
Christoper Columbus adopted the use of hammocks from the Mexicans who lived in the West Indies. He brought them back to Spain when he returned from the islands. In the late 1500's the Royal Navy constructed hammocks from canvas and hung them 5 or 6 feet above the deck of the ship. When the sea was rough they swayed with its movement and were safer than the bunks below deck where sailors were often thrown from their beds to the deck in the middle of the night.
U.S. Army Troops used Hammocks
The United States Armed forces and Marines slept in hammocks below the ground to keep them safe while they slept. They dug holes and trenches in the ground and hung their hammocks from stakes to keep from being bit by poisonous spiders and snakes. It also kept them safe from gunfire. The M1966 jungle hammock was constructed from waterproof material but discarded because they held water during torrential downpours, although the Vietnamese had a better idea. They used the U.S. military parachutes to construct hammocks that kept the off the ground while sleeping.
Modern Day use of the Hammock
Today hammocks are made from a variety of materials including canvas, rope and different types of netting. They are used for relaxation and for sleeping. Campers, explorers and even scientists use them as light weight beds that are easy to carry while hiking long distances in forests and jungles. They are either anchored between 2 posts that are driven into the ground or tied between 2 trees. Many people hang hammocks on their porch or gazebo in their back yards to catch a nap on a lazy summer day.
By Jamie Carruthers of Lazy Hammocks
