medieval rushes on floor
Floors were strewn with rushes and in the later Middle Ages sometimes with herbs. During the Middle Ages the floors of most churches and dwellings consisted of compacted earth and rushes commonly sweet flag Acorus calamus or other herbs and grasses were strewn over them to provide a sweet smelling renewable covering for insulation.
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Herbs such as lavender and southernwood are added into the weave as the flooring is being made.
. For instance a lot of medieval castles had the floors strewn with rushes or straw. The core of Rush Matters work is traditional rush floor matting also known as medieval or apple matting. On wood or stone floors reeds or rushes were sometimes supplemented with aromatic herbs like lavender and the entire floor would usually be swept clean and strewn with fresh straw and herbs on a regular basis.
Rushes or sometimes straw were used as floor covering and didnt get replaced all that often. During the middle ages the floors of simple peasant households consisted of dirt. It was her job to see that these were cleaned up and replaced but how often.
The herbs were laid on the floor along with reeds rushes or straw so that pleasant odours would be released when people walked on them. What do rushes look like. Nips were also called nippers or a pair of nips.
In castles where floors and walls were primarily made of stone they used straw and rushes as a form of insulation too. Only royalty could afford tapestries that helped keep the cold out. Rushes reeds being strewn on the floor is a frequent mention in descriptions of works of historical fiction.
Fresh sweet flag plants incorrectly termed rushes were periodically spread on medieval castle floors as a floor covering. Some were changed monthly some seasonally and some once a year. Battlements Battlements are the defensive.
In a typical medieval English monastery for instance the floor of the dormitory would have been strewn with rushes that were swept and replaced once or twice a year. During the middle ages animals often shared the house with their human owners. Mere grass will not do.
Following the Black Death a limited number of carpets and mats were introduced to replace the floor rushes but floors strewn with straw or rushes were still favoured. Some historians have proposed that the rushes used by royalty might mean rush mats since woven mats have been used since prehistoric times. See more ideas about rugs matting bedfordshire.
Whatever the case you can only imagine what was found underneath. The rush is plaited by hand using a 9 end flat weave into lengths 3 wide and hand sewn together with jute twine. It smells as good as it looks and should be sprayed with an atomizer now and then to rejuvenate the rush and to release the scent.
The step omitted is that the rushes once gathered were made into mats. Dampening everything down kept it under control. These were mats of either woven straw and rushes or mattresses stuffed with straw that were laid on the floor.
She concluded that they would probably have been tied together in bunches and then laid on the floor. One poster opined that this was unlikely and that if reeds were strewn on the floor at all they would have been in the form of matting. These had dual benefits.
River rushes are always specified. Most of the servants and military folk would sleep on pallets or trundles if they were lucky. Some time ago on a history forum there was a discussion on medieval floor coverings.
Oct 9 2017 - English rush floor matting handwoven and hand sewn in our workshop in Bedfordshire by Felicity Irons at Rushmatters. Particularly favored for such a purpose was Acorus calamus sweet flag but despite its alternate vernacular name sweet rush it is a plant from a different monocot order Acorales. And when it was time to sweep it all away extra water would help keep the dust from flying around.
By the time of the English Tudors floor coverings in castles were mostly purchased rush mats. In Medieval times it was quite common to use rushes to cover the floor. The rushes were replaced at intervals and the floor swept but Erasmus noting a condition that must have been true in earlier times observed that often under them lay an ancient collection of beer grease fragments bones spittle excrement of dogs and cats.
Then the rush mats still called rushes were put on the floor and herbs sprinkled over them. Each mat is made to each clients requirements as a central mat runner or fitted as a carpet wall to wall. This is because the rushes are thick long and strong.
In medieval Europe loose fresh rushes would be strewn on earthen floors in dwellings for cleanliness and insulation. In the late Medieval and early Renaissance periods loose rushes gave way to woven or stitched rush mats on floors which provided similar benefits but wore well and were easier to replace. It depended on the castle and who ran it.
Hay and straw were strewn on top of the surface and often cow dung and household wastes were tossed on top of the rushes. They could be combined with a candle-holder for people who used both kinds of light depending on their needs and budget at different times. In the 17th century Milton placed a rush candle in a lowly.
The floors of medieval houses were made of hard surfaces. They generated dust as they disintegrated and accumulated other dirt too. It was every man woman and child for themselves.
Peasants might have hard packed earthen or clay floors while nobels built their homes with stone or wood floors. Why did they put straw on castle floors. During the Middle Ages the floors of most churches and dwellings consisted of compacted earth and rushes commonly sweet flag Acorus calamus or other herbs and grasses were strewn over them to provide a sweet smelling renewable covering for insulation.
Threat to Middle Ages Hygiene - Rush Flooring The practice of covering floors with rushes was a a real threat to hygiene and health during the Middle Ages. These reed-like plants were inexpensive and plentiful and when mixed with fresh herbs were a good way to cover dirt while sweetening the air. Rugs runners and fitted carpeting.
In better off homes herbs such as lavender rosemary and southernwood were mixed with the rushes. This did make sense as rushes are not only good insulators. They are also fairly good at absorbing spills.
Other historians and archaeologists have considered whether the rushes might have been woven into mats before being placed on the floor but everyone seems to be agreed that loose rushes were not strewn on the floor. Traditional rush floor matting is also known as medieval or apple matting. When the kitchen was in use the floor would have been strewn with rushes to soften it underfoot to soak up spills and odours and to cover the filth.
Old straw was not simply left down when fresh straw was added. What are rushes in medieval times. Article on Juncaceae Share.
This mixture was trampled upon by the inhabitants. Short fragile grass cannot be made into mats. Why did medieval castles put rushes on the floor.
Nobody was assigned a private sleeping area or spot on the floor. Writers make it clear that rush lighting was a sign of poverty or at least a humble lifestyle. But no matter the richness of the household they covered their floors with grasses rushes or reeds.
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