In this, at least, within ‘Winterfell’, the rushes are strewn. 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’s safe to say that George R. R. Martin didn’t create an entire ‘world’ without references. She details her experience of experimental archaeology in laying rush flooring of various depths in old houses and then using it for up to six months. Carpet Castle. It is literally an altar-piece formed of stone, like a sacrificiary of the ancients. Great! Strewing herbs are certain kinds of plants that are scattered (strewn) over the floors of dwelling places and other buildings. Please note Sarah Woodbury is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Apple Books affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to external retailer site. In this piece, the author rejects the idea of loosely strewn straw-like rushes (in rich households), because of the impracticality of the ladies of the house, with their sweeping gowns, navigating such domestic terrain. By the time of the English Tudors, floor coverings in castles were mostly purchased rush mats. This image is supportable only by those who want to make their ancestors seem more brutish so as to elevate themselves. ? See 38 authoritative translations of Rushes in Spanish with example sentences and audio pronunciations. The top treads would be buried in rushes in one passage. Now if I don’t spread it around thin, and it’s deep, yes, it kicks around. It’s not scattered in a thick pile, but loosely over the floor to give a fresh appearance. This practice served to disguise dirt and debris while insulating rooms from the cold. River rushes are always specified; mere grass will not do. General Hospital Spoilers: Sam McCall at Her Limit Currently, on GH, Sam McCall is struggling to handle life as a “mob wife.” Clearly, the danger never bothered Sam before. Woven mats make more sense to me. Wow it’ sounds like you were there in person. The Tudors are known to have had woven mats on their floors: https://www.gardenista.com/posts/rush-floor-matting-aka-medieval-or-apple/, Could “rushes” just have been shorthand for “rush mats” in some cases where we have recorded references to this practice?”  http://ask.metafilter.com/133591/Skirts-and-Rushes-a-Medieval-Mystery. The chief problem is actually that Medieval people had no sense of sociological change. She opines that what was actually used were woven mats made of rushes, which seems to make more sense, especially since woven/braided rush mats have been in existence since at least 4000 BC (scroll to the bottom) – and so why wouldn’t these wealthy families have these instead of scattered rushes, at least in all the areas where the family members were likely to frequent? In medieval times, bundles of these plants were gathered up and spread across some castle floors and the dirt floors of many medieval churches and cathedrals. I’d love to see your citations if you could link to them?! Cooke decries the use of floor rushes for sanitary reasons, chiefly because they breed fleas which were supposedly responsible for plague epidemics. More than 90% of Japan's rushes are cultivated in Kumamoto Prefecture, which also produces most tatami items. Shooting in Iceland meant that we didn't get rushes until a week after they were shot. The rushes and what might have been are, however, the main reason to get thee to a theater to see Lost in La Mancha. Myrish carpets covered the floor instead of rushes, and in one corner a hundred fabulous beasts cavorted in bright paints on a carved screen from the Summer Isles. Posted on May 3, 2016March 12, 201919 Comments. I’ve been reading the wonderful trilogy about the life and times of Nicholas Cooke, actor, physician and priest, by Stephanie Cowell. There are Wooden floors were still a norm of course, but brick, flagstone, or tile were being used. But logically I can’t see anyone braiding mats in their non-existing spare time to throw on the floor when a few pieces of grass would do. So I believe that the Gaelic tower houses would have had woven rush mats whilst the poor in their huts and hovels would have strewn rushes as they neither had dress trains nor the time to be weaving floor mats when they were just trying to survive. I’m glad that was helpful! I believe now, both were used. Then the rush mats, still called rushes, were put on the floor, and herbs sprinkled over them. An intriguing piece Sarah I had never thought about it in this depth before. Also, the rushes stayed in the chambers and halls (but not on the stairs) until they were dry and perhaps musty, so that it was very refreshing to change the winter rushes for fresh ones in the spring. If Scott was late, I’m a ‘century’ late. And rushes are sturdier, so they probably didn’t get in the way as much as we think. My considered opinion is that in 90% of households in Gaelic Ireland rushes would have been strewn on the floor as both men and women wore far shorter garments than was the case in England. Milady arrives, approves the work, then crosses the chamber to go downstairs. Rushes provided good insulation and could help to keep the floor clean. Picture what happens if loose rushes were indeed used. 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. When she reaches the stairs, or rather when her train does, that bundle is dropped on the top steps and partly dragged down them. One reads about the child and dogs running around and servants sleeping on the floors. The word "threshold," like "thresh," is Old English (OE) in origin and dates to before the twelfth century. Wouldn’t it catch in the dress? People not only would get grass caught in their clothes, they’d slip and fall on it too. Such plants usually have fragrant or astringent smells, and many also serve as insecticides or disinfectants. The step omitted is that the rushes, once gathered, were made into mats. This is because the rushes are thick, long, and strong: short, fragile grass cannot be made into mats. Grow 12 Adrenaline-Rush Activities You Can Do Today That Beat Jumping Out Of A Plane However thrilling, skydiving, bungee jumping, and such are passive. Even before hems were exaggerated, the gowns were floor-length and often trained, as were robes and mantles. She hops down to the rushes means she hops down to the floor, which is covered with rushes. 4. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 53.92 points at 7,223.98 for the fourth... Get premium, high resolution news This page has this to say, and started off my inquiry: “I was completely fascinated to find this page of notes about real life for the upper classes in the Middle Ages, and it addresses one of the things I’ve always wondered about. The rushes were probably coiled by the handful and stitched with the longer rushes, like modern raffia or straw mats, or woven with string, or plaited.”. I see no reason to believe that loose rushes (or straw) were not strewn on floors in the Medieval period. I’m sure most of us think of a manger full of hay type situation all over the house, but doubtful this was the case. When I throw down straw in my muddy backyard, it does sink and compact, and I don’t have trouble with it catching on my shoe or pant leg. Water • The rushes on the floor were clean and sprinkled with herbs. It makes me appreciate my floors! Good words without deeds are rushes and reeds. In the move to my new web page, the image dropped off, but there are lots of examples of English rush matting tradition, and the assessment of late is moving more towards rush mats as opposed to loose rushes. I too would love to see citations to help back those statements up…, Very interesting read. It currently covers the floors in Elizabethan Hardwick Hall and many other National Trust properties in the UK. Some one broke into hysterical laughter, a woman sobbed, and then Norman of Torn, wiping his blade upon the rushes of the floor as he had done upon another occasion in that same hall, spoke quietly to the master of Leybourn. I would like to suggest that an important step was left out of their remarks about gathering fresh rushes for floor-covering. I’m a new author … how do I get published? In highland Ethiopia, which retains some extremely ancient social and religious practices (the civilisation of the Ethiopian highlands relates to the Christian civilisation of the eastern Mediterranean), reeds (or fresh grass if reeds are not available)are routinely scattered on the floor, especially at times of celebration and festivals, with sedge being the preferred plant. I beg leave to doubt that armfuls of loose green stems were cast down ankle-deep, like straw in a stable. Rushes - album - was created on 1998-09-21. Lightly spraying with water every now and then keeps them fresh and sweet smelling. When original sources wrote that the rushes should be changed every season, certainly once a year in the spring after planting, they were not recording their behaviors for a foreign (in time) culture: they were advising their peers on good household management as opposed to slovenliness. It’s more likely the rushes we’re placed sparingly to keep the mud down, and when industry started to pick up and people began trades, woven mats would probably be preferred. People who walk in stables either are wearing ground-clearing garments, or lift their hems to clear. The better one, to my thinking, is that any fibrous vegetable material–rushes, straw, etc–will attract insects and rodents. Makes sense to me. 2. Loose rushes which were spread over the floor, this was costly, and was only used on special occasions. Herbs, we know, were strewn in handfuls over the rushes, and expected to stay underfoot to scent the air when trod upon. Translate Rushes. Some of the links show them, and I fixed the featured image. A fool always rushes to the fore. This makes a lot of sense. 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. For Online Shop. Peasant women, who did manual labor, wore their skirts shorter than did their wealthy counterparts, and would have had no problem with loose rushes catching their skirts. Thanks for sharing. Can’t tell you all the details but it’s well worth reading. I know I am a bit late to this party, but I am currently sitting in front of a scroll in the Departmental Archives in Dijon which lists daily expenditures for the court of Margaret of Flanders. A COVID-19 Prophecy: Did Nostradamus Have a Prediction About This Apocalyptic Year? The floor, they covered with rushes. In japan, where history is preserved quite well, many homes even to today have Tatami’s which are exactly as described here and it’s origins from Japan’s Medieval Period. Required fields are marked *. 110+1 sentence examples: 1. It makes for an attractive, pleasantly scented floor covering. Rushes on the Floor One reads that "rushes were strewn upon the floor." River rushes are always specified; mere grass will not do. In the late 18th century stair rods emerged for practical purposes featured wooden stair cases covered by carpet runners. I’ve been reading The Game of Thrones, and it mentions rushes frequently. Rushes for floor covering came in two sorts. After all, carpet cleaners had not been invented yet. I, too, have had an issue with the notion of women in long gowns, walking around on loose rushes, whether or not they were sprinkled with herbs. Fresh rushes were sometimes spread on top of the old rushes, and at other times, the entire floor was swept clean of old rushes and debris and scrubbed first. One can only imagine in all the rushes and straw on the floor the fleas, rodents and bugs in it. You get up from the floor and take a quick shower, putting on fresh pajamas and a robe just in time to open the door when Stella rings the doorbell. CEO Compensation and America's Growing Economic Divide. You’re correct of course that medieval histories and novels all mention rushes on the floor. It was in Sangsar, 25 miles outside the southern city of Kandahar, that the Taliban movement was founded in 1994 by a one-eyed local cleric. It makes some sense to use them in a kitchen to protect the wood floors but also they would have been a fire hazard. The "straw on the floor" trope is because a film set Aside from the coverings on tatami mats, rushes for floors can also be purchased as medieval or apple matting. Related Searches. Sweet flag is a tall, smooth, fragrant plant that grows well in wetlands and boggy areas. Once they were harvested, there wouldn’t be any more available for some time, so strewing them about the floor and then sweeping them up seems completely uneconomical and pointless. Perhaps more insights can be gained by looking into cultures beyond the West that have preserved and use ancient practices such as these can shed light into mysterious medieval practices. Loose rushes can be seen on some medieval illustrations. They picture Alexander the Great and the Twelve Apostles in Medieval dress without a qualm, though it is a 1300-year anachronism. (Of course it helps when you have servants to do it for you) I, too, have had an issue with the notion of women in long gowns, walking around on loose rushes, whether or not they were sprinkled with herbs. Plaiting them into mats that would last for several months seems a far more practical use for them. Fresh sweet flag plants, incorrectly termed "rushes," were periodically spread on medieval castle floors as a floor covering. Rushes on the Floor - Sarah Woodbury Everywhere in medieval life, you read about ‘rushes’ on the floor. It was looking that word up that brought me here. Fascinating enquiry on a topic that has long puzzled me too. Then the rush mats, still called rushes, were put on the floor, and herbs sprinkled over them. Fragrant, often medicinal herbs were sprinkled among the rushes partly to sweeten aging rushes and partly to discourage bugs and molds. Cooking methods had also improved. In my previous (fact-based) historical novel When Winter Comes, my heroine lives in an earth-floored cabin which turns to thick mud in rain and snowmelt; and in my latest novel, the account books of the Earls of Rutland in the period of James 1 show that village women and children are paid for collecting rushes for use in the castle. A clear swath is cleaned behind her, and the rushes pile up in a roll under her back hem. Kitchen floors no longer needed spill-absorbing rushes on them because flooring had changed. However the nobility both Anglo-Irish and Gaelic wore similar clothes and the ladies dresses would as you have stated been encumbered by strewn rushes therefore among the upper classes at most the top 10% or so in society rush mats would probably have been woven and used as flooring. This is because the rushes are thick, long, and strong: short, fragile grass cannot be made into mats. Rushbearing is an old English ecclesiastical festival in which rushes are collected and carried to be strewn on the floor of the parish church. David Gaughran's Blog (Let's Get Digital/Visible). The earthen floor would be covered with rushes. As Theon “shook off the rushes”. Thank you all for your accidental assistance! Rushes are a plant material that cover the floor of most rooms. Absorbent material was used in dining and messy areas - soaks up mess and easily swept away. http://historicalnovelists.tripod. By the 1500’s, loose rushes on floors in all but the poorest of homes had given way to woven rush mats, found on floors in even the finest homes. A trader rushes by on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange just before the closing bell on March 13, 2009. Everywhere in medieval life, you read about ‘rushes’ on the floor. Certainly, the Romans brought them to England when the conquered the country in 43 AD, and they were used continuously up until the present. I know that I often point to The Secrets of the Castle for examples, but the archaeologists demonstrate the practicalities of medieval life so well. Also, consider simple logistics. Carpets were used as well, but these more expensive floor coverings were often layered over rush mats for special occasions and removed for everyday use. Rushes Log 1. It seem like they wouldn’t cause a huge mess, not stay where they were put, etc. The whole purpose of the rushes being loose after all, was to be able to sweep them out when they became soiled. Jaelen House & Shadow Mountain full highlights vs Buckeye. The step omitted is that the rushes, once gathered, were made into mats. I’ve never bought it. The chamber was richly furnished. I think that this is also the most likely way that rushes were used in medieval Europe, although rush mats are, of course, also evidenced. Grass is not free (on May 8, 1385, she pays Jehan dez Fourneaux 4 sous for grass for her chambers and hall; the entry says “a Jeh dez fourneaux pour hbe pour lez chambrez et la sale – IIII s”). rush: a tall plant that looks like grass and grows in water. Rush mats were used thousands of years ago all through the ancient world. That was until I read Ruth Goodman‘s excellent book How to be a Tudor published in Penguin in 2016. 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