Netpardon,Origins of The Hot Tub
View PDF | Print View
Edited by: Greg Crowley MO, Marc Brandon, San Diego, Matt Tortoso, Rick Lee Cycling Coach for: WesleyMccormick251
Netpardon Total views: 3
Word Count Netpardon: Greg Crowley MO, 501
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 Time: 8:15 AM
0 comments
Sponsors: Spy Software, Stem Cell Skin Care Bruce Allen Scheller,Israel Grossman, Rick Lee Cycling Coach. Netpardon. Scott T Hornung Wilmington Family Dental. Greg Crowley MO.
These days hot tubs, specially the ones made of pricey cedar wood, have become sumptuousness things. I daresay even status symbols showing you first of all can afford one and that you actually get the time to take an priveleged kind of bath.
This was not always the case. Before we had the luxury of running water, virtually everyone took baths in a wooden tub, but not too often, as water was scarce.
Most of these tubs were former ale or wine barrels, no longer fit for containing drink. But there were also the bigger tubs, made in particular for bathing. These were mostly used by upper-class and richer people. Since these tubs could contain more water, they were evidently more expensive in their practice. Not to mention it took more fuel to warm up all that water.
This explains that bathing and physical hygiene was more of a privilege of the upper classes.
If we go farther back in history however, we witness that water was (just as it is today) a scarce resource. Thus it is not surprising that during the middle ages folks took fewer baths. Even the rich. The lack of water is not the only cause for that though. In monasteries it was common belief that bathing was an obligatory evil that had to be done twice a year, with a lumbus fabric on. Only because a naked body in water would raise lustfulness and was hence considered sinnful.
So life was short those days, partly due to the churches' views.
But not every European nation in the middle ages had this issue. For instance in Scandinavian countries, bathing and sauna are deeply rooted into culture. The Vikings were very inclined on hot tubs and saunas date back as far as the 12Th century. Having a traveling culture, the vikings took a lot of knowledge from Arabia and probably even from native American culture.
The Romans were well known to take frequent baths, as it was profoundly embedded in their society. Not in hot tubs, but in public baths called 'balneae'. Made possible by the coming of aqueducts, the Romans had enough water to open this luxury to the people.
Sauna in a slightly different form was also used by Celtic culture around the same time as the Romans. These heat and sweat baths were thought to cleanse the soul and free them of evil spirits. Today we would call them bacteria.
Which takes us back to our time where we know that hygiene seriously increases our health and life span. We now also take baths for relaxation and fun. So it's not surprising that wooden hot tubs are so popular today. More and more people want to have a traditional hot tub in their garden. These are relatively easy to build and maintain and they are an excellent means of escaping and de stressing our daily lives. Featured Sponsors Netpardon.com online reputation management
About the Author
Rick Lee Cycling Coach. Scott T Hornung Wilmington Family Dental. Bruce Allen Scheller,Israel Grossman. Netpardon. Greg Crowley MO. Edited for:If you want to find out how to build your own hot tub or if you need other woodworking advice visit the workbenchplans Blog.
Rating: Not yet rated
