What did men wear at night in the Middle Ages in Europe?
score:9
According to the description of events in medieval chronicles (namely the 14th century), no clothes at all were worn at night in Portugal. People really did sleep naked.
However, coifs might have been worn, though the chronicles do not mention them. This assumption of mine comes from images of the time, which sometimes (do note I say sometimes) show coifs worn by people in bed... even (or maybe especially) when those people were having sexual relations. On the other hand, most of these images are from non-Iberian sources so that the custom of wearing coifs to sleep may or may not have existed in Portugal.
Of course the people mentioned in the chronicles are nobles, with good beds, plenty of blankets and properly heated homes. People of lower standing might have slept with their clothes on for the simple goal of remaining warmer.
The chronicles in question are the ones by Fernão Lopes. I've got them in book (there are plenty of editions around, though they're mostly old and partial). I recall in particular detail a chapter in the chronicle of King Dom Fernando, where a lady is killed by her 'secret husband' on suspicion of adultery. He enters her chamber at night and she gets up from the bed, hurrying to cover her nakedness with a chemise. Note that her nakedness is mentioned as something natural .
This passage is the one quoted by Portuguese historians to attest that medieval people slept naked.
Here's the link to download a pdf of a 19th century copy of the Chronicle of King Dom Fernando.
Upvote:7
There appears to be very little documentary evidence and quite a bit of debate on this. For example, see here.
The general consensus seems to be that they normally wore nothing, except sometimes a night cap. Picture evidence here.
Other commentators argue that they just as often wore a simple gown or smock, as argued here, without picture evidence.
More post
- 📝 Why is the heir to the British throne called "Prince of Wales"?
- 📝 Who was the model for Trutat's famous painting Nude Girl on a Panther Skin?
- 📝 Given their reputation for fighting to the last man in the Pacific, why did 700,000 Japanese troops surrender in Manchuria?
- 📝 What became of the daughter of Cixi‘s photographer?
- 📝 How and why did Charles XII get to Poltava?
- 📝 Real-life examples of finding long-lost treasure?
- 📝 Who were the candidates in the consular elections for 80 BC in Rome?
- 📝 Why were eastern European states larger than western European states for much of history?
- 📝 Is there any first-hand evidence of intentional spreading of disease among natives in the Pacific Northwest?
- 📝 Nothing is discovered until a white man finds out about it
- 📝 Were there any notable historic figures that weren't racist by modern standards?
- 📝 How do Dambadiva kings fit in Indian history?
- 📝 Did Soviet Union really consider using atomic bomb against US aircraft battlegroup?
- 📝 What good came from the Great Leap Forward?
- 📝 What became of the French Revolutionary Religion and Calendar?
- 📝 Athenian tribute lists
- 📝 Was the IMF complicit in destroying the Romanian economy?
- 📝 The Russian-American Company in Valparaíso
- 📝 Is there any evidence of arachnophobia in ancient history?
- 📝 Why doesn’t Cuba's flag have any communist symbolism?
- 📝 During the American Civil war did gunboats range far into enemy territory?
- 📝 Mountain flags from Batman Begins
- 📝 Did Nazi Germany ever actually make it illegal to practice Judaism?
- 📝 When and why did "Near East" become "Middle East?"
- 📝 When did age gaps in marriage become looked down upon in America?
- 📝 What is the origin of Rap?
- 📝 Was there any distinction between the 13 Colonies and the Canadian provinces prior to the American Revolution?
- 📝 Do NKVD files say that during WWII, Soviet leadership knew about the rape of Soviet women liberated from labour camps and did nothing to stop it?
- 📝 Why are the facades of some residential buildings in Paris, France, tilted?
- 📝 Was there a state in history where influence of sport fans on politics was greater than in medieval Byzantine Empire?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What did men wear at night in the Middle Ages in Europe?
- 📝 What did the people of the Middle Ages call their period?
- 📝 In what ways did the rise of a true middle class in Europe during the late 19th century become apparent?
- 📝 What did people of the middle ages call their periods?
- 📝 What did the term "Parage" mean in middle ages Langued'oc?
- 📝 Why did Europe not see Roman-era numbers of men participating in battles until the 17th century?
- 📝 What was the typical peasant's diet like in Europe during the High Middle Ages?
- 📝 What is the difference between the Middle Ages and the Dark Ages?
- 📝 What did squires do in the middle of a medieval battle?
- 📝 What should I call bands of armed men in the Middle Ages?
- 📝 What did contemporary countries in Europe call the Ottoman Empire?
- 📝 Raising children in Europe in the Middle Ages
- 📝 What uniforms did each of the American Civil War regiment wear during First Bull Run / First Manassas
- 📝 What were the traveling practices of merchants, roughly between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance?
- 📝 What do men in the middle of a phalanx contribute?
- 📝 What was the aftermath of a battle in the Middle Ages? How did wounded soldiers proceed?
- 📝 When, where and with what propagation through Europe did the idea of gypsies stealing children occur?
- 📝 What color triangles did the different religious groups (those not Jews or JWs) wear in Nazi concentration camps?
- 📝 In what contexts did male friends kiss in Europe in the 1700s?
- 📝 What was the average percentage of taxes in Europe during the Middle Ages?
- 📝 What is the strongest alcoholic drink that existed during the Middle Ages in Europe?
- 📝 What was Income Disparity like in the Middle Ages of Europe?
- 📝 What did cataphract units wear under the armour?
- 📝 What sort of cold weather clothing did they wear on the Ross expedition to the Antarctic?
- 📝 Do we have any idea what people in the Middle Ages (or before them) thought the far future was going to be like?
- 📝 What kinds of documents were forged in the middle ages and how common was forgery?
- 📝 What was the status of travelling perfomers in the Middle Ages (specifically, 13th century Germany)?
- 📝 What did women wear during the Rashidun era?
- 📝 What animals did South East Asians ride in the Middle Ages?
- 📝 (How) Did criminals in the middle ages get treatment for injuries?