[sindohte]

In the midst of cranking out some writing, I have run into a problem. And I am sincerely hoping there is someone with a knowledge of antique household appliances out there. I want to make a reference to bed warmers being used to heat beds on a cold winter's night. However, I am uncertain as to what type of material the bed warmer would be made of. I do believe (and please correct me if I am wrong) that warm bricks wrapped in flannel were used in colonial America. But I have also seen information about warming pans being used as early as the 15th century and becoming more widely used around the 17th century. These pans were either made of iron or brass, before copper was used around the 18th century.

So my question to you, what would be the most historically accurate type of bed warmer in ME? A flannel wrapped brick, a metal bed warming pan, or two Elves?

[miriel361]

I'd take the warm elves.....

But seriously, how about a clay container filled with hot coals and wrapped up in a rag?


Would work too and since I just thought of it, noone could say that it didn't fit the period.

[sindohte]

The clay container definitely sounds like something that would not be out of place. So would the idea be to keep the clay container in bed all night long with the sleeper? Or would it be removed once the bed was sufficiently warm, as would be done with a metal bed warmer?

[BittenBuggy]

Hmm... thats a very specific question. I would assume that since servants generally got to sleep at night as well, the ceramic pan would be left in the bed and removed when the servants awakened in the morning. Just a guess, sounds logical though.

[Panneth]

I'd remove it before I got in personally. I don't want to be woken up by smouldering sheets in the middle of the night. You could put it in an hour before bedtime and eveything would be nice and warm and then just have the servants take it away when you go to bed.

It doesn't take a lot of heat to start a fire on bed sheets. Last year when I was living in Halls, a guy left a torch on under a pillow case while we all went for dinner and about an hour later it was smouldering.

[Moralanqua]

Auld Scottish bed warmer was a ceramic jug in a more flattened shape that was filled with boiling water and wrapped in a fleece. I believe it was corked.

I dont see why they couldnt have had them in ME. Its not exactly a genius invention and metals would be an expensive comodity so only the super rich would have fancy bed toasters?

Whaddya think?

[sindohte]

Hmm, I think that I will go with the ceramic jug for the story, especially since the character was not raised in a wealthy home. And fleece sounds so cuddly. But I would definitely welcome additional input from other folks.

[Thuriniel]

Don't they use a bed warmer in "Pirates"? I think I recall seeing it. The maid warms Elizabeth's bed after she falls in the water and Sparrow rescues her.

The bed warmer I have most vivid in my mind appears in the Spanish movie "Belle Epoque". It's a container made of metal (either copper or tin). The container is round, flattened at the top and bottom and opens (as it it were a box, it has hinges) for you to put coals inside. Then it has a long stick, and you just put that thing between the sheets and move it back and forth to get the bed warm. It took me a while to figure out what it was !

[sindohte]

Yes, a bed warmer was used in POTC. I think Elizabeth was the one who poured hot coals on one of those two, goofy pirates. But that raises another interesting question, why on Earth would there be a need to use a bed warmer in the Caribbean? Would it really get that cold at night that they would need to warm the sheets?

[Moralanqua]

I read something about how they dont use the bed warmer properly in POTC. You may want to research that before copyin it.

[sindohte]

I must have read the same article about the POTC bed warmer. However, I plan on using the cermanic container because it seems more in keeping with the time period that Middle Earth is set in.

[Moralanqua]

Yay for going with the Scottish invention!

Although, 2 elves would be MY preference...

[BittenBuggy]

Just two Mora? I'll opt for the Twins, Haldir, and his brothers....and maybe Thranduil....and Legolas....does Legolas have brothers? Oh wait, that's been covered in another post

[Moralanqua]

BB - u elf slut!

Anymore than 2 is just whorish. Im classee - cant u tell? {insert angelic Mora face here}


(Sind - almost done more samples! Will send soon!)

[sindohte]

Well it would just make more sense to space out your Elves so that you could have at least one for each night of the week. That way you would not have to worry about running out of a bed warmer with pointy ears.

Here is a sample schedule -

Sunday - Elladan & Elrohir

Monday - Thranduil

Tuesday - Haldir

Wednesday - Rumil & Orophin

Thursday - Legolas

Friday - Elrond

Saturday - Glorfindel