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Huddled in Hides
Life has not always been so toasty and cozy under the covers, observes the National Geographic Society. Early man bundled himself in smelly hides and huddled near the campfire to keep warm. Later, primitive fireplaces and scratchy woolen blankets set him itching for something better.
In the 16th and 17th centuries it was the warming pan. People put hot coals from the fireplace into a shallow pan which was then slipped into beds to warm them before the household retired for the night.
Foot warmers operated on the same principle and were appreciated during long church services in Colonial America on days "so cold that the sacramental bread is frozen pretty hard, and rattles sadly."
In some parts of the world, warming devices and blankets were a luxury even in the 18th century. Peasants in some sections of Russia could not even afford candles. They lighted their rooms with long pieces of pinewood, and slept in their clothes either on top of the stove or on shelves above it.
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