The umbrella seems simple enough: open it when it rains, close it when the sun comes out and try not to leave it behind at a restaurant.
But the everyday umbrella has a surprisingly strange history involving royalty, social status, gender stereotypes and even ridicule.
Umbrellas — or at least their ancient ancestors — have been around for thousands of years. Early versions appeared in places including Egypt, China, India and Mesopotamia. Many weren’t intended for rain at all. They were parasols designed to provide shade from the sun.
And carrying one could say something about your place in society.
In some ancient cultures, elaborate parasols were associated with royalty, religious leaders and the wealthy. The person beneath the shade was important enough that someone else might be assigned to hold it.
The Chinese are often credited with developing early waterproof umbrellas. Paper parasols could be treated with oils or waxes to help repel water, turning a sunshade into something much closer to the rain umbrella we recognize today.
Eventually umbrellas became fashionable in Europe, but there was a catch: For a long time, they were considered primarily women’s accessories.
An Englishman named Jonas Hanway helped change that perception in the 1700s. Hanway regularly carried an umbrella around London despite reportedly being mocked for doing so. His persistence helped make umbrella-carrying more acceptable for men.
There may have been another group that wasn’t thrilled with umbrellas: carriage drivers. A person protected from the rain by an umbrella had less reason to pay for a ride simply to stay dry.
By the 1800s, umbrellas were becoming more practical. Steel frames replaced heavier materials, and designs gradually evolved toward the lightweight, collapsible versions we use today.
Even the word has an interesting connection to the umbrella’s sunny beginnings. “Umbrella” traces back to the Latin umbra, meaning shade or shadow.
So the next time you’re struggling with an umbrella that has turned inside out during a Tennessee downpour, remember: You’re holding the descendant of an ancient status symbol once associated with royalty.
That’s quite a history for something most of us forget in the car.
Bizarre Bytes gives us those unusual facts that you only need to know for Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy, or to stump your in-laws.
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