The hammock Word of Taino etiology (Hamaka) according to Goeje means; Sleep, in the Kechua Samacu language which means; Rest is a piece of furniture used for sleeping or resting. It consists of a canvas or net made of twine or fine rope that is tied to two firm points.
Folding loungers used for sunbathing on the beach or pool are also called hammocks. Generally, they are made up of a folding metal frame and a canvas sewn to it.
In Nicaragua, Argentina, Costa Rica, Cuba, Uruguay, Colombia and Venezuela the word hammock is used to refer to both hammocks and swings. Because of this, to disambiguate, in Argentina and Uruguay the hammock is called a Paraguayan hammock.
Hammocks are standard items in almost every house in the Yucatan and throughout the Caribbean. They were not part of the classical civilization of the Mayan era; they were said to have arrived in the Yucatan from the Caribbean less than two centuries before the arrival of the Spanish. The word hammock comes from the Taino and means “net for fish”.1 2
They are made of various materials and the quality depends mainly on the warp and the number of threads used. Hammocks have such an important place in the hearts of the people of the Caribbean that even in the most humble houses there are hooks on the walls to hang them.
There is a large number of hammocks available. There are some specially designed for traveling and include a net against mosquitoes and pockets to insert small tools. Others are made of lightweight materials, making them ideal for weekend trips. Others have metal or wooden structures that can support the hammocks independently. There is also the possibility of making your own hammock.
Hammocks have traditionally been used by sailors on ships; since the hammock moves to the rhythm of the ship and the sleeper does not run the risk of being thrown to the ground.
In the area of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico, there is one of the largest productions of hammocks in America; A little further north, in Sierra Juárez, is San Pablo Yaganiza with a unique type of hammock. Currently made in Spain by textile artisans.
The hammocks, originally made of henequen, cabuya or pita and dyed with vegetable and aniline dyes, are currently made of cotton or polyester fibers, with a variety of designs, colors and sizes, although there is also a return to traditions, through vegetable fiber. The traditional hammock, used throughout, has been that of henequen. It is not until the 1960s that the cotton hammock began to be introduced.
