Hammocks are thought to have been introduced to Europe by Christopher Columbus, who mentions hammocks in the logbook of his 1492 expedition.
It is claimed that Christopher Columbus discovered Caribbean Indians sleeping in cotton nets slung between trees and he adopted the idea for his crew.
The earliest hammocks were woven out of bark from a Hamack tree. Hamack bark was soon replaced as the main material for making hammocks by the Sisal plant because of its softer texture, and abundant availability.
As the popularity of hammocks spread, there was a great deal of experimentation with new materials. Brazil is famous for popularizing the fabric hammock which consists of a large piece of cloth with cords at the ends to attach the hammock to two anchor objects such as trees.
Some of the best Brazillian hammocks available in the UK today can be found at Garden Boutique.
