A Hammock

Upon the Spanish arrival in 1492, many indigenous tribes belonging to the linguistic group Arahuaco resided in the area. One of these belonged to the Taina culture.

Hammocks were not used in Central America during the Mayan period. It arrived to Yukatan Peninsula less than two centuries before the Spanish arrrival, from the Caribbean probably.

Hammock comes from the Taina word “hamaka” which means “to sleep”, and from the Quechua language “samacu” which means “to rest.” A hammock is a piece of furniture to sleep or to rest on. It is made up of a fabric or net made from sisal or any other material attached to two fixed poles that hold it.

It is a elongated, thick net, made of sisal commonly. Its ends are tied up to trees, stakes, or rings which keep it up in the air. It can  be used as a bed, a swing or a stretcher to be carried by two people. It is also made of canvass or other strong fabrik.. It is widely used in tropical countries.

Hammocks, originally made of stained henequen or sisal cords, are nowadays made of cotton or polyester fiber. They come in different shapes, colors and sizes. Latety a revisit of the traditional vegetal fiber has started. The hammock made of sisal fiber has been the custom.

How is hammock made?

Mayan hammocks were made in a loom, by hand. To make a hammock, an easel is made with two woden poles. Two ribbons are attached to the poles to measure the body of the hammock. The craftperson is almost always a mayan woman who weaves the thread with a woden needle called  shuttle.

She starts laying down from 15 to 20 strings from one pole to the other. Then interweaves them with the shuttle from one end to the other. She walks and weaves, going around each pole and starting a new line.

Once the hammock body is finished on each extreme, more threads are added to make the arms. These threads are tied to rings from which the hammock will hang. This craft has been kept for generations to generations, passed on from parents to children.

Due to its interlacing, a hammock can hold up to 300 kilograms. This lacing is not similar to the knotted fishing net or to macramé. Mayan hammocks do not have knots. All strings are connected, therefore weight is distributed to the whole surface without creating a tension in any fixed point.

Nicaraguan hammocks are flashy and colorful. There are plain hammocks as well. These are sold in Managua markets and at small shops all over the country. Hammocks are a cultural insignia in Nicaraguan homes. Even the poorest family has a makeshift one.

A curious fact about hammocks is that they are traditionally used by sailors as they swing along with the boat´s rocking, thus the sleeper is not thrown off onto the floor.

See information about handcrafts made of sisal