When was the umbrella invented?

To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains. But originally umbrella was invented as a shade against the sun, not a protection from rain.

Nobody is really sure who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese, way back in the eleventh century BC.

We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use – it became a symbol of authority. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella could only be used by royalty or by those in high office.

In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. But it is believed that the first people in Europe to use umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.

During the Middle Ages, the umbrella practically disappeared. It appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. By 1680, the umbrella was seen in France, and later on in England, by the eighteenth century the umbrella was used as protection against rain throughout most of Europe.

Fact File:

Following the invention of plastic other ways of protecting yourself from the rain are available, for example raincoat with hood.

 

Picture Credit : Google