Brittany Kelley
Spring really took its time to do the whole, “April showers bring May flowers” thing. In fact, it’ll be lucky if it can bring any flowers to meet its manufactured deadline, prior to summer beginning. But oh boy, is it trying.
I truly hate the rain. One or two days of it is okay, but the constant drizzle, gloomy weather is too much for me. So much so, that it killed my dream of living in Seattle, Wash. (Hi. Yes, I am one of the two standing “Grey’s Anatomy” fans left, my colleague Megan being the other.) That being said, I really thought that we’d slide through the rainy season with limited rain, until these past two weeks.
It’s ruined my pool days no less than 10 times and has managed to create a new enemy for me — umbrellas.
I’ve always been apprehensive about this invention. I never seem to truly stay dry and it’s a hassle to close up properly, but, typically, I’d say that we have mutual respect for one another. But something about this year has really caused me to lose every ounce of patience I had.
I started realizing a few conundrums:
— No matter how wide my umbrella is, I always get wet because it’s always raining sideways.
— To get into the car, you have to stop and get soaked to close the umbrella.
— You have to move a sopping wet umbrella over your lap and into the passenger floor, so everything also gets wet.
This really made me ask: who created this dang thing? Because I have a bone to pick.
My research shows that there seems to be a lack of definite origin of the umbrella, as it has been depicted throughout history in several locations. For example, the birthplace of umbrellas might have been in ancient Egypt, according to Brown University, where it was popularized as a parasol. It was also seen as a religious symbol, due to a local belief of gods. Furthermore, because it casts a shadow, it had a relationship with Khabit or shadow soul, which many believed held an individual's generative power. These pieces were still used by community members as sun shields, which some still do to this day.
There was also an umbrella in the tomb of Wang Kuang, continued the research from BU. These earlier umbrellas may have been the invention of the first collapsable product and were waterproof, due to the usage of oiled paper and bamboo. Similar to Egypt, the umbrella could also be used to determine rank, though it was typically through color, rather than accessibility. Because of its impact, also stemming from ties to Buddhism, the shape can be found in Buddhist stupas and Japanese and Chinese pagodas, said Britannica.
As its usage spread across the world, the Romans introduced its usage against rain. It continued to be interlinked with religion, where it was synonymous with the pope and clergy.
There have been many variations since then, but the general protection against the elements seems to stay consistent.
My research didn’t really give me the answers I was looking for. It’s one of those unfortunate pieces of history that is lost with time — the ability to pick one’s brain about why aspects were created the way they were and why these designs were the best options — but I’ve found a new appreciation to know its importance throughout the centuries. I would have never guessed that an object I regularly reprimand for not working the way I think it should would have meant so much to so many.
So, next time it rains, I’ll go easy on the ol’ umbrella because the ancient saying really holds true: never assume anything of anyone/thing until you’ve stopped and asked for their story.
Kelley is news editor of the Hays Free Press and News-Dispatch. She can reached via email at [email protected].
