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The word "felt" comes from Latin and originally it meant "to beat."
The history of felt pre-dates Christ and many legends and anecdotes remain.
Two legends about the origin of felt are famous.
One
Long ago, before footwear existed, a monk walked barefoot through the desert, leading a camel. The sand became so hot, however, that he could no longer walk. Not knowing what to do, he suddenly tore off clumps of the camel's hair and wrapped them around his feet. Finally sunset came and the heat subsided. Removing the clumps of camel hair, he noticed that the camel hair on the soles of his feet had become flat and solid. His sweat had added moisture, the sand had added heat, and the action of walking on the camel hair had entangled it, turning it into flat sheets of felt. |
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Two
There is even a story about the origin of felt associated with the legend of Noah's Ark. Noah, having foreseen the great flood, built an ark. He covered the floor with sheep's wool and loaded it with his family, their household belongings, and livestock for food. However, the weather suddenly turned bad and rainwater came pouring in. Inside were many people and animals moving about; the heat produced from this was almost overwhelming. The water and heat combined with repeated trampling on the wool made become a flat sheet of felt.
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Both of these anecdotes have a sense of everyday life about them.
Felt seems to have made its appearance in Japan during the Nara period
(710 - 794). The earliest record of its presence is the presentation of
a felt carpet from China to Shosoin (an ancient imperial treasure storage
building located in Nara, Japan). Also, during the Russo-Japanese War (1904
- 5), felt saddle blankets were included on a list of spoils of war, showing
its importance in tactical warfare. Even today it is a very important material
for the military.
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