by 
The Curious Bag
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Although canopy beds in American homes today serve a primarily aesthetic purpose--giving a bedroom a luxurious look--they came into existence centuries ago for practical reasons: protection, warmth and privacy.
Definition
A canopy bed has posts rising from the corners to a framework overhead. Cloth panels can be hung from the framework to enclose the bed on all sides.
Origin
Canopy beds appeared in Europe during the medieval period. By the 1500s, they had become common.
Protection
Canopies afforded protection from soot and cinders that drifted down from the ceiling in rooms heated with a fireplace or stove. They also kept out insects.
Warmth
Heavy cloth canopies helped keep bed occupants warm in poorly heated or unheated rooms by trapping heat within the bed space.
Privacy
When all members of a household slept in a single room--including servants, in some homes--canopies provided privacy.
Myth
One explanation widely posted on the Internet claims that canopy beds were invented to protect against bird droppings in bedrooms without a roof. History Magazine calls this a myth; any room that had a bed would have had a roof, too.
Source:
Home Interior Design Themes: A Brief History of the Canopy Bed
HomeEnvy.com: Canopy Beds Give You Sweet Dreams
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