Human Hibernation

[sophie_1003]

My dad has just mentioned comething about people in France hibernating around 100 years ago; I seearched for this on Google because it sounded pretty far fetched and it all seems linked back too one of two sources; the first this article from the NY Times http://tinyurl.com/2rsrls
and the second an article in the British Medical Journal about people in Russia hibernating (mentioned in the above article and quoted here- http://tinyurl.com/ybbrpa6)
However; this still seems a bit strange; with the situation mentioned by the NY Times; what would the animals do whilst the people are 'hibernating' as farm animals don't hibernate so they'd still need tending to?
Where has this information come from?

[boxtops]

Perhaps they were arable farmers, no animals. There are links to the original story in the articles, it must be Googleable.

[sophie_1003]

In the case of the France farmers it says they 'bedded down' with the animals though? Can kind of believe the Russia onece one eems ridiculous?

[boxtops]

I couldn't say - people do survive if their body systems slow right down. I don't know enough about it.

[sophie_1003]

Ahhh AB won't let me type properly! That was meant to say "...Russia one but the France one seems..."

[Mosaic]

In rural Brittany, people simply didn't do much - stayed indoors, saved fuel by staying in bed, led hard lives so enjoyed an extended kip. They didn't have altered biorythms like hibernating animals but if you think about it, the stuffiness inside and reluctance to go outside would make them a bit more sleepy than usual, plus the longer nights / shorter days. it was just a pragmatic response to there being no jobs you could do outside, very little daylight to do anything requiring a bit of light like weaving, and a nned to live frugally.
I haven't read the links yet but I'll do that now.

[Mosaic]

The first article pretty much describes the Breton winter. They omit to mention (I think) that you would need to feed and water your cow or pig, which would be in the house with you - in extreme cases, nesting up together for warmth.
You have to remember that in both articles, when people start writing about these things it's very much with 19th century work ethics leading the way ie look at these lazy peasants compared to our industrious townsfolk.
The second article goes off on a bit of one - I'm very sceptical about the feats of eastern mystics and how their physiological changes have been recorded / evidence verified.
But I personally am all for slowing right down when the weather syas I should. witness over the last two winters in mild little Britain the numbers of people hurt or even killed by trying to ignore bad weather.

[keenonhist]

I`ve aways thought it rather unhealthy to sleep close to any animal,and that goes for domestic pets too. Medieval folk caught T.B,swine flu ect from having animals in their houses,and of course they didn`t know why.
keenonhist

[Mosaic]

They surely did - and from each other. banged up close togetrher with the windows and doors shut tight, bathed only at birth and death, and don't forget you'd be sewn into your underclothes for the winetr - but only after slathering your body in goose-grease.
People stank and were riddled with lice, fleas and other parasites. Cuddling up to the family pig might not make a huge difference, although the pig probably dreamed of its own bedroom....

[sophie_1003]

Ah I see; I could quite well believe that they slept for longer in winter if they had one animal they took into the house. I was just imagining farmers who say had a herd of cows rather than just one and how they would get round milking; feeding mucking out etc if they were sleeping more!