Hemp Rigged Every Ship for Centuries
Hemp is a fibre plant. Before synthetic rope, navies depended on it entirely.
Hemp is a plant grown for its strong bast fibre, used for rope, sailcloth and paper. Naval power rested on it: a large sailing warship needed tens of tonnes of hemp for rigging alone, and because the fibre rots, all of it had to be replaced regularly. Securing hemp supplies was a strategic concern for every maritime nation. *Canvas* comes from *cannabis*, the plant's Latin name, because the cloth was originally made from hemp.
- A fibre plant. *Hemp rope.*
- Hempen — made of hemp. *Hempen sails.*
- Canvas — from the same plant. *Canvas.*
- Cannabis — its Latin name. *Cannabis.*
- Old English — *hænep*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hemp | Hemp. |
| Adjective | hempen | Hempen. |
| Related | canvas | Canvas. |
| Latin | cannabis | Hemp. |
| Old English | hænep | Hemp. |
- The rope was hemp.Material.
- Canvas comes from cannabis.Etymology.
- Warships needed tonnes of it.History.
Why hemp mattered to navies
- A first-rate warship needed tens of tonnes for rigging
- Hemp rots, so rigging had to be replaced regularly
- Tarring the rope slowed decay but did not stop it
- Supply was strategic, driving trade with the Baltic
- Synthetic fibres ended the dependence in the twentieth century
Old English *hænep*, of Germanic origin, related to Greek *kannabis*.
Why is canvas named after cannabis?
Because the cloth was originally woven from hemp, whose Latin name is cannabis.
Why did navies depend on hemp?
Rigging was made of it, a large warship needed tens of tonnes, and because the fibre rots it all had to be replaced regularly.