A bag (also known as a sack in some regions) is a common tool in the form of a non-rigid container. Bags have been used since before recorded history, with the earliest bags consisting of lengths of animal skin, cotton, or woven plant fibres folded up at the edges and secured in that shape with strings of the same material. Bags, despite their simplicity, have been critical to the development of human civilization because they allow people to easily collect loose materials such as berries or food grains, as well as transport more items than they could carry in their hands. The word is most likely derived from the Norse word baggi, which is derived from the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European bhak, but it is also related to the Welsh baich (load, bundle) and the Greek bhak.

Cheap disposable bags and plastic shopping bags of varying size and strength are very common in the retail trade as a convenience for customers, and are frequently supplied by the shop for free or for a small fee. Customers may also bring their own shopping bags to use in stores; these are commonly referred to as tote bags or shoppers totes. Although paper had been used in ancient China for wrapping and padding since the 2nd century BC, the first use of paper bags (for preserving the flavour of tea) occurred during the later Tang Dynasty.

Bags have been used by both men and women for thousands of years and have been documented. Bags date all the way back to ancient Egypt. Many hieroglyphs show men wearing bags tied around their waists. The Bible mentions pouches, specifically Judas Iscariot carrying one around to hold his personal items. Many people in the 14th century used drawstring bags to carry their money because they were afraid of pickpockets and thieves. These bags were fastened to “girdles” by a long cord around the waist. Women also wore more ornate drawstring bags, known as hamondeys or tasques, to show off their social standing. Handbags in the 14th century evolved into groom-to-bride wedding gifts. These mediaeval pouches were embroidered, frequently with scenes from love stories or songs. These pouches eventually evolved into chaneries, which were used for gaming or as food for falcons. Elizabethan England’s fashions were more ornate than ever before during the Renaissance. Women wore their pouches under their petticoats, while men wore leather pockets or bagges inside their breeches. To compensate for poor hygiene, aristocrats began carrying swete bagges filled with sweet-smelling material.