Ordinary Things

Ordinary Things

"There are three slender things that support the world:
the slender stream of cow's milk into a pail; the slender
blade of green corn in the ground; the slender thread
running over the hands of a skilled woman."
    ___ ancient Irish triad

   The comfort and nurture we derive from dairy products is the gift of the cow, that supremely important animal to the Celtic world. The cow, a unit of wealth, was so highly prized that it is remembered in the heavens among Gaelic speakers who know the Milky Way as 'the Way of the White Cow." The fertility of the fields was always considered a measure of how committed a ruler or chieftain was to his land and people; poor crops were an indication of poor rulership. Along with the milk of the cow, the bannock (loaf) of bread made up the staple diet of most people before the advent of the New World potato, so grain was another measure of prosperity and well-being.

  Before the coming of industrial looms, all clothing was made laboriously by hand. The woman of the house (with the help of her daughters) clothed her entire family; she would take the unwashed wool , comb and card it, and then time-consumingly spin it from the distaff until it could be labor-intensively woven on a hand-loom.

That wool kept the cold out, but the greatest skill went into weaving the linen garments for wear next to the skin.

It is the help of the ordinary things that much of our own living is supported. In different countries, there are different staple grains and foodstuffs, different materials. From their slender existence our own is sustained.

"What three ordinary things are the supporters of your life? Make your own personal triad."

[From: "The Celtic Spirit"]

Harvesting Color

   The beautiful tartans and plaids we associate with Scotland were colored with vegetable dyes. In the HIghlands sheep's fleeces were put into a three-legged cauldron in layers with crotal moss from the moors and boiled - the result was a bright red fleece (despite the moss being yellow), which could then be spun and woven. For black, oak bark and acorns could be used; for yellow, crab apple or ash; for green, flag iris root.  Outside of crofts stood pots for collecting urine, which was used as a mordant (fixative) to prepare the cloth to hold the dye.

A Simple Dye -  This method will work for most plants. Bruise or crush the plant material and put it in a large stainless stell scaucepan. Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for an hour. Allow the plant to steep in the water for up to three days, stirring well each day. Strain the liquid through muslin into a dyebath. Add the damp yarn or fabric to the dye-bath. Bring it to the boil and simmer for one hour.

   The strength of the dye will depend on what time of day and in what season you picked the plant. For some plants you may need to prepare the cloth with a mordant.

[From: "Celtic Inspirations" by Lyn Webster Wilde]