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Traditional flax culture (2)

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Posted on 2020-01-24 in
Implements for linen making. Zeanuri (Bizkaia), 1931. Felipe Manterola Collection

Implements for linen making. Zeanuri (Bizkaia), 1931. Felipe Manterola Collection. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

Subsequent chores required to extract the fibre from the flax plant by hand and traditionally process it to be spun into linen were undertaken during the autumn.

Beating it, mazoz jo

Once retted and dried, the bundles of straw were crushed with mallets by one, two or even three beaters, their beating so becoming all the more effective and bearable. A stone called liho-harria would be expressly used for the said task in many houses. (more…)

Some particulars about hens

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Posted on 2020-01-10 in

Jairo Castillo. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

Here is how a good layer —oilo fina, in the words of our informants— behaves: once a pullet becomes a hen, she will lay one egg a day for three days and take a day’s rest; she will then lay an egg a day for the next four days and take another day’s rest; she will then again lay an egg a day for the next five days and take another day’s rest. And so on for three months, after which she inevitably either turns broody (lokatu), moults (mikatu) or dies. (more…)

Devil’s Bridge in Castrejana

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Posted on 2019-03-22 in
Devil’s Bridge in Castrejana (Bizkaia). José Ignacio García

Devil’s Bridge in Castrejana (Bizkaia). José Ignacio García Muñoz.

The rooster born in March from an egg laid in March (marti-oilarra or martiko oilarra) is considered to be a magic bird in the popular tradition of Bizkaia, and unlike others, is said to crow at midnight. Various versions of the ancient legend of the “Devil’s Bridge” feature this mythological character, all sharing the same essential plot.

The legend tells of a master builder who undertook a contract to build a bridge in Castrejana, but any work completed by his men during the day fell apart the next night. (more…)

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