The spinning wheel is a device used for making threads. Women who spun were called spinners. In Russia, they traditionally used primitive manual distaves: with a reed – in the South, with a board – in the Urals and in Northern areas. With a distaff, even the most experienced craftswomen, working from dawn far into the night, could not spin more than 300 meters of thread. This amount was only enough to weave 22.5 cm of cloth.
In 1530, Braunschweig master Jurgens invented a hand spinning wheel with a treadle. The new device allowed to double the spinner’s productivity. The spinning wheel presented here is called Russian spinning wheel, or stoyak (vertical spinning wheel). Another variety of the device is Chukhon (Finnish) spinning wheel, or lezhak (horizontal spinning wheel).
First hand spinning wheels found their way to Russia in the 18th century. They were quite expensive, by far not every family could afford this device. So, even at the beginning of the last century, people in villages often used distaves. A woman owning a hand spinning wheel would keep it as the apple of her eye. The tool was passed from mother to daughter, there were cases when a hand spinning wheel served faithfully 3-4 generations of craftswomen, for more than 100 years.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, spinning skill was considered one of the main merits of a woman. The house of a village girl who had gained notoriety as a “non-spinner” and “non-weaver” was avoided by suitors like the plague. When a girl was born in the family, the umbilical cord was cut with a spindle: they believed that this would help her to become a good spinner. And to make sure that the baby was keen on handcraft, they put a pryaslen into her cradle – a little stone used to fix the yarn on the hand spinning wheel.
Approximately from the age of 5, they started to teach the girl to spin. On the wedding day, next to the skin under her shirt, the bride was bound by the first thread spun by her: they believed that there was no surer remedy against the evil eye. At that time, girls were given in marriage early – at the age of 15-16. Before marriage, a girl had to spin and weave so much material for it to be enough both for her dower and gifts to future relatives. Because of that, young craftswomen spent a considerable amount of their time sitting at the spinning wheel.
In the long winter evenings, girls span with a wicker lamp. Due to the constant contact with the thread, the skin on the finger tips became very dry, and the craftswoman had to moisture it with saliva from time to time. To make sure that there always be saliva in the mouth, they put a bowl with sour berries or highbush cranberries next to the spinning wheel.
During paganism, goddess Makosh was considered to be the patron of craftswomen, including spinners. After adoption of Christianity, the pagan deity was substituted in the people’s mind by St Paraskeva Pyatnitsa (Pyatnitsa means Friday). People believed that, if a spinner, weary from the day’s work, started dozing off, Paraskeva would continue spinning instead of her.
But the saint severely punished those who span on her holy day – Friday. To propitiate Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, once a year, women performed the mokritsa ritual: offered a sacrifice by throwing yarn and tow into the well. Yarn and tow were believed to be the favorite toys of the devilry. To prevent evil spirits from entangling the tow at night, women whispered a protective incantation over the spinning wheel before going to bed.
In 1530, Braunschweig master Jurgens invented a hand spinning wheel with a treadle. The new device allowed to double the spinner’s productivity. The spinning wheel presented here is called Russian spinning wheel, or stoyak (vertical spinning wheel). Another variety of the device is Chukhon (Finnish) spinning wheel, or lezhak (horizontal spinning wheel).
First hand spinning wheels found their way to Russia in the 18th century. They were quite expensive, by far not every family could afford this device. So, even at the beginning of the last century, people in villages often used distaves. A woman owning a hand spinning wheel would keep it as the apple of her eye. The tool was passed from mother to daughter, there were cases when a hand spinning wheel served faithfully 3-4 generations of craftswomen, for more than 100 years.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, spinning skill was considered one of the main merits of a woman. The house of a village girl who had gained notoriety as a “non-spinner” and “non-weaver” was avoided by suitors like the plague. When a girl was born in the family, the umbilical cord was cut with a spindle: they believed that this would help her to become a good spinner. And to make sure that the baby was keen on handcraft, they put a pryaslen into her cradle – a little stone used to fix the yarn on the hand spinning wheel.
Approximately from the age of 5, they started to teach the girl to spin. On the wedding day, next to the skin under her shirt, the bride was bound by the first thread spun by her: they believed that there was no surer remedy against the evil eye. At that time, girls were given in marriage early – at the age of 15-16. Before marriage, a girl had to spin and weave so much material for it to be enough both for her dower and gifts to future relatives. Because of that, young craftswomen spent a considerable amount of their time sitting at the spinning wheel.
In the long winter evenings, girls span with a wicker lamp. Due to the constant contact with the thread, the skin on the finger tips became very dry, and the craftswoman had to moisture it with saliva from time to time. To make sure that there always be saliva in the mouth, they put a bowl with sour berries or highbush cranberries next to the spinning wheel.
During paganism, goddess Makosh was considered to be the patron of craftswomen, including spinners. After adoption of Christianity, the pagan deity was substituted in the people’s mind by St Paraskeva Pyatnitsa (Pyatnitsa means Friday). People believed that, if a spinner, weary from the day’s work, started dozing off, Paraskeva would continue spinning instead of her.
But the saint severely punished those who span on her holy day – Friday. To propitiate Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, once a year, women performed the mokritsa ritual: offered a sacrifice by throwing yarn and tow into the well. Yarn and tow were believed to be the favorite toys of the devilry. To prevent evil spirits from entangling the tow at night, women whispered a protective incantation over the spinning wheel before going to bed.
