Slide No. 1
Subject: " Processing of flax in Rus'"
Slide No. 2
Goal and tasks: introduce children to the content and sequence of labor operations when processing flax, linen yarn and fabric; consolidate children’s ideas about the social and moral significance of people working together; cultivate diligence as a socially significant human quality.
Guys, today you will learn how flax was processed in Rus' before and how it was then made into fabric.
Slide number 3
Guys, who knows what flax is? (Children's answers).That's right - it's a plant. How do we know any plant before it grows, what needs to be done? (Children's answers). That's right - plant it. The cuckoos started calling - it’s time to sow flax.
Slide No. 4
As soon as the stems appear, we need to start weeding.After weeding, young flax straightens and grows very quickly.
Slide No. 5
A few more weeks passed: the grass on the strip rose, and blue flowers appeared on it.
Slide No. 6
When the flowers fell, green heads appeared in their place. When the heads have turned brown and dried out, it’s time to harvest.
Slide No. 7
A popular saying says: “Flax blooms for two weeks, ripens for four, and the seed flies on the seventh.”
Flax harvesting (pulling). It's a hard work. We went out into the field early in the morning, in the dew. Children helped the women. They grabbed the stems close to the ground with their hands and pulled them out by the roots, handfuls at a time. 8 handfuls knittedin a sheaf like this.The sheaves were placed in rows to dry.
Slide No. 8
Threshing. The dried sheaves were taken to a building specially built for threshing - a threshing floor. They laid sheaves on the floor and beat the flax heads with these wooden mallets, separating the heads from the stem. What do you think the seeds that were in the heads were used for (what was done with them)? Children's answers. (Went for future sowing and production of linseed oil). And the stems are used to make fiber.
This was a favorite pastime of children and youth. The threshed sheaves were taken back to the field.
Slide No. 9
Then they sank the headless bunches in the river and piled another stone on top so that they wouldn’t float up.
About two weeks later they took the flax out of the river and dried it...
They dried it in a bathhouse, on floors. But the most impatient housewives carried it straight to the hut and dried it on a wide Russian stove.
Slide number 11
Fluttering. Crumpled flax was beaten with a wooden instrument like this, called a flax, in order to knock out the remains of the fire from the fibers(remains of a hard stem). Racking is hard and dirty work. During the day, the walls and windows became covered with gray flax dust, so they worked in bathhouses or uninhabited huts, and hid their faces in scarves. But this is what flax becomes after fraying.
Slide No. 12
Tow. Having frayed, they began to comb the flax with an iron comb until it became soft and silky.
Slide number 13
Girls started spinning from childhood. There was a custom of going to neighbors to spin, so as not to fall asleep over the yarn and do as much as others.
Slide number 14
Guys, here you see different spinning wheels, are they all the same or different in some way? Children's answers (wood craftsmen tried to decorate spinning wheels with painting or carving). What do you think this is wooden stick with a pointed end? Children's answers. (Remember Sleeping Beauty's pricked finger). That's right - a spindle. Threads were spun using a spinning wheel and spindle
Slide number 15
Later, such spinning wheels appeared - self-spinning wheels with a wheel; work on such spinning wheels was faster, but they were very expensive, not everyone could afford them. After the spinners spun the threads, they were woven into cloth.
Slide number 16
Weaving. The craftswomen weaved on looms. The loom or - red, as it was called before, has a rather complex design.
It is based on two frames - beds . Wooden bolsters are attached to the frames; they fasten the frames to each other. The yarn is attached to the rear roller (the threads go like this through the entire loom), and the resulting fabric is wound onto the other front end, using a shuttle and a reed, these are the devices that come with the loom.
Slide number 17
The finished canvas (fabric) was gray. Then they began to freeze it in the cold, spread it on the snow, and in the spring they spread it on the grass, in the sun, and sprinkled it with water. The canvas turned from gray to white, like boiling water.
Slide number 18
Well, have the guys seen how difficult this work is? But this difficult work made it possible to provide themselves with everyday clothes, holiday outfits and textiles: such as tablecloths, towels, rugs, as well as ropes and bags.
Slide number 19
Guys, how many of you know where clothes used to be stored? Children's answers (in chests). Absolutely right, look in these old chests.
Our excursion has come to an end.
Did you like it?
What do you remember most?
Slide number 20
Thank you all for your attention.
If you have ever seen a field during the flax bloom, most likely you have not forgotten this wonderful sight. Linen has unique properties, which has allowed humanity to turn to it for more than one millennium. And today, despite the tremendous development chemical industry for the production of various artificial fibers and synthetic materials, the cultivation of flax and the production of fabrics and threads from it has not decreased. Linen remains popular, as it was many thousands of years ago.
You can read about linen fabrics in the Bible, and samples of these fabrics that were used by people in the 8th–3rd centuries. BC BC, were discovered in ancient excavations in Switzerland. This is confirmed by museums that house ancient finds. Even ancient frescoes and drawings on Greek vases tell us about the methods for obtaining flax. It was spread out, dried, then crumpled, ruffled, scratched, and then spun. Ships sailed under linen sails, and masterpieces of painting have come down to us on linen canvases. Linen fabrics have even replaced clothing made from animal skins.
Flax gives people oil, clothes, threads from which the finest fabric is made, Brussels, Yelets, Vologda lace, bed linen, tablecloths, linen. All products made from it are distinguished by excellent hygienic qualities, strength, durability, and resistance to rotting.
But still, it is believed that the production of linen fabrics really began seriously in ancient India almost 9,000 years ago. Since then, flax has been grown as a spinning crop. Then this work was borrowed by Assyria, Babylon, Egypt and other countries. Egypt became especially famous for the production of linen fabrics, where they produced the finest, almost transparent fabrics - the body could be seen through five layers of such fabric.
The quality of linen fabric is determined by the length of the thread obtained from 1 kg of yarn. For example, if 10 km of thread is obtained from 1 kg of yarn, then the number of such thread is 10. Now imagine that Egyptian weavers spun threads with the number 240. How did the Egyptians manage to do this? The answer to this question is simple - the secret of making such threads has been lost by humanity. Such fabric was valued at the price of gold. Consequently, only royalty and priests wore clothes made of the finest linen. Bandages were also made from flax for swaddling the embalmed bodies of the dead.
From Egypt, flax moved to Greece; the ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote about it. He brought to us information that a fabric was brought as a gift to Athena of Rhodes, the thread of which consisted of 360 very thin threads. Such fabric, worth its weight in gold, was also produced in ancient Colchis, that is, they also knew about this secret. Historians suggest that the Argonauts’ campaign to Colchis for the “golden fleece” was connected precisely with the purpose of unraveling the secret of making the finest linen fabric. The secret has not reached us.
Linen clothes were also loved, and the Gauls and Celts, in other words, the whole of Western Europe, borrowed linen from the Romans. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, linen fabrics were the most common. But gradually the ancient secrets of making fine fabrics were lost, and linen in some countries began to be used at a primitive level. One way or another, flax was also used in Central Asia, both in Australia and Eastern Europe.
Where did the flax culture come to us in Rus'? Historians suggest - from. In any case, before the formation Kievan Rus flax farming has been practiced for a long time Slavic tribes, in the Baltics in pagan times there were patron gods of flax. The chronicler Nestor in The Tale of Bygone Years talks about how flax was cultivated, as well as the production of linen fabrics and oil by the Pechersk monks.
In Rus', flax was treated with special respect; it was valued for healing power, and clean, white linen clothes were a symbol of moral purity. In the 13th century, flax trade occupied a prominent place in Rus', the center of commercial flax growing was in Pskov, Novgorod and Suzdal. Russian princes collected taxes using flax.
Processing flax is a labor-intensive process, and therefore, without mechanization, many countries curtailed this difficult task. The chemist Gay-Lussac and the mechanic F. Girard solved this problem - a mechanical method for processing flax was invented, but in France no one was interested in their work, but in Russia they continued to process flax, so the inventor F. Girard was forced to look for an application for his inventions precisely in Russia. At the suggestion of Alexander I, he founded the first linen mechanical factory here, later the famous Girardovsky manufactory.
As a result, spinning productivity tripled. Demand for Russian flax increased in Great Britain - in the second half of the 19th century, the share of Russian flax in this country was 70%. Soon flax became an important Russian export. Russia supplied flax not only to Great Britain, but also to many Western European countries.
The appearance of new fibers - synthetic ones, seemingly threatened the production of linen fabrics with extinction, but natural fabrics survived, since by combining them with different fibers, more and more new fabrics were obtained. The production of linen fabrics is expanding thanks to the use of cotonin (modified flax fiber).
To produce costume and dress fabrics, flax lavsan (50–60% lavsan fibers), flax nylon, and flax nitron fabrics are used. For example, linen fabrics have a beautiful woolly appearance. With an increase of lavsan fibers in their composition by more than 50%, the fabrics do not wrinkle, as happens with pure linen. They have good dimensional stability and fit well into folds, but their hygroscopicity is lower compared to linen fabrics and their hygienic properties are also not the same as those of linen fabrics.
Linen viscose fabrics are silky, very beautiful, drape well, but wrinkle, just like linen.
Form-resistant linen fabrics are produced with expressive relief surfaces, plastic ones - with a variety of weave patterns, which can be openwork or imitating hemstitching, as well as with the effect of applied stitches and jacquard patterns.
There are also fabrics with a melange effect, which are obtained by using a mixture of fibers that accept dyes differently. Fabrics with a grain effect are obtained from linen threads twisted with nylon threads, which, due to their elasticity, tighten the linen threads. It is easy to sew suits and women's summer coats from such fabrics.
And recently, interest in purely linen fabrics has grown for the reason that humanity has appreciated the environmental friendliness of flax in this world, where so much has been lost not only materially, but also spiritually and morally.
The main stages of production of linen fabric
First, the flax is harvested and flax straw is obtained. This is done using machines. Next, it is soaked, for which the flax is spread on the fields for 2-3 weeks (the dew will soak it). Finally, primary processing is carried out: drying, crumpling, scuffing. This is followed by spinning production: yarn, which alternately includes carding, sliver formation, and from the sliver - roving (thin twisted sliver).
The next operation is finishing production: bleaching and painting.
Combed flax is used to make linen fabrics: sheets, towels, and light suiting fabrics. It produces finer and better quality linen yarn. Tow (short fiber) and bast are used to produce coarser yarn, from which coarse fabrics are made: bag fabrics, canvases and other fabrics.
Waste from flax production is also used - it is used as fuel, and not only as fuel, but also, it is used to make slabs for wall partitions, and is also used in the production of parquet flooring and furniture. So flax is used in many areas of production, and not a single part of it is wasted.
But since we are more interested in linen fabrics, let’s consider their main properties.
Wear resistance and strength.
Environmental friendliness.
Breathability.
High thermal conductivity.
Minimum electrification.
Ability to remove heat and moisture. What do you think is better to wear in hot weather – synthetic clothes or linen? Each of you has already guessed - of course, from flax.
Linen fabrics, by the way, are one of the few that are made from absolutely natural raw materials. Linen fabrics are less dirty, so they can be washed less often, and this increases the service life of the product. During wear and washing, unlike cotton fabric, linen does not turn yellow, but retains both whiteness and freshness.
And it would be good for all girls to know that linen clothing also prevents some diseases, because linen also has bacteriological properties, so no fungi or bacteria can live on it. Linen fabric is considered a natural antiseptic; microbes and various infections die on it, and wounds heal much faster under linen bandages. It is the silica contained in flax that inhibits the development of bacteria. Now think about what kind of underwear is best to wear. Linen is also used in surgery when applying sutures, which the human body does not reject, but completely resolves.
Caring for linen items
White and natural linen fabrics can be safely washed at 90°C, and not only, you can also boil them.
It is better to wash colored items at a temperature no higher than 40? C, because you do not know what dyes were used. It is better to wash such items in a gentle cycle and with appropriate detergents, without using bleaches and chlorine-containing preparations, which can contribute to the rapid destruction of flax fibers.
The only drawback of linen fabric is that it wrinkles easily, so when drying, you should straighten things out well, and it’s better to dry them on outdoors. Items should be removed from drying when slightly damp and begin ironing. You need to iron through a damp thin cloth (gauze), only then will your clothes be perfect. If you use an iron with steam, the temperature should not exceed 200? C.
If you follow all the recommendations for caring for linen clothing, it will serve you for many years. By the way, gradually over time your linen clothes become softer, and you will notice that it becomes easier and easier to care for them.
Militta is confident that, having read about the advantages of linen fabric, she has convinced you of its choice for clothing in which you will enjoy and feel great for a long time.
Linen could not be replaced by either warm wool or natural or artificial silk. Linen (called “linium” by the ancient Romans) has unique properties. He gives people oil, the finest cambric, Brussels and Vologda lace, sheets, tablecloths, linen and clothing, distinguished by excellent sanitary and hygienic qualities, durability, strength and resistance to rotting.
Ships sailed the seas and oceans under linen sails, bringing new discoveries. Linen canvases have preserved for us the creations of great masters of the brush.
Linen yarn is almost 2 times stronger than cotton yarn and 3 times stronger than wool yarn. It is hygroscopic - not only absorbs moisture, but also “removes heat”, providing excellent well-being, especially in hot and humid climates. Water evaporates from it at almost the same speed as from the surface of the reservoir, resulting in linen fabric always fresh and cool. Flax does not cause allergies and inhibits the development of bacteria. Silica contained in flax protects it from rotting. It is not for nothing that Egyptian priests wore clothes made of linen, which was a symbol of purity, light and fidelity, and the mummies of Egyptian pharaohs, bandaged in the finest linen fabrics of amazing strength, have survived to this day. Death of the flax crop ancient Egypt equated to one of the “seven plagues of Egypt.” When there was no paper yet, many books were written on fabrics. Thus, one of the famous books - the “Linen Book” of the ancient Etruscans - was written on linen fabric back in the 7th century. BC e.
Flax is fabulously beautiful when it blooms. The field turns blue. Blue, bluish, less often purple, pink or white flowers are collected in brushes. They are large (15-20 mm in diameter), regular in shape and swing on long stalks. However, this tale can only be seen in the morning. Delicate flowers open at dawn, and by noon, with the onset of heat, they fold again or fall to the ground with blue snowflakes.
From 1 hectare of crops, bees can collect up to 15 kg of honey.
Flax is one of the oldest agricultural crops. During archaeological excavations of Neolithic pile buildings in Switzerland, charred remains of food prepared from flax seeds, scraps of thread, rope, nets and linen fiber fabrics were found. Thus, Neolithic man already cultivated flax.
Traces of flax culture have been found in archaeological finds from the Bronze Age in Spain, but most of the evidence of flax cultivation in prehistoric times dates back to the Iron Age. Judging by them, perennial narrow-leaved flax was then cultivated throughout Europe, right up to the Scandinavian Peninsula. In Germany, in strata that preserved traces of Iron Age human settlements, remains of bread made from a mixture of wheat, millet and flax grains were found. Many archaeological finds, as well as literary, historical and linguistic data, rank India, China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Bukhara, Afghanistan, Khorezm, Turkmenistan among the oldest centers of flax culture, in addition to Switzerland and Germany. Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Abyssinia, Algeria, Tunisia and Spain.
In India and China, flax as a spinning plant, and especially as an oilseed plant, was introduced into cultivation earlier than cotton - more than 5 thousand years ago. There is evidence that 3-4 thousand years BC. e. flax was grown for fiber in Mesopotamia, Assyria and Egypt, where the finest linen fabrics were made. The ancient historian Herodotus mentions linen fabric donated to Athena of Rhodes, where each thread consisted of 360 very fine threads. Flax culture flourished in Colchis, which paid flax tribute to the Turks. There is a version that the campaign of the Argonauts from Hellas to Colchis for the “golden fleece” was essentially a campaign for the secret of obtaining the finest yarn from flax, which was literally sold for its weight in gold and was not inferior to Egyptian yarn. Alas! This secret has not survived to this day.
Some researchers consider western Persia to be the birthplace of flax, from where it came to other countries considered to be the most ancient centers of flax culture - India, China and the regions of Central Asia, as well as to the west and southwest, primarily to Babylon and Egypt. There is reason to believe that Ancient Rome, And Ancient Greece borrowed flax culture from Egypt. Mentions of flax begin to appear in ancient Greek and Roman literature from the 6th century. BC e. The words “lyon” (Greek) and “linium” (Latin), from which, obviously, the Russian “len” comes, are found in the works of Homer, Herodotus, Theophrastus, Pliny and other writers of the ancient world.
Flax was borrowed from the Romans by the Gauls and Celts, the founders of flax growing in Western Europe, and from the Greeks - the Slavs, who laid the foundation for the cultivation of flax in Eastern Europe. In the most ancient centers of flax culture in Central Asia (in Afghanistan and the mountainous regions of Bukhara, Khorezm and Turkmenistan), the use of flax until the beginning of the twentieth century. remained at a primitive level.
In Australia, flax growing spread when different types of plants began to be bred separately depending on the purposes and methods of their use - for fiber or for oil.
In Russia, flax has been cultivated since ancient times. All Slavic tribes that inhabited the eastern part of the European Plain before the formation of Kievan Rus were engaged in flax growing. In the 10th-11th centuries, flax was cultivated for fiber and oil in significant quantities; it was considered the most important plant, because it supplied clothing and oil, and was an item of craft and trade. The peasants paid them dues and taxes, and contributed them to the royal treasury. Commercial flax growing in Rus' arose in the 13th century, and with the formation of the Russian state, the center of flax growing shifted to Pskov, Novgorod, and then to the Suzdal lands. The flax trade occupied a prominent place both within the country and in Rus''s relations with the West. Russian princes collected taxes using flax. Yaroslav and Mikhail Tverskoy imposed duties on the Novgorodians “per box” for trade in flax. Veliky Novgorod, which was a member of the Hanseatic League, was at that time the center of Russian foreign trade, and in particular the flax trade.
With the loss of access to the Baltic for Russia and the opening of the Northern trade route through the White Sea, Novgorod lost its former importance, and shopping center Arkhangelsk became the center of Russian flax growing.
Meanwhile, in Western Europe - in Belgium, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany and France - the technology for producing fabrics from flax fiber has reached incomparably higher levels. high level than in Russia. Russian linen fabrics at that time could not withstand the competition of the widely famous Dutch, Flemish and Saxon fabrics, although the latter were produced mainly from Russian flax, which had no equal in quality and cheapness.
Mechanization of flax processing was very difficult. Many countries developed and then curtailed flax production. Napoleon I announced a competition with a prize of a million francs for anyone who would develop a process for producing fine yarn mechanically and thereby free France from the import of textile raw materials. The eminent chemist Gay-Lussac and the mechanic F. Girard solved this problem, making a revolution in the production of linen fabrics. However, this method was invented after the fall of Napoleon.
Since this invention was associated with Napoleonic plans, it did not immediately gain recognition in the homeland of its authors. Girard was forced to look for employment abroad. At the suggestion of Alexander I, he founded in Russia, in the Vistula region, the first mechanical linen factory in Russia and in the world, from which the famous Girard manufactory subsequently grew.
Machine spinning tripled labor productivity compared to the spinning wheel. The demand for flax, primarily Russian, in Great Britain has increased unusually. Already in 1837, the import of flax from Russia to Great Britain exceeded 1.7 million poods and Russia's share in the total import of flax to this country reached 70%. Another 10 years later, flax became the main article of Russian export, and Russia became its main supplier not only to Great Britain, but also to all other Western European countries with a developed flax processing industry. In domestic consumption, flax in Russia then occupied first place after bread.
Flax growing reached even greater proportions with the development of capitalism in Russia. Flax was grown over a vast territory of the country, and not only fiber, rope, ropes, but also seeds and oil were exported abroad in large quantities, receiving over 30% of all export earnings.
Several times the appearance of new, easier-to-process fibers (cotton, viscose and synthetic) seemed to bring flax production to the brink of disaster. But the production of linen fabrics was preserved, and the combination of flax with new fibers made it possible to ensure high consumer properties of the fabrics.
The diversity of natural factors within the vast area of the culture has created sharply different types of flax: from tall single-stemmed flax of the north, often reaching 125 cm in height, to dwarf bushy forms of flax of mountain Abyssinia, barely rising to a height of 25-30 cm; from extremely early ripening (far north and high mountain regions) to extremely late forms of flax grown on the irrigated lands of Asia. The differences between them in the duration of the growing season are so great that some only bloom when others are already ripe.
Along with natural differentiation, depending on natural and climatic conditions, there was also a process of artificial specialization of flax culture, determined by the requirements that people placed on this plant. The result was different types of flax - spinning and oilseed. The first ones wear common name long-haired, and the second - curly. As transitional between these two main types there are intermediate forms of flax, the so-called mezheumki. In total, about 300 types of flax are known, over 40 in the CIS.
Fiber flax (spinning flax) is cultivated in the fields as a spring crop, and is sometimes found (as an admixture) in other crops, as well as along the edges of roads, near housing. It grows mainly on sandy and loamy soils, in humid and warm climates.
It is recognized that Russia is the birthplace of fiber flax. This is one of the most labor-intensive crops. The stems are subjected to fiber extraction primary processing- soaking or steaming, wrinkling and scuffing. Fabrics are made from flax fiber (20-28% of it in the stems), and sound and thermal insulation boards are made from ostra (crushed stems), which are used to decorate the interiors of buses and airplanes.
Fiber flax crops in the world are insignificant and are decreasing from year to year, but the harvest remains approximately at the same level - almost 600 thousand tons per year - due to increased productivity. Traditionally, it is grown in a certain circle of countries (no more than 20), located mainly in middle lane Europe - from the Urals to the Atlantic. This zone includes countries former USSR, which accounted for over 70% of world flax production (Belarus, Non-Black Earth zone of Russia, Baltic states), of Eastern Europe(16%), as well as France, Belgium, the Netherlands (about 10% in total); Egypt, Turkey, China, Argentina and Chile (together approximately 4% of the world's flax crop). Flax is exported mainly from Western European countries.
After the collapse of the USSR, fiber flax became textile industry Russia's only natural, environmentally friendly cellulose raw material. Its crops can be placed on an area of 1.5 million hectares, especially in the Non-Chernozem Zone. However, due to the decline in effective demand for a significant part of the population, it is difficult to sell linen fabrics, the production of which decreased in 1990 -1995. from 500 to 130 million m2, or almost 4 times.
Curly flax (oil flax), or “stag”, is a more heat-loving plant and less demanding of moisture than long-growing flax. Oilseed flax seeds contain up to 52% oil, which is consumed as food. It is used (like the seeds) in medicine. This oil belongs to the category of drying oils that harden in air, so it (like fiber flax oil) is especially valuable for the production of drying oils, varnishes, paints and enamels. Meanwhile, it is increasingly being replaced by synthetic oils, so its production is declining.
Cake is a good feed for dairy cattle. Flax chaff, obtained by crushing the bolls, is fed to pigs. Short curly fiber (10-15% in stems) is suitable for making burlap, tarpaulin and other waterproof fabrics, oilcloths, and twine. The main areas for growing curly flax in the former USSR are Kazakhstan, Western Siberia, the Volga region, and the steppe zone of Ukraine.
Over the past 20 years, flax growing has experienced better times. Like other energy- and labor-intensive sectors of agriculture, it found itself in a difficult situation.
The profitability of cultivating fiber flax compared to grains has fallen sharply; The area under flax in the world has decreased significantly - almost 1.5 times (from 5.4 to 3.5 million hectares), especially in the countries of the former USSR (in particular, in Russia, Belarus, the Baltic states) and Eastern Europe, in Argentina , which back in 1980 was the leader in the world production of flax seeds. On the contrary, they have grown very significantly in China and India, as well as in the USA and Western Europe. At the same time, slightly more flax seeds began to be collected during this period - almost 3 million tons in 1999 (versus 2.3 million tons in 1980). Currently, Canada occupies the first place in the collection of flax seeds, which produces 35% of this product in the world, while occupying only 16.4% of the world's area under this crop. These six countries provide 86% of the world's flax seed production, the rest of the countries are far behind them. Argentina collected 85 thousand tons; Bangladesh - 50 thousand tons; Ethiopia, France and Egypt - about 30 thousand tons each; 27 thousand tons each - Russia and Nepal.
Flax has a very rich and ancient history, and linen fabric is considered the oldest! It's no secret that they are the healthiest and at the same time the most wearable? From time immemorial, flax has been one of the most beloved crops in Russia. In terms of climate, it is unpretentious and only needs long daylight hours, and our latitudes fully provide it with this.
Even at the time of the emergence of Rus', flax was cultivated in the Pskov region, and later in Novgorod, Suzdal, Vologda and surrounding lands. But already in the middle of the last century it was grown almost everywhere in the country, and flax export firmly occupied first place in the list of exported goods. And this despite the fact that half of the flax grown ended up in the countryside: peasants had been making homespun clothes from it for centuries.
In Rus', linen earned a reverent attitude and was considered a pure, healing and mysterious material.
Preserved and folk signs associated with flax: if you put a flax seed in a shoe, the shoes will last much longer, and if you sew a few flax seeds into your clothes, they will protect against damage and the evil eye.
In Rus', linen was laid on newlyweds, newborns were received in linen, and the wounds of soldiers were bandaged with linen bandages for a speedy recovery.
The holiday “Seven Virgins” was even dedicated to the sowing of flax; people said “they sow flax at the seven Alyons.”
People said:
Dew from Fedor - to the harvest of flax and hemp.
Rowan blossoms well - for a flax harvest.
Long droplets – long flax.
The cuckoo crowed - it’s time to sow flax.
All work in the field was also regulated and surrounded by rituals.
In pagan times, there was a custom: when sowing flax, women stripped naked so that the flax, looking at them, would take pity and grow better. True, after the introduction of Christianity this was no longer encouraged. On the holiday of Ivan Kupala, girls, throwing a branch into the fire, said: “Let my flax be as tall as this branch!”
With the strengthening of Christianity in Kievan Rus, the cultivation of culture practically enters into new stage. The chronicler Nestor in his “Tale of Bygone Years” talks in detail not only about the cultivation of flax and the production of fabrics, but also about the production and use of oil by the Pechora monks. Lechtsy - as the Slavs called their doctors - actively used linseed oil for healing various diseases.
Flax growing and linen clothing are so widespread in Rus' that the judicial codes of Yaroslav the Wise included an article on punishment for the theft of flax and linen clothing. Often, a family’s income depended on the harvest of this agricultural crop, so it was not in vain that they said: “If you sow flax, you will reap gold.” There was another expression, equally brief and figurative: “If flax succeeds, then silk; if it fails, so click.”
If in pagan times the peoples living in the northwestern regions had their own gods and goddesses who patronized flax growing, then with the introduction of Christianity one goddess remained - Saint Parascovia. At the end of the flax harvest - October 28 - the holiday was dedicated to her. The patroness of flax farming was called differently: gryaznukha (because October is the month of rain and mud), but more often affectionately - flax. On the day of Parascovia the Flax, it was customary to crush flax and bring it to church. The famous lace - blunders - was created from linen threads. Girls flaunted them on holidays, demonstrating their skills, and boys, looking at the products, could choose a bride. It was believed that in lean years, a lacemaker would be able to feed her family and save her from hunger.
Years go by, times and customs change, but unique and beneficial features flax remain unchanged.
We like to preserve and develop linen culture today and use all the unique properties of this noble material.
Let me introduce you to flax. These gentle blue flowers today they are forgotten, but previously almost every family cultivated flax, along with rye and wheat. Special holidays were dedicated to flax.
Linen has been known to man since ancient times; linen fabric is considered the oldest. Official science knows of finds made from flax about 10 thousand years old. Linen was widespread in Rus', India, Assyria, Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. The weavers of antiquity mastered a spinning technique that made it possible to produce linen fabric so transparent and light that the body was visible through its five layers, and the outfit itself passed through the ring. In Rus', flax was treated with respect and awe; flax was valued for its protective and cleansing properties. Linen clothing was considered ritually pure and protected the body of the person who wears it.
Today the world is again experiencing a linen boom. It’s not just a matter of fashion for everything natural: cotton too natural material, however, it is not so beneficial for health. Flax is an excellent antiseptic; it suppresses harmful microflora, relieves itching, burning and other inflammatory phenomena.
Linen yarn is almost 2 times stronger than cotton yarn and 3 times stronger than wool yarn.
Linen fabric is hygroscopic - it not only absorbs moisture, but also “removes heat”, providing excellent well-being, especially in hot and humid climates. Water evaporates from it at almost the same rate as from the surface of a reservoir, as a result of which linen fabric is always fresh and cool. Flax does not cause allergies and inhibits the development of bacteria. Silica contained in flax protects it from rotting.
Scientists say a linen bed reduces the impact of adverse environmental conditions, does not accumulate static electricity, and therefore remains clean longer, does not stick to the body and does not wrinkle. Linen warms well in winter, and on sweltering summer nights it creates a feeling of coolness, removing excess heat from the skin: under a linen sheet, it seems that the temperature has dropped by 4-5°. Unlike cotton sets, which turn yellow over time, linen sets become whiter the further you go!
Doctors recommend sleeping on linen underwear for people with problematic, sensitive skin, those suffering from dermatological diseases, allergy sufferers and asthmatics. And not on colored sets, but on those made from unbleached (gray) flax. Have you had too much sun on the beach and now your whole body is burning like fire? Relax on a linen sheet and you'll feel much better.
It is no secret that radioactive radon gas accumulates in homes, especially after installing sealed plastic windows. It is formed during the decay of uranium contained in the soil and building materials. There are only two salvations from the ubiquitous gas: always keep the window in the bedroom open and put linen on the bed - it reduces the level of radiation several times and weakens gamma radiation by half.
Linen outerwear protects the human body well from solar radiation; linen and flax-containing fabrics and products are easy to wash in hot water, boiling, drying in the sun, ironing with a hot iron, which allows them to achieve maximum sterilization;
Why flax is famous in the ancient world
The mummies of the pharaohs of Egypt were wrapped in linen bandages, which have survived to this day thanks not only to special balms, but also to the special properties of flax; the linen bandages in which the mummies were wrapped have retained their strength and elasticity through the millennia.
The shroud in which Jesus' body was wrapped was linen.
Alexander the Great wore a protective shell made of flax, which protected him in battle.
In ancient times, linen was highly valued; the cost of a linen shirt was determined by weight: the product was placed on one pan of the scale, and gold on the other.
When there was no paper yet, many books were written on fabrics. Thus, one of the famous books, the “Linen Book” of the ancient Etruscans, was written on linen fabric in the 7th century. BC e.
The ancient historian Herodotus mentions linen fabric donated to Athena of Rhodes, where each thread consisted of 360 very fine threads. Flax culture flourished in Colchis, which paid flax tribute to the Turks. There is a version that the campaign of the Argonauts from Hellas to Colchis for the “golden fleece” was essentially a campaign for the secret of obtaining the finest yarn from flax, which was literally sold for its weight in gold.
Roman patricians, soldiers and sailors of Peter's army dressed in linen clothes; spinning factories supplied the Romanov royal court with flax.
It is interesting that in ancient Egypt and the ancient world, linen clothes were considered the privilege of the nobility, and in Rus' linen was considered the standard for all people. Oriental authors of antiquity, describing the Slavs, indicate linen as an indispensable attribute of clothing. Flax was also used to produce canvas, ropes and linseed oil.
Traditionally, fiber quality is determined by the length of thread obtained from 1 kg of yarn. Today, 40 kilometers of thread are produced from 1 kg of yarn. In Egypt they got 240 kilometers from 1 kg of yarn, the thread was so thin. That is why the fabric obtained from Egyptian threads was precious and worth its weight in gold. Only royalty and powerful priests could wear clothes made of such fabric, and then only during services in temples.
Special holidays were dedicated to flax culture in Rus'. The first was associated with sowing, it was celebrated on the last day of May, and it was called “Seven Virgins.” People still say: flax is sown at seven Alen.
In Rus', linen was laid on newlyweds so that no illness would be attached to them, newborns were taken into linen so that they would be healthy, and soldiers were bandaged so that wounds would heal faster.
Ancient folk signs have been preserved to this day: if you put flaxseed in shoes, they will last longer, and if you sew several flax seeds into clothes, you can protect a person from damage and the evil eye.
In the time of our great-grandmothers, it was believed that you could save on clothes, but bed linen should be expensive and look royal. We spend a third of our lives in bed, and our well-being, health, and even... the number of children in the family depend on what we sleep on. Incredible, but true: the chances of conceiving a child on a linen sheet are higher than on fabric with a fair amount of synthetics!
How to care for linen fabrics:
White and natural (acidified) linen fabrics can be washed at temperatures up to 90 degrees. They withstand long-term washing well.
Dyed fabrics should be washed separately from white fabrics. When washing, it is advisable to stick to the same color range processed fabrics (only light or only dark, etc.)
- Wash on a gentle cycle in an aqueous solution detergent, intended for this type of fabric, without the addition of chlorine or bleaching agents
- Iron at a temperature not exceeding 200 degrees
- Dry flat.
Flax in the tradition of the Russian people
Linen thread in East Slavic folk tradition was surrounded by reverent attitude, as the material was sacred, pure and mysterious. Among the many rituals associated with thread, G. S. Maslova notes the following, which existed in the Serdob district of the Saratov province: “when going to the groom with gifts, the bride’s friends always attached to them a harsh thread made in a special way. The bride spun it secretly on a stove pole (and in this case, the stove pole is an analogue of a spinning wheel. - S. Zh.), rotating the spindle to the left - “backhand”, twisted it also “backhand”, tied six knots, again - still “on hand”: the first two are on the threshold of the hut, the other two are on the threshold of the entryway, the last ones are at the gate. She kept half of this thread for herself, and gave the other half to the groom. This was done in order to allegedly “take away the power of the sorcerers,” who do not know how and where this thread was made” [Maslova G.S. Folk clothing in East Slavic traditional customs and rituals XIX beginning XX centuries - M.: Nauka, 1984.P. 37-38].
All “lessons and troubles” during conspiracies are removed with a harsh linen thread. “The spinner should burn and eat the thread of the first apprentice” [Dal V. Proverbs of the Russian people. T. 2. - M.: Khud. Literature. 1984. P. 347].
During Christmas fortune-telling in some areas of the Vologda region, girls lowered two threads into a vessel with water and watched. If the threads connect, then the guy and the girl will get married, if they don’t connect, then no.
Generally flax fiber East Slavs purifying and averting evil powers were attributed, therefore linen thread and fabric made from it were considered ritually clean and were guardians of the human body. The special relationship to the flax flower, to the flax fiber, to the linen thread goes back thousands of years in the East Slavic tradition. Flax is one of the oldest Indo-European cultivated plants- has been widespread since ancient times in the north of Eastern Europe, where there were the most optimal conditions: long daylight hours, no overheating from direct sunlight and plenty of moisture in the soil. The term “flax” itself is known in the common Indo-European proto-language, which broke up into separate dialects no earlier than the 4th millennium BC. Only fiber flax (125 cm), cultivated in the northern regions, is used for fiber, since it germinates at +3°-+5°C, and the optimal temperatures for it are + 15°-+18°C. In the south, only curly flax grows with short fiber, which is used for oil. L. B. Smirnov notes that in the epic Ancient India Krishna’s eyes are compared to blue flax flowers, and although “at present among Indians the dark color of the iris predominates (as well as among Ukrainians), blue eyes are not so rare (for example, in R. Tagore). Emphasizing the eye color of a national hero like Krishna cannot be ignored; it is not accidental, but expresses a well-known ideal of the national type. From a historical point of view, this feature is important for determining the national origin of the cult of Krishna, and, consequently, for the question of the connection between the aliens, bearers of the Vedic religion and the blue-eyed peoples" [Mahabharata. Book III. Lesnaya. - Ashgabat. 1963.S. 566].
What exactly blue flowers flax (and not any other blue flower) are used for comparison, indicating that already in Vedic times (i.e. long before the 2nd millennium BC) flax played a significant role in the life of the ancient Aryans.
Cultivated flax seeds were found along with tissue remains at the Modlona settlement (the basin of Lake Vozhe, Vologda region), dating back to the 3rd millennium BC, and wild flax was found in the Kaninskaya tundra, where no one has been farming for the last two thousand years was studying.
A special attitude towards flax and linen fabric was manifested in Russia and in late XIX centuries, and this is natural, because It was in Russia that it was grown by the beginning of the 20th century. up to 70% of the world's flax [Kryshtofovich O. Agriculture // IAOIRS. - 1911. - No. 4. P. 142]. In many areas, flax was always sown in a new linen shirt. In the Moscow province, “they sowed flax without trousers or even naked...” In the Olonets province, women, going to sow flax, put on a new linen shirt, but when sowing they took it off (and men took off their trousers), “so that the flax would come out good.”
Environmentally friendly materials. What is it and why is it important.
When choosing furniture or clothing for a baby or toddler, you need to be sure that it will not cause allergies, that the child will be comfortable, that he will not breathe harmful substances. Many people are talking about this now, but factual information, as always, is lacking.
For example, do you know that in the production of cabinet furniture chipboard is usually used - an environmentally unsafe material containing resins that emit formaldehyde, which is harmful to humans? Moreover, in Russia, quite often, manufacturers produce low-grade, cheap boards, the release of formaldehyde from which significantly exceeds the maximum permissible concentration.
What kind of fabric is used in production? upholstered furniture? How does the production of polyester and other synthetic materials harm the planet? Everyone will answer why children are getting sick more and more often - bad ecology. What should each of us do to somehow improve it?
So, what are your eco-friendly textile options?
What are the options?
Organic cotton. No pesticides or other chemicals are used in its cultivation, and its production is certified by OEKO-TEX, Organic Exchange or GOTS, confirming that no harmful chemicals or azo dyes are used. Unlike regular cotton, in the production of which all these chemicals are actively used.
Organic cotton is very soft, breathable and easy to care for. But there is a significant problem. Organic cotton is produced almost exclusively in Europe and is very expensive.
Polar fleece is a synthetic material made from cleanly washed drinks bottles. Its production also does not harm the environment, unlike conventional production. This is not suitable for a baby; synthetics often cause overheating and, as a result, prickly heat.
Remy is a material made from a plant native to western Asia. It is 5 times stronger than cotton, absorbs moisture very well and dries quickly.
Sasavashi is a material made from a mixture of Japanese paper and the Kumazasa plant. Reminiscent of linen and has hypoallergenic and antibacterial properties.
Sicel - contains Lyocell (more about it below). This cellulose, consisting of a natural polymer that retains living plant cells in its structure, and fibers based on seaweed. Has antibacterial properties.
Silk - this material has long been known for its antibacterial properties and exceptional tenderness. In addition, there are now companies that organize their production in such a way as to collect cocoons from silkworms after they have got out, instead of killing them, this is the so-called humane silk.
Soy - it turns out that soybeans can also be used to make an environmentally friendly, lightweight and cashmere-like material.
Lyocell is a material made from wood pulp. It is made only from trees grown without chemicals
Bamboo. This material is made from a mass of bamboo grass. Bamboo grows a meter a day, so no pesticides or other chemicals are required to grow it.
Flax is still grown and produced the old fashioned way, without pesticides or herbicides. Let us list the main advantages of flax:
Flax is good for human skin. A person wearing linen clothes gets rid of many skin diseases - from elementary heat rash to chronic eczema.
Linen fabric has antibacterial properties
Linen fabric destroys bad smell thanks to natural antibacterial and antifungal components and reduced humidity levels.
Linen fabric has antistatic properties. Linen fabrics do not charge and do not hold static electricity.
Linen products become less dirty and wash better. Linen fabrics are more resistant to mechanical stress and with each wash the linen fabric only becomes softer. Research shows that people who have used linen in clothing and everyday life since birth live on average 10 years longer.
Recent studies have found that linen fabric reduces the level of radiation several times, attenuates gamma radiation by half, and protects against chemically aggressive environments.
It turned out that flax is able to partially extinguish electromagnetic waves, penetrating our space, exhausted by all conceivable radiation from household and industrial devices
So, linen fabric is the only correct one in all respects, especially for children. By the way, since ancient times there has been a tradition of accepting a newborn on linen - this is the key to the future health of the baby.
We looked at the main types of materials from which eco-furniture can be made. This is solid wood (pine and beech are most suitable for children) and natural fabric materials (linen is most suitable for children).