Objects in Focus: Spindle and Whorls

Continuing on from the carding combs, this blog will highlight two objects used in the next step towards producing cloth: the spindle and whorl. There are examples of both items in the Carmichael collection housed at the West Highland Museum.

Once the wool was combed through it was spun into a continuous piece of yarn. I. F. Grant provides a brief account of the process, involving a spindle and whorl, in Highland Folk Ways:

The process was a simple one. The thread was twisted and lengthened by the dangling spindle which was sufficiently weighted to spin when it was given a twirl by the finger and thumb.

Towards the end of the 18th century the spinning wheel came to replace this spindle and whorl method, but this is not to say that the hand-method fell out of practice.

The whorls also served as amulets and were commonly referred to as clachan nathrach meaning serpent stones. They were used in the same method as flint arrowheads: dipped in water to be given to an ailing animal or to wash a wound (snake-bite), or rubbed on the wound directly.



Captain Thomas writes about these stones in the Proceedings from the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland:

Clach-nathrach, or snake-stone, 1 inch in diameter, Lewis.—This stone is said to be formed by the association of twelve snakes, and the hole is where the snake or snakes have passed through. I am not sure whether the stone is made from the slime agglutinising the sand and earth, or whether the stone exudes from the reptiles. When the cattle are bitten by the snakes, the snake-stone is put into water, with which the affected part is washed, and it is cured forthwith. So much for the legend; and I believe one of these charms has been used quite lately; but not the least curious circumstance connected with this superstition, is the fact that there are no venomous snakes in Lewis. The blind-worm is not uncommon, but it is quite innocuous. However, there is a full belief that if a sheep, for instance, were to lie down upon one of them, the wool and skin would both peel off; and the man is probably alive who trod upon a righinn,—the local name for the blind-worm (from a tradition that it is a princess metamorphosed),—and in consequence the skin came off the sole of his foot.

Since my return to Edinburgh, I learn that these snake-stones are a part of the gear of the distaff; and it is strange that their original use should be quite unknown in Harris and Lewis, although the distaff is there in common use.

It is interesting that he notes their use ‘quite unknown’,  because on the label attached by Carmichael to the whorls he notes their use as 'doubtful'. It is difficult to derive whether Carmichael was commenting on their use as an amulet or a tool, or on their future use.

The use of these is doubtful. They have been found in sandbanks graves underground houses and [-] and in various other places throughout the Long Island within the last ten years. Alex. A Carmichael, Creagorry, 1874”

Photograph of Mairead Mhòr by Walter Blaikie 1898
©Gaidheil Alba / National Museums of Scotland. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk. 

References
F.T. Elworthy, 'On Perforated Stone Amulets' in Man, vol. 3 (1903) 17-20.
I. F. Grant Highland Folk Ways, 222.
W. J. Knowles, 'Spindle-Whorls' in Ulster Archeological Society 2(1), 1905, 1-9.
Capt. F.W.L. Thomas Proceedings from the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland IV, 119.
Images
Objects: © Carsten Flieger
© Gaidheil Alba / National Museums of Scotland. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk. 

Objects in Focus: Sea-beans

 


Astrocaryum ©Carsten Flieger

The sea occasionally tossed up materials that were incorporated in the Hebridean way of life. Sea-beans that travelled across the Atlantic from the West Indies were washed up on the western shores of Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, Norway, Iceland and very occasionally France, Spain, The Netherlands and Denmark.

Caesalpinia bonduc ©Carsten Flieger

So what exactly are these beans? These tropical disseminules can be seeds, complete or incomplete fruit, or seedlings that have the capacity to drift for at least one month in seawater. They represent many things to many people: For the romantic, the disseminules are messengers from exotic lands; for the men of the sea, they represent victory over an ancient foe; for the superstitious they represent a gift from the gods; and for the botanist, they are the end product of a plant dispersal mechanism. 

Merremia discoidesperma ©Carsten Flieger

While the larger beans, entada gigas or Mary hearts, are recorded as having a practical use as snuff boxes, the smaller beans were most popular as birthing amulets. While the sea-beans in Scotland were heavily associated with the Virgin Mary and openly consecrated by Catholic priests, in Norway and Denmark there seems to be no Christian connection but a link to Freyja, the fertility goddess. The fact that both Norway and Scotland used them as childbirth amulets could be related to the impact of the Vikings.

Entada gigas ©Carsten Flieger

Entada gigas –

Cnò Mhoire (Scotland)

Lausnarsteinn (Iceland)

Løsningsstein (Norway)

Vitunyra (Faeroe Islands)

Vættenyre (Denmark)

Zeehart (Netherlands)

We can see from the various languages the associations – delivery stone, Mary heart or sea heart.

These photos are from the Carmichael Collection at the West Highland Museum, a number of which are on display if you fancy popping in. The museum was quite lucky as the leading world expert paid them a visit and identified all the beans in their collection!

Mucuna sloanei ©Carsten Flieger

The birthing amulet in Gaelic was referred to as the airne Moire Mary’s kidney and it was generally the smaller beans Caesalpinia. The Caesalpinia was highly prized as it was rarely found, perhaps owing to its colour. Midwives would carry the amulet with them and offer them to women in labour. Carmichael notes that 'every nurse has one which she places in the hand of the woman to increase her faith and distract her attention. It was consecrated on the altar and much venerated'. The merremia was also extremely popular as an amulets as it has a naturally occurring cross and was believed to be sacred.

Caesalpinia ©Carsten Flieger

In the Carmichael Collection we have an airne Moire mounted in silver that was presented to Carmichael by Neill Macgilleonain, the nearest living representative of the old MacNeills of Barra in 1869. This was a particular mark of favour towards Carmichael as amulets were rarely acknowledged let alone parted with. A second amulet, similarly mounted in silver, is in the National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh and can also be connected to the Macneil family as their motto ‘Vincere aut mori’ is inscribed on the silver.
Next time you're on the beaches of the Western Isles keep an eye out! After some windy weather would be ideal to go looking and they can generally be found along the high tide line, in amongst the seaweed. If you find one, send us a photo!

References

CG, ii, 225.

Gunn, C.R. and Dennis, J.V. World Guid to Tropical Drift Seeds and Fruits (Kreiger Publishing Company, 2006)

Nelson, C.E. Sea beans and nickar nuts: a handbook of exotic seeds and fruits stranded on beaches in north-western Europe (Botanical Society of the British Isles, 2000)

Images

Carsten Flieger