Who knew there was such a thing as a 'Fake/Joke Saint'?
In some Folklore books it says January 7th is St Distaff Day but he is not in any books of Saints and he or she, didn't exist.
Way back in history 7th January was the day that women went back to work at their spinning after the 12 days of Christmas merryment and the Distaff is the tool used to hold the unspun wool or flax.
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| Queen Berthe, Instructing Girls to Spin by Swiss artist Albert Ankar 1888 |
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Men didn't go back to work in the fields until Plough Monday - the first Monday after Epiphany and often used Distaff Day to cause mayhem to the women.
There was an old saying
On St. Distaff's Day
Neither work nor play.
And from Hesperides by Robert Herrick dating from 1648
Partly work and partly play
Ye must on St Distaffs Day:
From the plough soon free your team;
Then come home and fodder them.
If the maids a-spinning go,
Burn the flax and fire the tow:
Scorch their placket, but beware
That ye singe no maiden hair.
Bring in pails of water then,
Let the maids bewash the men.
Give St Distaff all the right:
Then bid the Christmas sport good-night
And next morrow, every one
To his own vocation.
Distaff later became the word for the female side of a family and the word Spinster from the spindle used by the women.
Back Soon
Sue
I think the whole take the decorations down is what works for you…much like clothing fashion. What began hundreds of years ago now legislated in old sayings, such as don’t wash on New Years Day. Probably if you had to back in the dark ages you were either really poor, and didn’t have spare of anything or your family were extremely sick. Quite likely some member of the family would have perished during the most difficult time of the year.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many bits of folklore dating back decades and centuries, some seem weird to us now but must have made sense in the past
DeleteYesterday my daughter sent me a message "Happy Nollaig na mBan" which is apparently an Irish tradition. It means "women's little Christmas" and marked the day when men went back to work, and women and girls got together to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good plan!
DeleteFascinating. I have never heard of this in any way. Thanks, Sue. xx
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome!
DeleteI can remember a really interesting talk by Susie Dent about Spinsters, how now it is seen as a negative description of an older unmarried family maiden aunt. However in the days of independent women earning a keep and not being dependant of a husband by spinning for a living were known as spinsters - it was a title of self reliance and self support.
ReplyDeleteI like Susie Dent's origins of words bits on Countdown everyday especially when words have a totally different meaning to their original meaning
DeleteAs usual reading your post has educated me!
ReplyDeleteIt has also given me a fascinating set of facts to bring to a lunch time gathering today.
Thanks Sue.
Hope people were suitably impressed!
DeleteI like the etymology of every day names and words. Your the blogging equivalent of Suzie Dent Sue. I must read some Suzie Dent books.
ReplyDeleteShe's one clever lady and knows her way round a dictionary - I like the origins of words part of Countdown - always interesting
Delete'Let the maids bewash the men' caught my eye, much like miners' wives washing their husbands' backs.
ReplyDeleteMy thought was they chucked buckets of water over the men to stop them misbehaving!
DeleteIt’s amazing the facts you dredged from the virus ridden mush that is my brain this morning. Years ago I toured a mill and I remember hearing about the spinster and distaff origins. The guide told us that it was mainly married women who had worked in that mill and I’m not sure if many people use the word spinster nowadays for fear of being politically incorrect! Catriona
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon - I'm glad this brought back a memory
DeleteHow interesting. I love how you find all these facts.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
So many books!
DeleteWe learn so much from you, Sue!
ReplyDeleteI try!!
DeleteInteresting post. I love the picture of Queen Berthe and the girls. Cali
ReplyDeleteIt was good finding it on Wiki
DeleteI've never heard of such a thing. But what an interesting post! I've enjoyed it. Spinster. Spindle. I never once made the connection, but it does make perfect sense.
ReplyDeleteWords are fascinating always changing
DeleteFolklore is fascinating. Everything evolves from something.
ReplyDeleteKnowing where word meanings are derived is interesting too. Do you own a dictionary devoted to Etymology?
No need for a dictionary now as it's all on line actually I did have a small one once but it had tiny print and has long gone
DeleteSuch an interesting post. As a spinner myself I was unaware of all of this.
ReplyDeleteThere are some other other bits of Folklore involving spinning - I'll have to look them up
DeleteWendy just introduced me to your wonderful blog Sue. I remember you and Colin so well from the early SSS days, visiting that delightful smallholding. I think of you if we ever drive past.
ReplyDeleteI intend to read your posts everyday and hope I have managed to add them to my reading list, a first for this novice of 78.
Thanks Kathryn
Hello, good to hear from you. I started the blog in 2013 when we were still at the smallholding then we had to give up due to Colin's illness and sadly he died in 2018. I'm now back in Mid Suffolk which is where we were before we went across to the coast. I miss the smallholding so much but not the hard work!
DeleteI read a lot of folklore books, but that one is a new one to me. Every day's a school day! Arilx
ReplyDeleteI was too pressed for time this morning to read this, which is a pity, because they would have lived to have heard this interesting information in the hospice today.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of St Distaff in any context, but having spun, know the use of the distaff for flax. It sounds like anything you did spin, you had to then burn. What a waste.
ReplyDelete