As one of the prime symbols of womanhood, I've always envisaged that a married Heortling woman would set her land loom in a place of honour by the main hearth.
Weaving and rugs are also key Ernaldan magics of course, and such woofing and weaving will take place on the (no doubt very unusual!) loom(s) in the Loom House.
Depending on how much trade has developed, some crafters will also be full-time weavers. Such operations are usually family affairs.
Chris Brown has reminded us that Thunder Rebels mentions mills. While a mill *is* mentioned in the 'Your Stead' section on page 18, it is *not* mentioned in the more detailed 'trainspotting' list of stead buildings and technologies on page 33. So mills exist, but not on every stead. Greg has suggested a link with the chief's stead - one mill per clan. Or speculating freely, perhaps large mills might be required for certain types of thick-skinned, valuable crops. Mills require a relatively high level of organisation and perhaps use of coin. I also imagine they'd be key resources for Lunar 'liberation' - and often taken over for use by Army Quartermasters.
Hand querns are certainly common appliances, found at every hearth (TR 31). Hand querning is slow and boring - previously folk have speculated on elementals being bound into some querns to lessen the manual labour. Some larger hearths may have querns a metre or so across for communal milling - the difference between quern and small mill becomes a matter of definition.
Guy has mentioned William Church's windmill. Personally, I've always been disappointed we haven't made more of Heortling windmills, even if they're temple or ritual apparatus rather than mundane grinders.
Cheers
John
nysalor_at_... John Hughes
Desperate ducks commit desperate acts!
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