Life Around The gJiroh(Open Hearth) |
The seat of each family member around the "Jiro" is
fixed.Directly in front of the house's central pillar is the
seat for the house master.On the entrance side next to the master's
seat is a seat for the first son.Opposite the first son's seat
is the seat for the master's wife.The last seat, next to the
master's wife, is for the son's wife. The house master never
offers his seat to another person, even to the landlord. However,
a Buddhist monk who visits the house may be invited to sit with
the house master.
The god of fire was believed to dwell within the open hearth.Children,
if caught stepping over the firewood or throwing waste into
the hearth, were scolded severely.This is because the people
living here respected fire for its power to convert mountain
field to cultivatable land, thus helping them to meet their
subsistence needs.Various tools are traditionally placed around
the gJiroh.There is a hook for hanging a cooking pot.There is
a type of pulley for adjusting the height of the pot.Tongs and
a scoop are placed for working the fire.There is a special tool
for carrying charcoal.There is a whisk for sweeping the hearth.The
usage of these tools shows how carefully the gDezukurihfolk
handled fire.
During the winter season when farm work was not possible, people
devoted themselves to making mats and snow boots from straw.
However, rice cropping was not done on gDezukurih land. To buy
straw, the people had to travel to the northern part of Fukui
Prefecture in autumn after the harvest was finished, a trip
of several score kilometers. This custom was called gvalley
straw procurementh. Both adults and children carried as much
straw on their backs as possible.
Spinning and weaving were tasks that kept women occupied during
the winter. Women wove cloth at their looms from the hemp they
grew and dyed this cloth to make clothes for everyday use. |
