Traditional fabric making techniques: weaving, spinning and the use of wool

1. National College “Mihai Eminescu” Buzau, RomaniaRadu AuraVasile MihaelaHaralambie AlinRusu AlinaJuganaru Andra Traditional fabric making techniques: weaving, spinning and the use of wool

2. Introduction The structure of Romanian traditional clothing has remained unchanged throughout history and can be traced back to the earliest times. The textiles, manufactured in the own household, have a very important role in the traditional house. They are the most important decorative elements. Placed on the walls, or on the furniture , they have various styles, characteristic for each ethnographical region.

3. Weaving Is the most widespread craft in Romania, handed down from generation to generation. It uses distinctive family patterns along with those specific to different districts.  Looms are still common in homes and some Romanian weavers still work with threads and yarns they produce themselves. The predominant fibers, wool and cotton are woven into rugs, wall hangings, table covers and clothing.

5. Spinning Spinning wool or hempis a process that involves pulling yarns, to obtain one thread which will be woven. The spinning process is carried out with a distaff (furcă de tors) and a spindle (fus). These two alongside the thread become a symbolic system of the flowing life and death.

6. Embroidering • The Romanian folk embroidery shows a specific series of morphological, ornamental and chromatic elements differing from those of other peoples. • A marked sense of the picturesque, a unique taste for colours and a strong inclination to ornament, the Romanian folk embroidery stands proof to this love for decoration. • Although the Romanian folk embroidery is colourful, this tendency is toned down by a keen sense of nuance and discretion.

8. Costumes • The basic garment for men is a shirt or chemise, which is made of hemp, linen or woolen fabric. • It used to be tied round the waist using a wide fabric belt. Men's shirts were short and worn over trousers or leggings made of strips of fabric.

9. Also, the basic garment for women is a shirt or chemise, tied round the waist using a narrow fabric belt. In the past the chemises worn by women usually reached to the ankles and always with an apron over them. This piece of cloth was wrapped round the lower part of their bodies and secured by a belt at the waist.

10. Carpets and rugs • The textiles are made of the raw materials from the household. They have animal (sheep wool, goat hair, raw silk) or vegetal (hemp, cotton, linen) origin. Many textiles are made of both animal and vegetal materials. Silk, beads and ornaments are also used, for decoration purposes. • Carpets and rugs are placed on the walls, on the bed or are even used as a table cover. • They are very valuable and are transmitted as dowry, from one generation to another.

12. Romanian myths, legends and animals symbols Romania is a rich country when it comes to traditions and superstitions. Modern Romanians only keep a few of them, but many of the old traditionscan be discovered in the countryside, in remote areas of the country.  In many Romanian traditions, animal symbolism is incorporated into magical belief and practice.

13. The horseis considered a noble animal and a symbol of courage, grace, speed. The wolfrepresents the evil, greed and hate. The foxrepresents the cunning and hypocrisy.

14. The rabbitis a symbol for speed, fertility, fear.The owl symbolizes the sin and can predict the weather and the harvest.The sheep in the Romanian folklore is identified with the clouds and its wool is a symbol of wealth.

15. The Pig can predict the weather and if you meet him in real life or in dream it means wealth and happiness; in fairy tales, the hero can turn into a pig and back. • The Ox appears in Romanians fortune-telling practices for unmarried young girls. They are hitting an ox easily and are telling him to stand up. If he will not stand up means that the girl will not get married that year.

16. The Dance of the Bear, a winter tradition, shows how it is simulated with the time wheel. In the Dacian myths this animal holds the world's pillars, being also responsible for the seasons’ succession. • The Goat Dance appears in the traditions of the New Year's Eve as a symbol of fertility and fecundity.

17. Did you know that… • Maria(b. October 29, 1875, Eastwell Park, Kent, England – d. July 18, 1938, SinaiaPelisor, Kingdom of Romania), the daughter of Maria Alexandra Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gothaand the granddaughter of Queen Victoriaof Great Britain, was the crown princess and Queen of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of the king Ferdinand I of Romania and the mother of the Romanian King Charles II?

18. She dedicated her life to Romania • After the First World War started, Maria became a Romanian patriot, and her influence in the country was large. People loved her as she loved them back. • The Queen Maria of Romania herself used to wear  the Romanian traditional costume at some public events, as a sign of her attachment to her adopted country.

19. Conclusion • All in all,  Romania's rich folk traditions have been nourished by many sources along history and the Romanian myths (including those related to animals) have become a fundamental component of the contemporary international culture.

20. "Each place has a story, but you have to listen to it carefully and you should have a bit of love to understand it". (Nicolae Iorga)  

21. Bibliography • http://www.folkromania.com • http://rjohnhowe.wordpress.com • http://www.romaniatourism.com • http://www.romaniantraditionalrugs.com • http://goeasteurope.about.com • http://en.wikipedia.org •  Cora Linn Morrison Daniels; Charles McClellan Stevens (1903). Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World: A Comprehensive Library of Human Belief and Practice in the Mysteries of Life