Page 131 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 131
the importance of commons in an integrated peasant economy ...
of producing certain commodities. For example, the production of reeds
for weaving existed only in a small area of upper Dalarna. Some villages
in this region did not produce the entire reed; they made the dents (teeth)
and sold them to reed makers (Levander 1944). Production of large rowing
boats with eight to ten pairs of oars for transportation to the local church
were made at Sollerön in Mora Parish, and rowing boats sold to neighbour-
ing parishes were made in Transtrand (Hülphers 1762).
3.3 Clothes and hides
Early Modern society demanded more clothing. The raw material usual-
ly came from animals that grazed on the commons during summer. She-
ep delivered wool for making fabric and skins, and goats produced leather
and hair used to make strong and long-lasting garments, such as socks and
mittens. Hides and wool were part of the commercial market, and traditi-
onal clothing made partly from leather and hides from goats were popular
(Odstedt 1953). While we do not know much about this market integrati-
on or the importance of traditional clothing in the integrated peasant eco-
nomy of Dalarna, we do know a lot about the specialisation that took pla-
ce in Malung Parish.
Malung Parish became a hub for the production of hides, leather, and
furs during the Early Modern period and continued into the 20th century
to be a vibrant centre for these products. Although production took place
within Malung, it was more common during the 18th and 19th centuries for
teams of tanners to travel to different districts where they performed their
work in customers’ households. Many teams worked in populated areas
and fewer worked in less populated areas. There were no formal rules re-
garding which district a team could work in or finite borders for these dis-
tricts, but informal rules were established that made it possible for a team
to work in the same district and with the same customers year after year.
The district belonged to the team master and could be inherited from fa-
ther to son. They received informal ‘property rights’ to these districts, and
a team could have a monopoly in a district. Sometimes tanners compet-
ed with each other by bidding a lower price. However, this practice was not
well regarded (Matsson 1976).
The teams from Malung combined the skill of tanning with the skill of
making clothes and other commodities from hides and furs, such as fleece
blankets. The connection between the increase of sheep and an integrated
peasant economy becomes clear when analysing how many sheep blankets
129
of producing certain commodities. For example, the production of reeds
for weaving existed only in a small area of upper Dalarna. Some villages
in this region did not produce the entire reed; they made the dents (teeth)
and sold them to reed makers (Levander 1944). Production of large rowing
boats with eight to ten pairs of oars for transportation to the local church
were made at Sollerön in Mora Parish, and rowing boats sold to neighbour-
ing parishes were made in Transtrand (Hülphers 1762).
3.3 Clothes and hides
Early Modern society demanded more clothing. The raw material usual-
ly came from animals that grazed on the commons during summer. She-
ep delivered wool for making fabric and skins, and goats produced leather
and hair used to make strong and long-lasting garments, such as socks and
mittens. Hides and wool were part of the commercial market, and traditi-
onal clothing made partly from leather and hides from goats were popular
(Odstedt 1953). While we do not know much about this market integrati-
on or the importance of traditional clothing in the integrated peasant eco-
nomy of Dalarna, we do know a lot about the specialisation that took pla-
ce in Malung Parish.
Malung Parish became a hub for the production of hides, leather, and
furs during the Early Modern period and continued into the 20th century
to be a vibrant centre for these products. Although production took place
within Malung, it was more common during the 18th and 19th centuries for
teams of tanners to travel to different districts where they performed their
work in customers’ households. Many teams worked in populated areas
and fewer worked in less populated areas. There were no formal rules re-
garding which district a team could work in or finite borders for these dis-
tricts, but informal rules were established that made it possible for a team
to work in the same district and with the same customers year after year.
The district belonged to the team master and could be inherited from fa-
ther to son. They received informal ‘property rights’ to these districts, and
a team could have a monopoly in a district. Sometimes tanners compet-
ed with each other by bidding a lower price. However, this practice was not
well regarded (Matsson 1976).
The teams from Malung combined the skill of tanning with the skill of
making clothes and other commodities from hides and furs, such as fleece
blankets. The connection between the increase of sheep and an integrated
peasant economy becomes clear when analysing how many sheep blankets
129
