|
|
National Archive of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya) Ointments, ointments and plasters with healing properties have been made for centuries. And, since always, this has been a wisdom that has practically been monopolized exclusively by women. They were the wise men of the mountains , who knew which plants were used to make the sought-after concoctions that helped so many people in rural areas. The fact that the popular classes were cultured has always generated a certain suspicion on the part of the wealthy, so there have been many accusations of witchcraft against these women throughout history, as is sadly known. In Galicia they have the meigas and bruxas ; in Euskadi, the sorginak . Did you know that in a part of Catalonia, in the valley of La Vansa and Tuixent, in the Alt Urgell region, trementinaires lived until not long ago ? We are going to discover the story of enterprising and brave women with great knowledge of the nature that surrounded them. What was a turpentine? Trementinaires Museum Museum of Trementinaires.
The trementinaires were women from the Catalan Pyrenees who stood out for their extensive knowledge of local herbs and their medicinal properties , as well as the preparation of creams and ointments to treat different pains and diseases. This trade was practically carried out only by women, from the 19th century until the arrival of industrialization and the rural exodus. Their importance became such that they became the economic engine of their families and the regions they Cell Phone Number List inhabited at a time when monetary exchanges were scarce. How did they do their work? The trementinaires were characterized by being itinerant. In the hottest months they dedicated themselves to collecting, cataloging and saving the species to make their formulas. The best known was the essence of turpentine , which gave them their name, which is extracted from pine resin and was used for bites and sprains. In the winter, they traveled on foot or by public transportation - when possible - to trade. Knowledge was transmitted orally, between grandmothers, mothers and daughters, and it is said that it was kept as family secrets.
Perhaps for that reason all this wisdom has been left aside from history and has remained in the background, despite the importance they had; Researchers have a very difficult time finding written references to their contributions. The travels of the trementaires Tuixent, Lleida Tuixent, Lleida. By jordirenart As we said, with the arrival of the cold, these women left the family nucleus and undertook long trips on foot that could last months (from autumn to Christmas, approximately) to market their products and supply their clients with the remedies they would need during the long journey. winter. Where medicine did not reach, due to lack of knowledge or lack of resources, the turpentines covered the needs of the surrounding valleys and nearby cities. They also took advantage of these trips to buy or obtain objects and other resources that were not easy to find in the mountains. The trips were usually made in groups of two women, one young and the other older with more experience than she learned. They were usually mother and daughter, sisters, or grandmother and granddaughter. They learned about everything: herbs and ointments, but also sales circuits and commercial practices.
|
|
發表於 14:09:32