Hello Jean, Tamara, Julie... Being a Spanish bobbinlacer, I thought I had to say something about Almagro, Cervantes, terminology... I hope you find it interesting:
>the windmills which Don Quixote tilts at were pointed out to us while travelling between Madrid and the lacemaking area of Almagro. I confess I haven't read the book, (it's on the 'to do' list) but if the action is based in this area, then it is likely that making lace was a common sight and occupation. > Jean in Cleveland U.K. Yes, Jean, the action of Don Quijote is placed in a large area known as La Mancha, south of Madrid, and Almagro is situated in that area. Almagro is a beautiful town with a lot of history related with bobbin lace making and bobbin lace industry. There are different theories about how lace arrived to this area. One of them, based on historical data, is that bobbin lace was brought from Flanders by the ladies who accompanied Queen Juana (Joan, Jean, Jane??). The women of Almagro were taught how to make bobbin lace when Queen Juana and her husband Philip el Hermoso visited this town at the beginning of the 16th century. Another theory, strongly fundamented, is related with the coming of a German family of bankers called Fugger, who played a very important economic role in the city, in the 16th century. They had Flemish connections, responsible of the introduction of lace in the area. In the 18th century, 3730 women made bobbin lace; in 1840 there were 4600 women; in 1842, 6000; in 1845, 8000. Lace was made in many villages in the surroundings of Almagro (Granátula and Bolaños among others). >For bobbin lacemaking to have found its way into the book 3 times suggests that either it was extremely common in Cervantes' time (1547-1616), or else that someone close to him was a lacemaker. Very interesting. In that time women here used to make bobbin lace sitting at the front door of the house, in the street. Groups of women of the same family and neighboughrs too. So, anyone passing by could observe how they worked. This has been made in that area for a long time. In fact I have seen bobbinlacers in Bolaños just a few years ago. But this way of working is losing its tradition now. What a pity! > But I don't remember palillos being the usual modern term for bobbins? And I usually find "encaje" for lace. Terms have probably changed a great deal since Cervantes's time--very much like Shakespearean English. You are right, languaje has changed a lot since Cervantes's times. But in Spain we use different terminology for the same things depending on the area. So, for example, in Galicia bobbins are called "palillos" and bobbin lacers are "palilleiras". And in Catalonia they call bobbin lace "randas". "Encaje" is a more extended word for lace. Greetings from Antje, Guadalajara, Spain. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED]
