Often the comb makers traveled around the countryside making combs for the spindles. They did not have many tools and did not need a special place to work, nor did their work cause any disturbance to the environment.
Category Archives: OCCUPATIONS OF WOMEN
Until the mid-20th century, a woman’s life—especially that of a rural woman—was filled with responsibilities and hard labor, with very few rights. She worked tirelessly both in the fields and at home, taking on all household duties, while men enjoyed social freedoms. Additionally, she devoted much time to processing raw materials, transforming them into clothing for her family. This reality highlights the crucial role of women in the survival and everyday life of rural society.
Often, the housewives would gather for “NYKTERI” Three, four, or five women would gather in one house, and by the light of an oil lamp, one would spin thread, another knit, a third would patch old clothes, while another might sew new garments by hand, as sewing machines were not available back then. They would […]
Not only were there no washing machines back then, but water wasn’t always readily available either. If the water source was far, the woman would load the donkey in the morning with clothes, firewood, the laundry basket, a pot to heat water, the soap she had made herself, ashes to help whiten the clothes, and […]
The “xástres” were two small boards, each about 0.40 x 0.40 meters, with hundreds of little teeth on each one. One board was fixed to the sides of the chair (as shown in the sketch) with the teeth facing upwards. They placed the wool on top and then pulled the other board over it to […]
Often a young girl felt pleasure in going to fetch water, even if the distance was far. The life of women, especially young girls, was very confined. Especially in mountainous western Crete, where customs were always stricter. It was an opportunity to get out, relax a bit, see and be seen, to meet other women. […]