Page 65 - 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. 65
peasant income integration in early modern slovenia: a historiographical review
tions many carriers “who transport goods to and fro with horses; and many
miners, and many weavers and merchants who ensure their subsistence
and business by doing all sorts of work.” In the village of Bitnje, the majori-
ty of the inhabitants were “sieve makers, who weave screens for sieves out of
horsehair [...] these same peasants are also breeding many beautiful horses,
which are mostly taken to Italy to graze and are sold there.” Almost every
village in Upper Carniola produced fabric made of flax and wool (mezlan)
for sale. People would trade in wool and sheep cheeses, black and red le-
ather, and even scorpions, which chemists used to make scorpion oil. Val-
vasor mentions the extraction and processing of iron as two important in-
dustries. In the village of Bohinjska Bistrica, he recorded “a lot of miners
that dug iron ore or found other ways to subsist in the mining activity”
(Valvasor 2009–2013, 110, 117–8).
In the area of Upper Carniola, the iron industry or blacksmithing de-
veloped as early as the Middle Ages. At first, peasants extracted and smelt-
ed the ore by themselves, from which they then made products for domestic
use (Blaznik 1959, 93; Mohorič 1955, 25–6; Gašperšič 1959, 5). When iron-
workers and blacksmiths from nearby provinces (Carinthia and Friuli)
started moving there, the local craft of iron extraction began to develop into
a more modernised iron industry. In certain areas, ironworkers had “sev-
eral huba of land with pastures and Alpine meadows, where they produced
food for the ironworks settlement of miners, smelters and blacksmiths, and
forests, where they burnt charcoal and collected pit props” (Mohorič 1969,
30). In the village of Železniki, ironworks employed peasants and day la-
bourers as prospectors, ore diggers, charcoal burners, carriers and plant
workers (Mohorič 1954, 96; Blaznik 1973, 88; Mohorič 1969, 39). In the 16th
century, in certain areas of Upper Carniola the development of the iron in-
dustry also brought about a fast increase in the number of cottagers (ka-
jžarji) and landless peasants (gostači). Gašperšič mentions that the boom in
ironworks beneath the Jelovica plateau was the main reason behind the ap-
pearance of cottagers (kajžarji and bajtarji) in this area (Gašperšič 1959, 98).
In areas with ironworks, cottagers worked mainly as ironworkers or char-
coal burners, while many others were also engaged in crafts, rural trade
and transport (Blaznik 1973, 201).
In addition to the iron industry, linen manufacture was also rather
widespread in this area, as had been mentioned by Valvasor. The linen trade
was already quite lively in the 15th century and was used by its main produc-
ers – peasants, and by professional merchants. In the 16th century, the do-
63
tions many carriers “who transport goods to and fro with horses; and many
miners, and many weavers and merchants who ensure their subsistence
and business by doing all sorts of work.” In the village of Bitnje, the majori-
ty of the inhabitants were “sieve makers, who weave screens for sieves out of
horsehair [...] these same peasants are also breeding many beautiful horses,
which are mostly taken to Italy to graze and are sold there.” Almost every
village in Upper Carniola produced fabric made of flax and wool (mezlan)
for sale. People would trade in wool and sheep cheeses, black and red le-
ather, and even scorpions, which chemists used to make scorpion oil. Val-
vasor mentions the extraction and processing of iron as two important in-
dustries. In the village of Bohinjska Bistrica, he recorded “a lot of miners
that dug iron ore or found other ways to subsist in the mining activity”
(Valvasor 2009–2013, 110, 117–8).
In the area of Upper Carniola, the iron industry or blacksmithing de-
veloped as early as the Middle Ages. At first, peasants extracted and smelt-
ed the ore by themselves, from which they then made products for domestic
use (Blaznik 1959, 93; Mohorič 1955, 25–6; Gašperšič 1959, 5). When iron-
workers and blacksmiths from nearby provinces (Carinthia and Friuli)
started moving there, the local craft of iron extraction began to develop into
a more modernised iron industry. In certain areas, ironworkers had “sev-
eral huba of land with pastures and Alpine meadows, where they produced
food for the ironworks settlement of miners, smelters and blacksmiths, and
forests, where they burnt charcoal and collected pit props” (Mohorič 1969,
30). In the village of Železniki, ironworks employed peasants and day la-
bourers as prospectors, ore diggers, charcoal burners, carriers and plant
workers (Mohorič 1954, 96; Blaznik 1973, 88; Mohorič 1969, 39). In the 16th
century, in certain areas of Upper Carniola the development of the iron in-
dustry also brought about a fast increase in the number of cottagers (ka-
jžarji) and landless peasants (gostači). Gašperšič mentions that the boom in
ironworks beneath the Jelovica plateau was the main reason behind the ap-
pearance of cottagers (kajžarji and bajtarji) in this area (Gašperšič 1959, 98).
In areas with ironworks, cottagers worked mainly as ironworkers or char-
coal burners, while many others were also engaged in crafts, rural trade
and transport (Blaznik 1973, 201).
In addition to the iron industry, linen manufacture was also rather
widespread in this area, as had been mentioned by Valvasor. The linen trade
was already quite lively in the 15th century and was used by its main produc-
ers – peasants, and by professional merchants. In the 16th century, the do-
63
