Tuesday 30 October 2018

A Year of Late Cornish Day 302


Trei Hansves Dedh ha Dew

De Meurth, degves warn ügens mis Hedra.
Tuesday, 30th October



Dillas liwys rüdh ew gerys da en pub ooj istorek. Rag cansow a  vledhednyow panweyth ha crohen o liwys gen daffar gnasek (natûrel). “Madder” (Rubia tinctorum) lojowen a deylû coffy o gonedhys en lies teller rag hy gwreydh. (Whei ell gweles an planjow ma en Ragdres Eden ogas dhe Austol.) An gwreydh ew cloutys, golhys, sehys ha devenys. Ma odhom a gabuly gwloan nebes gwreydh en dowr (tòbm po yeyn) warbarth gen substans moon, rag sampel crey po “alum”.  Ma’n substans moon o qweres dhe herlys dhe gansynjy an liw.

Clothes dyed red are popular in every historical age. For hundreds of years textiles and leathers were dyed with natural materials. Madder (Rubia tinctorum) a plant of the coffee family was cultivated in many places for its roots. (You can see these plants in the Eden Project near St Austell.) The roots are uprooted, washed, dried and chopped. Wool needs to be mixed with some roots in water (hot or cold) together with a mineral substance, such as chalk or alum. The mineral substance helps fibres to hold on to the dye.

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