Cræft : an inquiry into the origins and true meaning of traditional crafts

In the midst of a seemingly endless supply of mass-manufactured products, we find ourselves nostalgic for products bearing the mark of authenticity—hand-made furniture, artisan breads, craft beers, and other goods produced by human hands. What often goes unnoticed is the transformation of our understanding of craft—or rather,__cræft__—in the wake of industrialization.In__Cræft__, archaeologist and medieval historian Alexander Langlands argues that our modern understanding of craft only skims the surface. His journeys from his home in Wales have taken him along the Atlantic seaboard of Europe, from Spain through France and England to Scotland and Iceland in search of the lost meaning of craft. Reaching as far back as the Neolithic period, he combines deep history with scientific analyses and personal anecdotes. We follow the author as he herds sheep, keeps bees, tans hides, spins wool, and thatches roofs. We learn that scythes work much better on tall grass than the latest model of weed trimmers, that you can spin wool using a large wooden spoon, and that it was once considered criminal to work on animal hides before a requisite twelve-month soak.When it first appeared in Old English, the word__craft__signified an indefinable sense of knowledge, wisdom, and resourcefulness. Rediscovering craft will connect us with our human past, our sense of place, and our remarkable capacity to survive in the harshest of landscapes.__Cræft__helps us more fully appreciate human ingenuity and the passing on of traditions from generation to generation. In the midst of a seemingly endless supply of mass-manufactured products, we find ourselves nostalgic for products bearing the mark of authenticity—hand-made furniture, artisan breads, craft beers, and other goods produced by human hands. What often goes unnoticed is the transformation of our understanding of craft—or rather, cræft —in the wake of industrialization. In Cræft , archaeologist and medieval historian Alexander Langlands argues that our modern understanding of craft only skims the surface. His journeys from his home in Wales have taken him along the Atlantic seaboard of Europe, from Spain through France and England to Scotland and Iceland in search of the lost meaning of craft. Reaching as far back as the Neolithic period, he combines deep history with scientific analyses and personal anecdotes. We follow the author as he herds sheep, keeps bees, tans hides, spins wool, and thatches roofs. We learn that scythes work much better on tall grass than the latest model of weed trimmers, that you can spin wool using a large wooden spoon, and that it was once considered criminal to work on animal hides before a requisite twelve-month soak. When it first appeared in Old English, the word craft signified an indefinable sense of knowledge, wisdom, and resourcefulness. Rediscovering craft will connect us with our human past, our sense of place, and our remarkable capacity to survive in the harshest of landscapes. Cræft helps us more fully appreciate human ingenuity and the passing on of traditions from generation to generation. In The Modern World We Are Becoming Bombarded By Craft. Hand-made Tools, Artisan Breads And Craft Beers Are All Part Of A Pantheon Of Goods Designed To Appeal To Our Earthier Selves, Our Sense Of Tradition, Quality And Luxury, All Brought Together Through A Personal Touch - Objects To Savour In A World Of Meaningless Mass Manufacture. But Once, Craft - Or More Specifically, Cræft - Meant Something Very Different. When It Was First Written Down In Old English, Over A Thousand Years Ago, It Had An Almost Indefinable Sense Of 'knowledge', 'wisdom' And 'power'. To Be Cræfty Was To Be Truly Intelligent - But In A Way That Is Almost Inconceivable To Us Today. Through A Series Of Mini-histories, Detailed Craft Analyses And Personal Anecdotes, Archaeologist, Historian And Broadcaster Alex Langlands Goes In Search Of The Lost Knowledge Of Cræft. Fusing Stories Of Landscapes, Personalities And Mesmerising Skill, With Back-breaking Hard Work, This Book Will Convince Readers - For Their Health, Wealth And Well-being - To Introduce More Cræft Into Their Lives. In a period of meaningless mass manufacturing, our growing appetite for hand-made objects, artisan food, and craft beverages reveals our deep cravings for tradition and quality. But there was a time when craft meant something very different; the Old English word craeft possessed an almost indefinable sense of knowledge, wisdom, and power. In this fascinating book, historian and popular broadcaster Alex Langlands goes in search of the mysterious lost meaning of craeft. Through a vibrant series of mini-histories, told with his trademark energy and charm, Langlands resurrects the ancient craftspeople who fused exquisite skill with back-breaking labour - and passionately defends the renewed importance of craeft today "The Old English word "craeft" signified knowledge, skill, wisdom, and resourcefulness. Today, in the wake of industrialization, people are again seeking products made with authenticity -- artisan breads, local honey, craft beers, furniture and other goods made by human hands. Archaeologist and medieval historian Alexander Landlands travels from his home in Wales along the Atlantic seaboard of Europe learning a wide range of traditional manual skills, and searching for the lost meaning of craeft." The Old English word "craeft" signified knowledge, skill, wisdom, and resourcefulness. Today, in the wake of industrialization, people are again seeking products made with authenticity -- artisan breads, local honey, craft beers, furniture and other goods made by human hands. Archaeologist and medieval historian Alexander Langlands travels from his home in Wales along the Atlantic seaboard of Europe learning a wide range of traditional manual skills, and searching for the lost meaning of craeft Defining cræft Making hay Sticks and stones Grenjaðarstaður The skep-making beekeeper Taming the wilds Weft and warp Under thatch The shoe and the harness Seed and sward The oxna mere Fire and earth The craft of digging Baskets and boats Postscript: Craeft and contemplation. A series of minihistories trace the skill and labor of ancient craftspeople, connecting the present with ancient past to reveal the ingenuity and remarkable capacity of human survival