Lowlands-L: Things They Left Us: Folk traditions of the Lowlands worldwide
Lowlands-L: Things They Left Us: Folk traditions of the Lowlands worldwide

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Trades, Professions & Livelihood

Ambachten, beroepen en levensonderhoud
Gewerbe, Berufe und Lebensunterhalt


Detail of “Hunters in the Snow” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525–1569) [GNU Free Documentation License]

Whatever the type of main livelihood of an old-time settlement, pretty much all of its members (including children) used to be involved in that line of work. As communities grew, diverse specialized lines of work began to develop. While families used to grind grain themselves, they now came to leave the job to millers. Other service professions developed. “The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker …” Once spare-time pursuits in agriculture- and herding-based societies, hunting and fishing became full-time jobs for some. Bartering developed into commerce, and this connected communities with each other. Trade guilds sprang up. Single women eked out a living by selling handmade yarn and textiles. Some served as paid go-betweens, midwives, herbalists or mediums. Pastime skills developed into professional entertainment. Formalization of power called for administration and security personnel. And then there were professional outlaws such as waylayers, wreckers and pirates. Developing along with the various trades were specialized technologies and terminologies as well as stereotype roles in songs and stories.

 
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