A Manual
Concerning the Keeping of Hall, Hold or Weyr

- for Headwomen, Stewards
and others in service.

Index

Definitions

General duties

Pertaining to Food

Storage Rooms and how to organise them

Cleaning

Tithe periods

Seasonal Duties

- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter

Special Events

Personnel

- Hiring and Firing
- Assigning appropriate positions
- Correspondence

Definitions

The Headwoman is responsible for feeding weyr/hold/hall’s population, and generally keeps the domestic side of the place running. I.e. Supplying clothes, supervising the care of young, food collection/storage/preparation and generally organising anything else so that people can live comfortably at the weyr/hold/hall.

She has support staff who man kitchens, storerooms etc. to keep the place running smoothly.

Note : Please make sure that all crafts/holds/weyrs are contacted before taking any liberties, just to make sure you have proper information and have cleared things through right channels for use of this (whatever) in RP. Although the Headwoman would have some knowledge of a wide variety of subjects, this does not mean that she can perform miracles!

General duties include -

"Each night Manora receives from the Head Cook a list of what he needs, so that the supplies can be bought in from the remote storage caves by drudges and children. Major events like Hatchings are planned more than a sevenday in advance; using supplies kept in a reserve cavern and set aside for special occasions. Spices and wines are seen to by Manora personally."
" DLG 2nd Edition p101 "

Planning a fasting

Preparation for threadfall.
(HW jobs in setting up RP for the players etc.)

Turnday parties

Numbweed making! (ick)

Sweeping /Mopping Linen Storage

- A basic rule to remember when ordering linen for the hall/hold/weyr is that good linen, though expensive, is far more economical than is cheap linen. It is far better to have spent the marks once than have to keep replacing the items becuase they were of an inferior quality.

Seasonal Duties

Spring

Complete overhaul of home - clean everything, repair and replace used and worn furniture, tapestries, clothing, drapery, carpet, linens, towels (fine and everyday.)Note: Borax is canon to use as cleaning and whitening agent.

Use last of stored winter vegetables and meat, if any.

Ovine shearing and wool preparation starts.

Numbweed preparation at proper harvest time.

Summer

Begin spinning shearings into yarn/etc.

Begin drying harvests of fruit/vegetables/meat for winter use.

Fatten animals for slaughter.

Numbweed preparation at proper harvest time. (Don't know when that is so have it in 2 places.)

Autumn

Slaughtering meat - salting, drying, smoking.

Change summer linens, draperies, carpets, etc., for freshly aired and cleaned winter ones. Air and clean all those to be stored.

Wood storage and gathering

See to heavy clothing - repair, assign new. (Orders for large bolts of fabric from Weaverhall should be placed in spring so there is fabric enough for people to sew all through the turn.)

Winter

What other fuel do we use? That should also be purchased/produced earlier in year for use at this time.

Winter activities planning to prevent cabin fever.

Winter we should probably also include change of menu etc. for weather.. Make sure that menus match seasons - By the end of winter.. Fresh fruit/veg from storage would be getting low.. Extra fish/meat meals like stews to reflect this. (Rp opportunities to complain about boring ‘samey’ meals. )

Pertaining to Food

Issues of refrigeration and drying

Fish drying

- Gut and bone the fish.

- Discard the heads, but leave the skins and tails on.

- Place the fish in a saltwater brine for three weeks, then remove them from the brine and stack for several days to drain.

- Place on drying racks, or "flakes" and let the sun do the rest. The fish is fully dried when it's as stiff as a board.

- A properly cured fish, when stored correctly, will keep for many years.

Meat Drying

- Trim off any fat or connective tissue from the meat and debone.

- Cut the meat into strips no more than one-half inch thick.

- Soak the meat in a seasoned brine for at least 1 day and then rinse and dry. You could also try rubbing the seasoning in by hand, waiting a few hours and then drying. Either way, it is important to keep the meat cool while it is absorbing the seasoning.

- After food is prepared, spread it in a single layer (pieces not touching) on drying trays and place in a sunny spot which permits good air circulation. Ensure that the meat is turned daily. Any foods that are strong-flavored should be dried by themselves.

- Drying trays can be made by simply using a frame and covering it with cheesecloth. Stretch this facric until taught and then fasten on the back of the frame.

- For general drying, hang the strips on racks in an area with good air flow that receives full sunlight.To speed drying time, a fire can be built nearby. This will give the meat a somewhat smokier taste.

How to keep things cool/cold/from spoiling

Areas situated in mountainous areas often have lots of underground springs and tunnels and caves beneath the hold/hall proper. There could easily be a coldroom/buttery/ off the kitchen....cold cold underground spring...from the higher mountains which keep everything at half decent controlled temps.

Otherwise.. Ice could be brought in a’dragonback and placed in deep caverns to regulate the temperature and keep things fresh.

Dried Foods

Dry halved apricots, peaches, and plums on their flat rooftops between window screening. Shave apples into long coils to dry. Corn, beans, rice and other grains, dried fruit, vegetables, and seeds for fresh sprouted grains and planting should constitute the bulk of food storage, with herbs, oils, sweeteners, spices, vitamin supplements, dried milk or eggs, and other regularly enjoyed items rounding out the program.

Herbs & their Harvesting

The harvesting stage of the herb depends on the part for which the plant is grown. Herbs, such as mint and basil, for which only the leaves are valuable, harvesting should commence before they begin to flower. Herbs, such as dill, which are valued both for leaves and seeds, may be allowed to set seeds. As a general rule, for all herbs with strong aroma and flavour, the best time to harvest is around midday. Herbs with succulent leaves should be harvested early in the day.

Herbs for the fresh market can be placed in a bucket with water immediately after harvesting. Herbs for preservation may be packed neatly in baskets or boxes.

Storage Rooms and how to organise them.

Stores - How to RP what’s in there and who gets stuff out of them.

A good headwoman must be able to determine exactly what is on hand, as well as the rate at which it is being used, in order, to make informative decisions. She must maintain stock levels and replace any stock lost due to either being used up, or worn due to general use in order to fully satisfy the needs and wants of the hall.weyr/hold. The only accurate way to know what you have on hand is to complete a physical inventory.

Problems in how to RP common storage areas.

An example of a working storeroom.

"This huge cavern lies below the kitchen and is part of an extensive system of caverns, which are used as Hall storage space. Three walls - east north and west - have shelves that rise from floor to ceiling and are stacked with everything from bolts of fabric to linens to Master Seahold's fine silver and crystal. There are baskets at the bottom - rows of them - with boots and rolls of leather and blocks of wood for heels with wool and yarn for sweaters with bolts of towelling. The west wall holds wooden boxes of soaps and cleaners and a large basket of sweetsand sits on the floor a large scoop handle protruding from the powder.

In the center of the room are two refectory tables with benches. At one end of one of them a low stack of hide-bound logs holds patterns and sizes. Nearby a long wooden box holds spool after spool of multi-colored thread and all the accouterment needed for sewing. A narrow pedestal near the doorway in the south wall also holds an open logbook but this you will find is the headwoman's record of what goes in and comes out of this room." (Storage Rooms at the Seacraft Hall - PernMUSH)

 

Cleaning

"On Pern, soap made of Lye and fat is a very rare item. Instead, the Pernese rely on fuller’s earth, lanolin, saponin root, oils and sweetsand.

Sweetsand, a naturally foaming fine sand, can get out the stench of firestone and works also on any other strong smell or heavy soil. Everyone bathes with it.

Saponin root and lanolin are used for sensitive skin and fine hair. Fuller’s earth, a rare clay, is good for the complexion and for cleaning certain kinds of fabrics. Oils and vegetable waxes are good for cleaning floors and still other herbal oils make do for skin treatments."
"DLG - 2nd Edition "

 

Organising tithes

Planned and accounted for in conjunction with the high steward and his minions'.

Weyr wise

The tithe trains arrive at the weyr and are then unloaded under the scrutiny of the Headwoman, as she determines where each item is to be stored. These are then carried down to various storage areas, depending upon the type of produce or item that they are.

Hold/Hall wise

Tithes are gathered from amongst the various cotholds and sent up, usually by wagon, to the various holds. It is for the Headwoman to organise these items and to take inventory of these before they are loaded and delivered.

Personnel Management

Hiring & Firing

Assigning appropriate positions

Residents	Cotholder	Steward Sea Trade	Asst. DockMaster
Asst. Librarian	Gardener	Jr. Steward Sea Trade	Runner
Wine Steward	Asst. Gardener	Handyman
Archivist	Grounds Crew Steward	Kitchen Staff
Librarian	Grounds Crew Workers	Household Staff
Records Keeper	Foresters	Cleaning Staff
Asst. Cook	Laundress	Hunter
HW's Helper	Shepherd/Herder	Painter/Artist
Fosterlings	Stable Master	Secretary
Guards - Cadets & Officers	Stablehand/Runner Handler	Tavern Workers/Attendants
Messenger/Gofer	Nanny	Midwife
Animal Tender	Asst. Nanny	Jr. Steward
Seamstress	Dockworkers	Asst. Steward
Farmer	Headwoman	Wool Spinners/Knitters
Fisherman	Asst. Headwoman	Children

Correspondence

Protocol when writing to officials.

Initially, one would address the person to whom the letter is sent obviously. This would first be their title, then their name.

eg.

This is followed by an introduction from the one from whom the letter is sent, sending greetings and leading into the point of the letter.

eg.

This is structured as if one was actually adressing the person, though in the most formal of tones.

eg.

In closing, the writer identifies themselves by formal title as appropriate.

eg.

This site best viewed with the Goudy Medieval Font.
If you don't have this font, it can be downloaded from this site.
Goudy Medieval Font (PC)