Comments on: Flax Stories http://flaxhistory.wordpress.com by Josh MacFadyen Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:18:22 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Josh MacFadyen http://flaxhistory.wordpress.com/flax-stories/#comment-38 Josh MacFadyen Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:18:22 +0000 http://flaxhistory.wordpress.com/flax-stories/#comment-38 Hi Janice -- “mastere oljeslagaren” is an interesting term. I wasn't able to find Swedish definitions either. It's probably a variation from the Dutch, and I think it's related to the term North American linseed oil millers used for their trade: linseed or oil crushing. In Dutch, "slag" has a variety of meanings and many apply to the physical process of crushing flax seed to make linseed oil. "Slag" can mean: hit, bash, hammerblow, smite, etc. It might also be related to the word for slaughter (Dutch, slachten) (German, schlachten) and a link to Scandinavia is more apparent there: (Norwegian, slaktes). I would say you're right to think your ancestor was a master oil crusher; it's interesting for me to hear that the trade title probably came from the old country. I noticed on your travel blog that you visited one of these mills in the Netherlands, and you have an interesting diagram of a wind-powered linseed oil mill. Would you mind if I posted that picture on my blog? Similar mills were built in the U.S. around 1750, and they used what looks to be the same German/Dutch technology. You also mentioned that the mill was extremely noisy. I have references to "oil miller's disease" or hearing damage that resulted from being around the noise of stampers. I hope no one in your family suffered from it! Hi Janice — “mastere oljeslagaren” is an interesting term. I wasn’t able to find Swedish definitions either. It’s probably a variation from the Dutch, and I think it’s related to the term North American linseed oil millers used for their trade: linseed or oil crushing.

In Dutch, “slag” has a variety of meanings and many apply to the physical process of crushing flax seed to make linseed oil. “Slag” can mean: hit, bash, hammerblow, smite, etc. It might also be related to the word for slaughter (Dutch, slachten) (German, schlachten) and a link to Scandinavia is more apparent there: (Norwegian, slaktes). I would say you’re right to think your ancestor was a master oil crusher; it’s interesting for me to hear that the trade title probably came from the old country.

I noticed on your travel blog that you visited one of these mills in the Netherlands, and you have an interesting diagram of a wind-powered linseed oil mill. Would you mind if I posted that picture on my blog?

Similar mills were built in the U.S. around 1750, and they used what looks to be the same German/Dutch technology. You also mentioned that the mill was extremely noisy. I have references to “oil miller’s disease” or hearing damage that resulted from being around the noise of stampers. I hope no one in your family suffered from it!

]]> By: Janice Beurling http://flaxhistory.wordpress.com/flax-stories/#comment-35 Janice Beurling Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:06:34 +0000 http://flaxhistory.wordpress.com/flax-stories/#comment-35 Hi, Josh. I came across your this flax blog while researching linseed oil production. My family research has revealed that one of my direct ancestors was a "mastere oljeslagaren" in Sweden about 1820. Although I haven't found that word in modern Swedish/English dictionaries, I gather it means "master linseed oil producer." Can you give me any insight? Thanks! Hi, Josh. I came across your this flax blog while researching linseed oil production. My family research has revealed that one of my direct ancestors was a “mastere oljeslagaren” in Sweden about 1820. Although I haven’t found that word in modern Swedish/English dictionaries, I gather it means “master linseed oil producer.”

Can you give me any insight?

Thanks!

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