Tools & tillage: a journal on the history of the implements of cultivation and other agricultural processes (2.1972/1975)

REVIEWS

127

KUSTAA VILKUNA: Die Pfluggerate Finnlands.
(The ploughing implements of Finland). Sonder-
druck aus Studia Fennica 16, Helsinki 1971,
178 pp. Summary in Finnish.
Descriptions of Finnish ploughing practices have
been known since the 18th century, written by
scholars such as Linne, Kalm, Brovallius, Berch
and Gadd. In the late 19th century G. Grotenfelt
founded his excellent collection at Mustiala, and in
the present century several articles and special
studies have been published by Vilkuna and others.
But the present book is what we want and have
been looking for. Here professor Vilkuna analyses
the different types of ploughing implements from
a functional viewpoint, and he combines it with
linguistic explanations concerning the methods of
introduction and the periods of entry to the coun-
try: the bow-ard from Scandinavia in prehistoric
times, the Baltic sokha from the south not much
later, the Russian sokha from the Novgorod area
into Carelia in the 12th century, and the bar-stilt
ard from Scandinavia in the 15th century.
The bow-ard or D0strup-type had once a wider
distribution in Finland, the dialect term ader pre-
sumably having been borrowed from some early-
nordic dialect before the Viking period. Vilkuna
is probably right in asserting that this type is older
than the Triptolemos- or sole-ard since Neolithic
marks of tilling in the subsoils seemingly derive
from this type. However, the oldest ards found so
far - from Hvorslev in Jutland and Lago di Ledro
in North Italy - both belong to the Triptolemos-
type, and they have been dated to c. 1500 B. C.
The Paarskyla-ard, found not far from Abo in
S. W. Finland and probably prehistoric, proves
what the author has already deduced from linguist-
ic data that the Finnish bow-ards were very similar
to the D0strup specimen. However, it was also
similar to the West-European ards from the be-
ginning of our era. The reviewer assumes that the
oblong hole transversal to the tail of the Paarskyla-
ard - not explained by Glob and Vilkuna - once
contained a piece of wood supporting two mould-
strokers like the classic bince aures which can be
seen on bronze models from Mainz, Cologne and
Sussex (cf. Leser: Entstehung, figs. 25-26, and
Manning: The Plough in Roman Britain, Journ.
Rom. Studies 1964, p. 56, fig. 4a). On the Danish

bow-ards these transversal supporting pieces for the
mould strokers seem to have been scarfed into the
upper edges of the ard-tails just behind the
encompassing lower end of the beam. The support-
ing piece itself must have existed on the D0strup
ard when it was found according to a drawing by
the finder (Glob: Ard and Plough, fig. 36).
Professor Vilkuna’s explanation of the term for
ard-shares, vannas, West-German waganso etc. is
remarkable as well as his inquiry into the origin of
the Russian bifurcated plough, the sokha, though
not quite in accordance with the theory advanced
by A. V. Chernetsov in the last number of Tools
and Tillage. Vilkuna draws here on linguistic
sources as well as on his personal experiences in
ploughing with this sophisticated and excellently
balanced instrument, adapted to very different con-
ditions of soil and vegetation. He is asserting that
the old three-partitioned »arallo Troitschak« from
Ukraine had its relatives not only in the Baltic
countries but also in China, probably through the
intervention of the Indoscyths who came to China
from Europe.
Vilkuna plays his research instrument like a
virtuoso, embracing farm practices and agricultural
history as well as linguistics and ethnology. He has
produced a book of fundamental interest to all
scolars in these branches of knowledge.
Axel Steensberg.
ERNESTO VEIGA DE OLIVEIRA, FERNANDO
GALHANO E BENJAMIN PEREIRA: Siste-
mas de Atrelagem dos Bois em Portugal. Insti-
tute de alta Cultura Centro de Estudos de Etno-
logia. Lisboa 1973. 124 pages, 159 photoes, 37
drawings. 1 distribution map.
This attractively produced book about the use of
yokes in Portugal is written in Portuguese, but even
if this is a handicap for many it is nevertheless
possible from the illustrations alone to get some
idea about how these often very elaborately carved
yokes are made and how varied the forms of deco-
ration are. The authors describe and illustrate very
clearly the different ways of fastening the yokes to
the heads of the oxen. The book is dedicated to
Jorge Dias, professor of ethnology in Lisboa whose
recent loss is a severe blow to the world of ethno-
logy. Grith Lerche.