Given the gendered division of labor for most of history, it makes sense: As biomolecular archaeologist Dr. Sumerian women even doubled as priestesses, fermenting beer for religious ceremonies that honored their goddess Ninkasi , who they believed gave beer to humans in order to bring peace and well being to society. Typically low in alcohol, they often didn't include a bitter agent but perhaps some herbs or in the case of medieval Europe, a mix of bitter herbs called gruit.
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A blend of mugwort, yarrow, horehound, heather, and other herbs, gruit helped stabilize beer with its antiseptic and antibacterial properties. As the cooks and healers of their communities, these women had an extensive knowledge of plants - which were good for curing ailments, cooking, and for the 'darker arts' we associate with witchcraft. Brewing had taken a strong hold in Western Europe by the 2nd century, primarily in monasteries, and so too had the Christian church. But it was not until the 14th or 15th century that brewing moved out of the home or abbey to become a commercial and artisanal activity.
Those women who still brewed and sold their ales did so by traditional means: Simultaneously, witch trials began springing up throughout Europe and anti-witch propaganda tapped into these 'brewster' symbols to vilify independent women.
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Whether these hunts arose from fear of this economic independence, or their botanical knowledge at a time when chemistry was poorly understood and mistrusted, it is difficult to say. Over time, the symbols of the medieval 'brewster witch' transformed into what is, today our modern witch costume. While the witch trials persecuted many of these innocent women, it is exciting to see that women are coming back into the world of beer and as Gastropod describes in their fantastic podcast, ' Everything Old is Brew Again ,' more of these traditional rustic styles are resurfacing.
Since then, and among other topics, they have learned about: They studied chainsaw operation, maintenance, and safety before actually cutting wood. The students cut the logs with chainsaws and split the hardwood by hand — and sold the firewood to raise money for the class.
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As Jamison and other students cut through their way through logs on this damp March morning, other students swing mauls and encounter splitting-related headaches. Those not actually cutting or splitting toss split firewood into piles; some students rotate the splitting. According to Savage, life in Introduction to Forest Management is not all about just cutting wood. Many, many business and employment opportunities exist in the Maine woods, from logger to portable sawmill owner to sugarbush operator.
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He does not know how many Brewer students may pursue forestry-related employment. Categories include throwing an ax, throwing pulp wood for accuracy and distance, and operating a skidder and a loader. Want to know more?
Send us ideas for follow-up stories. Colley and Bouchard are enrolled in the Introduction to Forest Management class taught by Mark Savage; this winter the students have practiced cutting, splitting, and selling firewood as part of the curriculum. Brewer High School student Jonathan Bouchard right watches as student Michael Maybury swings a maul and splits firewood behind the school in mid-March.
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The sawdust flies behind her as Michela Jamison of Clifton cuts a length of maple log with an Oregon chainsaw in mid-March. A Brewer High School student enrolled in the Introduction to Forest Management class taught by Mark Savage, Jamison has learned how to maintain a chainsaw and safely operate it.