Distaff

From Traditional Witchcraft Wiki Project

The Distaff (a forked stick) is a tool used in spinning, . It is designed to hold the unspun fibers, keeping them untangled and thus easing the spinning process. It is most commonly used to hold flax, and sometimes wool, but can be used for any type of fiber.

The traditional form is a staff, typically mounted as an attachment to a spinning wheel. It is placed next to the bobbin, where it will be in easy reach of the spinner. The fiber is wrapped around the staff, and tied in place with a piece of ribbon or string.

The term distaff is also used as an adjective and is used as a descriptor for a female grouping (e.g., the "distaff side" of a person's family refers to the person's mother (female authority in the family) and her blood relatives. This term developed in the English speaking communities where a distaff spinning tool was used often to symbolize domestic life. The term distaff has fallen largely into disuse in recent times, although its antonyms of sword and spear to describe a male grouping are even more obscure.

Traditionally, a distaff is made from Rowan,(European Mountain Ash).

The Distaff in Mythology and Folklore

The distaff is typically associated with spinning Goddesses, such as the Fates, who weave the fabric of existence into being. It is also associated with the Goddess Holda, who is associated with witchcraft, especially that concerning spinning, and Frigga. The three stars of Orion's Belt were known to the Germanic peoples as Frigga's Distaff, which some believe to signify a belief in the distaff being related to the polar axis; the spinning stars being signs and signals of the cyclical seasons caused by the worlds as they turn on the axis.

The distaff is also one of the many vehicles believed to have been flown by witches on their way to the sabbat, along with the stang and besom.