Tärkamise

Tärkamise is a traditional Estonian folk practice involving the picking and preparation of flax fibers. This process was historically crucial for the production of linen, a widely used textile. The word "tärkamise" itself refers to the act of separating the flax fibers from the rest of the plant.

The cultivation of flax was a significant agricultural activity in Estonia for centuries. Once harvested, the flax stalks underwent a series of steps to yield usable fibers. These steps typically included retting, where the stalks were soaked in water to break down the woody outer layers and the pectin that held the fibers together. Following retting, the flax was dried.

The next stage was scutching, where the dried stalks were beaten with a wooden tool called a scutching knife. This process removed the brittle outer bark and seeds, leaving the long, strong linen fibers exposed. The act of further processing these fibers, often by hand or with simple tools, to make them ready for spinning into thread is what "tärkamise" most specifically denotes. This final preparation ensured the fibers were clean and aligned for the spinning wheel. The resulting linen was then used for clothing, household linens, and other textiles, playing an important role in the Estonian economy and daily life.