As I was standing on the dyke looking out over the River IJssel this week, I took some photos of the village on the other side: Hattem. And thanks to my lovely lens, it actually seemed quite close as well.
At the right of the photo, you can see a mill. At first I didn't realise it was actually turning its sails, thinking it was a trick of the eye, but as you can see in the photos: they did.
The mill is called 'Fortune' and is an old flour mill. This one and its ancestors have been there a long time, taking advantage of the wind.
The way the sails are positioned when paused tells you something about what is happening to the miller. The top position for example would mean Short Break. And the position in the third photo would mean 'Happiness', due to a birth or something similar. Other meanings were Sadness, Wedding/Party or Emergency. All expressed in the position of the sails.
During the war, they would also use the sails to tell people in the surrounding area what was happening. Like 'Enemy Approaching' or 'All Clear'.
I will try and get closer to the mill soon to show you a bit more.
Hari OM
ReplyDeletewow - fabulous and informative post!!! YAM xx
I aim to please...
DeleteInteresting ! and this time I am sure that you are in the Netherlands because there is the windmill ! lol !
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful village. We never knew the position of the sails when stopped would mean anything.
ReplyDeleteWe did enjoy touring the mills at Kinderdijk. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThose are actually still working mills. As in proper emergency mills, not like the flour mill in this post which is only used as a museum and my mill some flour, but not enough to live from.
DeleteWe in my area of Pacific North West of United States sure didn't have a wind mills. But there were a few mills that the creeks turn the wheel.
ReplyDeleteWell gone now,,,Coffee is on
There was always plenty of wind in the Netherlands, so why use water (which can dry up), when there is wind?
DeleteThat's very clever to use the windmill sails to communicate like that. We had no idea!
ReplyDeleteI had to look up the meanings, but I did know they meant something.
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