At the Hardanger Folk Museum in Norway.
Imagine living in an old log one room house on the western coast of Norway with an open fire pit in the middle of the room and very few windows, if any. Think what it must have been like in the middle of winter in that dark room, with the dark walls almost black from smoke and soot from years of cooking over an open fire.
Now imagine it is Yule, time to celebrate the winter solstice. It’s also time to decorate this large one-room dwelling with kroting, geometric patterns painted on the wall with a liquid chalk the consistency of yogurt. Were these designs to protect the people living in this dark home, or were they for decoration to add some brightness to their home? Imagine the light from the open fire dancing on the walls and illuminating these patterns.
There are only a few examples of kroting remaining and these are found in the western part of Norway. The chalk paint was made by grinding elements from the earth into a fine powder and mixing it with kefir. Designs were then painted on the walls with fingers or a hand-made brush of some sort.
Fascinated? Come learn how to make the liquid chalk paint and draw the symbolic patterns from these ancient homes to use in your own home. Astrid Fisher will teach Kroting Revival July 18-20, 2018 (Wed. 2:00-5:00, Thurs. & Fri. 9:00-5:00). Register here while space is still available.