Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
life in the house: it provided warmth, and facilities for cooking, and was where the occu-
pants had their meals. In the illustration (
41
) the earthen passage is in the foreground, and
the raised planking is the living area, with the fire at one end of a sort of trench. The firing
waswoodorotherinflammable vegetable matter,thesmokefromwhichwasconsiderable,
rising upwards to the roof, where it would make its way out, sometimes through holes or
gratings at the ends of the topmost ridge.
Status in the family was indicated and rigidly maintained by the seating round the fire.
Theheadofthehouse,thatis,thesenioractivemale,thegrandfatheroftheyoungchildren,
always had the place facing the passage, and his wife sat (or rather knelt) at right angles to
him, in a position facing towards the entrance to the house at the end of the passage. The
other fixed seat was opposite to the wife, and was the guest's place, where any honored
guestwouldsittohavehismeal.(Ifthefarmerwasanimportantman,suchastheheadman
ofavillage,theremightbeareceptionroominthepositionbehindtheguest'splace,thatis,
at the front of the house, with a separate entrance, through which a visitor of
samurai
rank
mightcometodobusiness:suchanimportantguestwouldnotdemeanhimselfbysittingat
the fire, but would remain in the reception room, and be offered refreshment there, though
it was by no means certain that he would deign to partake of it.) If there was no guest, then
that place would be occupied by the eldest son or the eldest daughter's husband. The other
menfolk, younger sons and farmhands, would sit where they could at the end opposite the
head, but the rest of the women, including the eldest son's wife, did the cooking and the
fetching and carrying, and ate in snatches in the scullery or after the others had finished, or
even, if work pressed, would have to make do with a hasty bowl, sitting on the edge of the
planking, remaining in the passageway without removing their footwear.
