M: It was in use for centuries and is all black with soot: the impressive solid oak frame suspended above the hearth fire. Its ends point steeply upwards and terminate in two stylised horse heads. They're said to represent the horses of the Norse god of war, Odin (or Wodan).
F: Superstructures of this type may well have been present in Ammerland farmhouses before the arrival of Christianity. This one is ancient, but not that ancient: carved into the neck of the horse on the right is the year 1655 – so it's almost 400 years old!
M: The oak frame operated as a kind of vertical fire guard. If the flames of the open fire blazed too high, they came up against the fill between the two beams. That fill consisted of pig bristles and clay and was fire-resistant.
It also led the smoke away from the fireplace and ensured that it was evenly distributed beneath the ceiling. Because that was where the famous Ammerland hams and sausages and bacon hung – and still hang – in the smoke and gradually took on the typical smoked flavour.
F: When the hearth hung full of fat hams, that fat would sometimes drip on to the floor. So small bowls were put out. They caught the precious fat and stopped the floor becoming stained and greasy. But anyone who was so clumsy that they tripped over the bowls – had managed to put their foot in it.
Fotos: © Tanja Heinemann
