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This flail was used for thrashing corn so as to separate grain. Flails were used before the development of threshing machines. Threshing by flail provided winter work for labourers and was done on a threshing floor in a barn. A flail usually consists of a handle, a 'swingel' (the swinging part of the flail which hits the grain) and a 'swivel' joint to join the two together. The museum holds little information about the origin of this flail.

1 flail: wood (ash and birch); leatherThe hand-staff is made of ash. A thin slip of wood is bent over a peg, which is fastened to the end of the staff. The loop swivels on this peg, thus allowing the swingel which is attached to it by eelskin to swing freely. The swingel is made of birch, and its end is bound with a leather loop fastened to the stick by thongs. The flail hinging passes through this loop to fasten it to the hand-staff.

Wood, ash, Wood, birch