Pothooks

Pothooks or trammels (laratz in Basque) consisted of a chain, generally made of iron, with a hook at the lower end, and another a short distance above which was hooked to one of the links. This could be adjusted to move the lower hook up or down. The chain was hung from the mantelpiece and a cauldron or other kitchen instrument (grill, roasting pan, etc.) could be suspended from the hook at varying heights from the fire.

Before the introduction of ranges and later gas and electrical stoves, etc., the pothook was an essential item, coming to symbolise the hearth and by extension the home. Its place the popular imagination goes far beyond its purely utilitarian function and it features in many proverbs, songs, and expressions, as being the focus of the home around which the family gathered. Among other rituals, new animals brought into the household were led three times around the pothook to get them used to their new home.

The Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa has a collection of 245 pothook chains, and the San Telmo Museum has a further fifteen.

Bibliography:

Kalzakorta, Jabier. Laratzaren gaineko esaera zahar, igarkizun eta sineskerak. Cuadernos de etnología y etnografía de Navarra, 73, 355-368.

Caro Baroja, Julio. Etnografía histórica de Navarra. Pamplona : Aranzadi, 1971-1972. 2