My colleague saw this in a book review and thought we'd like it!
'Tall story
No only did postmen use stilts as a speedy way to get around; so too did shepherds. “The shepherds of the Landes spent whole days on stilts,” says Robb, “using a stick to form a tripod when they wanted to rest. Perched 10ft in the air, they knitted woollen garments and scanned the horizon for stray sheep. People who saw them in the distance compared them to tiny steeples and giant spiders. They could cover up to 75 miles a day at 8mph. When Napoleon’s empress Marie-Louise travelled through the Landes . . . her carriage was escorted for several miles by shepherds on stilts who could easily have overtaken the horses.”
THE DISCOVERY OF FRANCE by Graham Robb'.
I'm struggling to knit in itself, and there they were: staggering 10ft in the air, tending a load of baffled sheep and knitting up Fair Isle jumpers on the side. A-hem, ever so slightly humbling. You can read the full article here.)
Recent Comments