1 (Chapter 3) What did Columba use to sew the leather together?
(Chapter 3) What was the honour
price for a leather worker in ancient Ireland?
3 (Chapter 6) What did Jarlath and Columba use to cover the frame of the boat?
4 (Chapter 6) What was lime used for in the making of leather?
5 (Chapter 6) Why were the skins hung from the fence?
Draw...!
Draw a picture of a leather book satchel.
Fact File
The ways to turn animal skins into leather, and afterwards into vellum for writing on, were known for two or three thousand years before the 8th century. When the skin was removed from the animal it was placed in salt water. Next the skins were washed in pure water from the river and left to soak for about seven days. Then all the flesh and animal fats were removed from the skins. Leather was used for cloaks, shoes, satchels (used for storing the gospel books in) and for storage of water and other things.
Explore...!
Get together with a few friends and make a list of all the things that people use nowadays which are still made from leather, (not plastic or paper).
Imagine......!
Imagine that you are a leather maker. Make a list of all the things that you could make from leather that would be useful in daily life in the 8th century.
Imagine that you are a leather maker. Would you be happy that the honour price fro a leather maker is so much less than for a blacksmith or a silver worker? Write down some arguments for increasing the honour price.
