Fishing Hamlet
Fishing hamlets are clusters of rustic houses and shacks for cleaning fish, located on the coasts of seas or lakes. Typically, the rugged landscape resists cultivation beyond small garden plots. Fish caught on lines or nets serve as the chief diet, with surplus catches sustaining the hamlet's population.
Contents
Such hamlets are always situated adjacent to a large body of water, whether salt or freshwater. Farming tends to be impractical due to a combination of factors: the may be too inundated, either from frequent flooding or high water tables. Exposure to salt-laden winds, poor soil quality and coastal erosion also contribute against ploughing. Nearly all inhabitants — both artisans and labourers — are engaged in some aspect of fishing, whether building and repairing boats, drying fish, or, less commonly in places of this size, preparing fish oil.
Life in these hamlets is shaped by the sea, and their culture reflects the demands and uncertainties of their lives. Relations are tightly knit and fiercely interdependent, with each household contributing to the collective survival of the village. Much time is spent at sea, either fishing in shallow waters or venturing farther when necessary, while those at home mend nets, process the catch, and maintain the boats. Religious belief is often strong, with local traditions incorporating elements of folk superstition alongside formal doctrine. Many hamlets have small shrines or chapels dedicated to saints or deities associated with the sea, and offerings of fish or oil may be left before a voyage. Protective charms, prayers and rituals are common, as the dangers of drowning and storms are ever-present. Those lost to the sea are mourned with solemn rites, and their absence lingers in the rhythms of daily life.
Facilities
Fishing hamlets on freshwater lakes may retain a saw pit but most likely not a stable, due to the lack of feed. Coastal regions, due to salt spray and strong winds, along with poor soil quality, produce twisted, gnarled trees not suitable for a saw pit. Such placed depend for their wood upon driftwood and logs brought from elsewhere.
| Buildings | Population | Hovels | Presence |
|---|---|---|---|
| communal holding | 5d6+20 | 8-10 | always |
| garner | 2d4-1 | 1 | always |
| ox tether & hovel | 2-4 | 1 | no road better than a cart path exists |
| shearing station | 2d4+1 | 1 | sheep reference |
| windmill | d4+d6 | 1 | located sea-side |
Water wells are replaced with cisterns, gong pits are unnecessary as waste is dumped into the water body. Garners are specially designed as drying sheds or smokehouses, for fish. There are ox tethers, shearing stations to service sheep eating tough grass.
Added to this is a special facility, a tidal weir, built with carefully arranged stones to create a lasting means of catching fish. It consists of a crescent-shaped wall of stacked stones, gradually sloping inward toward a narrow opening, positioned in the intertidal zone where the rise and fall of the sea dictate its function. This serves also as a dock, allowing boats to pull up alongside it in calm conditions or providing a stable structure to unload catches and supplies.
Pulling boats ashore was a common practice in smaller fishing communities, especially where tides, storms or a lack of deepwater access made mooring at a fixed dock. This beaching area can't be considered a facility; and in any case, both the weir and the beach don't count towards the hamlet's population.
Windmills are used for drainage, where flooding or saltwater intrusion is a problem. Seawater might also be pumped into salt pans, where it could be left to evaporate, producing salt for preserving fish.
Population
This accounts for between 9-11 hovels with a minimum of 26-57 people. Additional persons are added by other facilities existing, as indicated by the table shown. Note that there are differences in the table shown from that appearing on the thorp table.
