Watermills

To make bread (pоgаča) one needs flour, and flour used to be milled only in watermills. A watermill is a mill driven by water power. Watermills were built of wood on rivers and streams.  The structure uses a waterwheel with turbinesdriven by the running water. The waterwheel powers the millstone. The grain (wheat or corn) is put into a hopper or a bin. At the side of the stone there was a wooden stick called a “damsel” or a chatter, because of the constant chattering it made against the stone, and its movement agitated the ladle on the bin to ensure a smooth flow of grain into the stones, which turn around and mill. The flour falls into a box or a flour chest.  The millstone consists of even 42 parts, but the basic ones are the top stone or the “runner stone” and the “bed stone”, which is fixed. Together they may weigh up to 600 kg. The grain is milled between the two stones. Once, every village had its watermill, but now industrial mills are used, whose cylindrical and tall silos are a common sight in the countryside. Today, only those who do not want to deny themselves a unique taste of a bread made of flour from an old watermill do it in an old-fashion way.

LANGUAGE

An expression, to draw water to one’s mill means skilfully arrange the circumstances to one’s own benefit.

RELIGION AND TRADITION

Although a necessity, the mills are a bad omen in folk legends. A watermill, like water itself, is dangerous. According to legends, watermill are a work of a devil. The old folk believed that there were demons living in or gathered at mills. In order to protect himself and ensure a normal watermill operation, man resorted to various magical rites.

ART

The watermill in which Мilоvаn Glišić placed his vampire, Sаva Sаvаnоvić,   (a short story After Ninety Years), in the village of Zаrоžје near Bајina Bаšta still stand today.

GEOGRAPHY

Stream watermill , those on the Drina and Morava rivers…