#mills

One of the restrictions imposed on the miller was the prohibition against shaking off flour. Failure to follow this rule could result in the miller contracting a fever and experiencing "a lifetime of shaking."

A windmill in black and white.

In these cases, the victims were not only bread, but also livestock and people. If cats began to disappear or horses died in the village, the peasants attributed this to the construction of the mill. They believed that the miller had promised these animals to the water spirit in exchange for the safety of his structure. In the peasant environment, there were widespread stories about how miller would lure late-night travelers and push them into a whirlpool or under the mill wheel. Otherwise, according to the beliefs, the miller himself could drown or the mill could collapse.

According to the peasants, a common sacrifice during the construction of a mill was a portion of the grain they brought for grinding. There was even a concept known as "setting the mill on the ninth grain." This meant that a ninth part of the grain would be continuously given to the water spirit in exchange for its assistance in the work.

In case of difficult childbirth, the mother is sprayed with water from the wheel to help the baby come out faster. It was believed that one could remove a person's evil spirits by throwing their clothes into the water beneath the mill.