Threads 76 - Cattails, a.k.a. Cat~o~nine tails

Although rushes are extensively used in England I think cattails are used predominantly in Canada. They have a long history going back to the 1500s. (See book reference below)

 Uses of cattails include medicinal, food supply as well as domestic uses.

The fluff from the seed head, and the long brown ‘ hot dog’ had many uses, from filling pillows and mattresses to providing diapers for babies. According to this book, the fluff was also used in battle to be thrown at the enemy to blind them! 

Later on, the fluff was used to fill lifejackets for the services during the world wars.

 The cat tail leaves were twisted and woven and used for making mats, shelters, and insulation. 

More recently, I have read that the pollen on the seed head is full of goodness, and can be used in the making of muffins, etc. Also, the young shoots when they first appear can be cut and cooked. They taste like asparagus. The roots also contain as much starch as rice and are cooked and mashed like porridge.

There are several references to toys being made from cattails. Dolls can be very simply made as well as ducks which will float down the river. See the photos below. 

By chance, this week, my long-time friend, Mary Young, came to tea with me.  Our discussions on cattails led to this interesting story which she has since sent me for this issue.

“Growing up, I spent my early summers with my family on Gauvreau Lake, near Wakefield Quebec. On the lake, there was a vacation house for priests and for young Catholic men going into the priesthood.

Each evening, we would see a line of six or seven rowboats,  each with four priests rowing a double set of oars around the perimeter of the lake. As they rowed, they sang songs in French or Latin.

The most special night was the annual Fête de Saint Anne. On that evening, they gathered their boats alongside each other next to the island in the center of the lake. In advance, they had soaked dried cattail seed heads in kerosene. As the sun set and the sky darkened, the cattails would be lit aflame and the priests would hold them up as they sang their evening song. It was a beautiful sight from our cottage.``

‘Use of plants, for the past 500 CS years, by Charlotte  Erichsen-Brown (https://www.amazon.com/Use-plants-past-500-years/dp/0969000707)

The fluff from the seed head

Cattail figures for children’s toys.

Cattail duck for children’s toys.