Hayrack
A hayrack is a freestanding vertical drying rack found chiefly in Slovenia. Hayracks are permanent structures, primarily made of wood, upon which fodder for animals is dried, although their use is not limited to drying hay. Other foodstuffs such as field maize are dried on them as well. Although it is a practical structure, a hayrack is often artistically designed and handcrafted and is regarded by Slovenes as a distinctive form of vernacular architecture that marks Slovene identity.
Distribution
The hayrack can be found throughout Slovenia except in the Prekmurje region, eastern Styria, and the Slovenian Littoral. Similar structures can also be found in Friuli in Italy, and in southern Carinthia and the East Tyrol region of Austria. In German, it is called Harpfe or Köse. Around 80% of all hayracks are found in Slovenia.Names and typology
Slovenian names for the hayrack include kozolec and kazuc, stog, and toplar. Both kozolec and kozuc are probably diminutive forms of kozel 'goat', referring to a branching structure used for holding and drying hay or grain. The word stog also refers to a haystack and is derived from Common Slavic stogъ 'stack, heap'. The word toplar is borrowed from Austrian German Doppler, referring to a double structure in general.Specific varieties of hayrack include:
- Single straight-line hayrack
- Single straight-line hayrack with catslide roof
- Double straight-line hayrack
- Roofed double hayrack
- Roofed double hayrack with one strut
- Roofed double hayrack with two struts
- Roofed double hayrack with extension
- Roofed double hayrack with shed
- Split-level double hayrack