Haejik

Photo taken and edited by the author.

Haejik is a fabric created from fibers found in the thicker stipe (stems) of certain kinds of seaweed called Eojo, which are also trimmed for food while it is still green. When reaching full growth, these types of seaweed change from green to a vivid yellow. It is at this time that the plant is harvested and processed for fiber making. This growth period can take several years.
While many bast fiber fabrics are typically considered rough when spun and woven, haejik takes on a very smooth texture only slightly less so than silk. It is also good at wicking away moisture, is mildly antimicrobial because of its mineral content, and maintains a light yellow coloration even after being processed.
Haejik is considered quite valuable because of these positive properties and the rarity of the fabric, although it is difficult to dye because of its naturally resistant pigment. The blades (leaves) of the mature, yellow eojo can be processed to create Eojo Dye that, when applied to the haejik, creates a vividly bright orange color that has become associated with royalty.
Green eojo can also be used for making a kind of haejik called “pahaejik”, but the yield is often much smaller and makes a muddy brown fabric. This textile is considered unappealing not just for its color but an association with bad luck because is often made from eojo that were ripped from the seabed by storms or died from grazing pests and washed up on the beach. People who wear it are also often looked down upon by the well-to-do because of the perceived waste involved in its creation because the plant was killed while it was still a potential food source instead of waiting until it fully matured. As such, pahaejik is most often found in the clothing of impoverished sea-dwellers and coastal villages and rarely traded outside of the villages where haejik is made.

Properties

Material Characteristics

This fabric has smooth appearance that is naturally a light yellow color. It is often dyed different shades of green or yellow, though haejik used for the clothing of royalty are typically a rich orange.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Haejik takes on a very smooth texture similar to silk or similar modern artificial fabrics. It is also absorbent, but dries quickly.

Origin & Source

Haejik is made from fibers harvested from the bast layer of eojo stipe.

History & Usage

History

The history of orange haejik being used by royalty started when the first chieftains of the Pahan (the sea dwellers) started wearing a hat made of stiffened haejik and died with this pigment as a sign of their office. Since then, it has generally been considered taboo to wear orange haejik unless one is a ruler or given special permission by the ruler to wear specific gifted articles of clothing.

Everyday use

This fabric is most commonly used to make clothing for the wealthy, though it can also sometimes be used for decorative purposes in places where it might get wet. While too expensive for this purpose normally, it could be used as a form of towel because of its quick-drying and mildly antimicrobial properties.

Cultural Significance and Usage

This material is often worn by the wealthy because of its comfort and value. The rich orange haejik has cultural importance for its connection with leadership and thus is normally only worn by rulers and those given special permission by them.

Refinement

Eojo is processed in a similar manner to that of bast fiber crops like hemp or jute. First left out in the sun to begin to dry for several days, the harvested eojo are left to soak in fresh water for a week or more before being dried out in the sun again. The cells inside containing salt water deep in the stem to expand as they try to equalize their salinity under the water and then shrink again when dried out. This process of retting makes the mechanical removal of the fibers to be much easier. Once the fibers are removed they are processed and spun.

Distribution

Trade & Market

The trade of other colors of haejik is common among the wealthy and well-to-do merchants. It is typically considered a luxury for the middle class and in regions abroad. It is only available for the poor in the form of pahaejik. The producers and weavers of haejik are not considered any more special than any other craftsperson, but the production of the eojo dye is a carefully kept trade secret.

Law & Regulation

The sale and trade of orange haejik textile, thread, or items made from it is often banned or at least heavily regulated in most societies, as it is considered a special product because of its importance.

Type

Textile

Value

Moderate value depending on color and processing, but a high priced export

Rarity

Orange haejik is rare because of the limitations on it's trade, maufacture, and use. Other colors are about as common as real-world silk in East Asia.

Color

Haejik fibers and fabric is natually a light yellow color.

Related Species

• Eojo

Related Items

• Eojo Dye