I was wondering about the all heart/pith noticeable in the pictures. Another aspect I see is a lack of score marks such as present in the swing beam Mike posted. Maybe the white wash is just hiding them? It would be interesting to see if the suggested split off sections were used in the roof or elsewhere.
I have seen rafter stock, 2x6 and 2x5, used in rafter stock, they were wipe sawn from wider stock. The knot patterns and saw marks align showing this.
