[TheForge] Irish Blacksmith legends

[Daniel Crowther]

Isle of the Demon Smiths:

	Another day as St. Brendan was traversing the ocean, he saw an island near 
him full of houses like forges.  [As they drew near the shore] they heard 
the thunderous working of the bellows being blown, and the pounding of 
hammers forging iron on the anvils.  After this they saw a couple, hideous 
black like the colour of the smiths' charcoal, coming out of the forges, as 
if they were going to do some work or other.
	And when they saw God's people, they turned back into the forges and 
brought out two flaming red ingots of steel from the forge fire which they 
held in tongs in their two hands.  And out of the same forges there issued 
an innumberable hideous and diabolical band carrying red hot ingots in 
tongs to cast at them.  And where these ingots struck the sea it boiled up 
high above them, like a cauldron or pot over a huge fire.

The test of Niall and his brothers:

Version1
	The testing of Niall Noigiallach and his brothers for their fitness for 
the kingship of Ireland.  The advice of a druid is sought in this matter 
and he in turn sends for Sithcenn, a smith from Tara who is also a renowned 
sage and seer.  The sons are taken to Sithcenn's forge and the smith sets 
the smithy on fire in order to see what tools each of the sons will save.
	Niall came out carrying the anvil and its block.  "Niall vanquishes", said 
the druid, "and he will be a solid anvil forever."
	Brian came out next, bringing the [sledge] hammers.  "Brian to your 
fighters", said the druid.
	Then Fiachra came out, bringing a pail of beer and the bellows.  "Our 
beauty and science with Fiachra", said the druid.
	Next came Ailill, with the weapons chest.  "Ailill will avenge you [the 
fallen warriors]!", said the druid.
	Finally, Fergus came out with naught but a bundle of dried wood and a bar 
of yew.  "Fergus the withered!" said the druid.  And in the end that was 
the truth for there was no good seed of Fergus save one....."
	To bear witness that the testing took place and the results were correct, 
the bard sang:
"Eochaid's five sons,
Niall the great anvil,
Brian the sledge-hammer for true striking,
Ailill the chest of spears against a tribe,
Fiachra the blast,
Fergus the withered."

Version2

	Thereafter the five youths are led to the forge with Elg's foremost smith; 
it is set on fire about the sons, somewhat of a hard test that.
	It was then that Eochaid told them to save the blacksmith's chattels even 
as they should achieve the task should Erin of high strength be beneath 
their sway.
	Brian carried out the sledge hammers on his back, Aillil carried out the 
weaponry, Fianchra carried out the water trough, Fergus carried out the 
bundles of well dried fire wood.
	The bellows, the hammers - stout the strength - the block on which the 
anvil stood, aye, and the anvil itself, Niall the noble-modest one alone 
saved.1


On Blacksmiths' Magickal Powers:

	600CE Prayer ascribed to St Patrick
	"I summon today all virtues against spells by women, smiths, and druids".

	When Cormac was born the druid-blacksmith Olc Aiche put five protective 
magic circles about him, against wounding, against drowning, against fire, 
against enchantment, against wolves, that is to say, against every evil.

	The magickal triad that constitutes a blacksmith: Nethin's punch [as in 
"blow" or "strike" not the tool], the fire-pit of the Morrigan, the Dagda's 
anvil.

	Then the men of rank were assembled around Lugh.  He asked his smith, 
Gobniu what power he would wield for them.  "Not hard to say", he 
said.  "Even if the men of Ireland continue the battle [against the 
Formoire] for seven years, for every spear that separates from its shaft or 
sword that break in battle, I will provide a new weapon in its place.  No 
spearpoint  which my hand forges will make a missing cast.  No skin which 
it pierces will taste life afterwards.  Dolb the Formorian smith cannot do 
that.
	[As the battle wore on] one thing that became evident to the Formoire in 
the battle seemed remarkable to them.  Their weapons, their spears; and 
those of their men that were killed did not come back the next day.  That 
this was not the case with the Tuatha deDannaann:  although their weapons 
were blunted one day, they were restored the next because Gobniu the smith 
was in the smithy making swords spears and javelins.  He would make these 
weapons with a mere three strokes.

The Brehon laws about smiths, customers, shop injuries and theft from the 
smithy, tends to be a bit lengthy, so I may do that one a bit later.

Dan Crowther
Oak & Acorn Ancient Metalcrafts
http://www.oakandacorn.com