Unusual and surprising facts in the blacksmith profession. Seven interesting facts about forging. poems by Nikolai Lisunts

One of the most ancient arts of metal processing is forging. With its help, people created iron products, necessary and facilitating the life of distant times. Smelted fixtures and tools were especially prized for their strength and durability. Steel samples from the 5th-6th centuries AD found in Central Russia speak of the excellent professionalism of the blacksmiths.

The unearthed artifacts are not only expertly crafted, but also elaborately decorated. This is evidenced by the finds of the remains of kitchen utensils and marvelous decorations.

The appearance of iron

The first materials used in forging were natural gold and copper nuggets. Later, experimenting with alloys, blacksmiths smelted bronze. An important discovery and breakthrough in science and weaponry was the processing of meteorite iron. The alloy of iron and carbon gave a great perspective in the development of many industries, from agriculture to metalworking.

Since ancient times, people have used steel objects both in domestic life and in other areas of activity. Therefore, blacksmithing was so highly revered in society. It is not for nothing that folk wisdom says: "The blacksmith is the father of all matters."

Blacksmith gods

From early pagan times, gods, demigods-smiths or their descendants associated with the element of fire and the process of processing iron were dominant in the hierarchy of gods. We know of such patrons of the blacksmith's craft: Hephaestus - the Greek god, Thor - Scandinavian, Woland - European. In popular beliefs there are blacksmiths - sorcerers, shamans and masters of the elements of fire.

In Ancient Russia, we revere Svarog - the god-blacksmith, sent to Earth to organize the human universe. The blacksmith assistants were the priests of Svarog. They are endowed in the historical epic with positive characteristics of heroes: unprecedented strength, excellent courage and incredible endurance. Forged items were highly valued, hence the great authority of the blacksmith in the community and state of the early period.

The mystery of the transformation of swamp ore

The secrets of ore mining were classified and available to a narrow circle, therefore, they were overgrown with speculation and rumors. The use of "meteorite iron" in the forges added to this myth. He was given a special unearthly origin. The blacksmiths themselves were catching up with the nebulae. Actions with "unearthly material" were carried out in strict secrecy and were available to a few. Even fellow villagers were afraid to show interest in what was happening in the workshops due to fear and superstitious prejudices.

Forges have always been erected on the outskirts of the settlement, due to fire safety, as well as near the reserves of ore and coal. They were built dug into the ground. There were no windows in the room. In such a structure, it is convenient to maintain the desired temperature. The twilight helped the craftsman "by eye" to determine the level of heating of the metal, which definitely influenced the quality of the forged elements.

Temperature regime

It was required to heat the iron up to a temperature of 800-1200 C. Is it a little or a lot? Now such values are not surprising to anyone. But in the old days, in order to achieve such temperatures, it was necessary to spend more than one hour. Steel was obtained with very hard work. Apprentice blacksmiths manually inflated leather furs in a smelting furnace, and today a pyrometer or thermocouple is used for this purpose.

Myths about master blacksmiths

Examining pictures of smithies and forges, we usually see an image of a pumped-up hero with a massive sledgehammer in his hands. The torso, stripped to the waist, is covered with a leather apron, and strong muscles are visible underneath. Burning sparks fly out from under the hammer. This is how the representative of the blacksmith's profession looks pathetic in the illustrations. In fact, a man who has been forging for many years is often wiry and dried out by the heat of the day.

The master supervised the forging process - he held the handbrake and gave instructions to the apprentice when and where to hit the red-hot workpiece. The entire cycle should occur quickly and smoothly until the iron has cooled. Constant blows not only dried the hands of the hammer, but also led to diseases and deformation of the joints. All these are the costs of working in a hot shop. The work of a blacksmith was harmful and hazardous to health. But despite this, it was a great success to become an apprentice to a craftsman-blacksmith.

Evgeny Rodin

Forging can rightfully be considered the most ancient method of metal processing. The most ancient blacksmiths lived in Asia: this craft originates in ancient Persia and Mesopotamia. The first forged products are considered household items associated with the hearth, and tools for cultivating the land, tools and weapons. Then, in this way, they began to make horseshoes, horse harnesses, as well as military armor.

Hot forging technology is the process of heating the metal to the required temperature at which it becomes ductile and easily machined mechanically. For iron, this temperature is 1000 degrees. This is quite a lot - the same temperature is at the hot lava on the slope of an erupting volcano. The metal is normalized and quenched. Normalization is a heating process followed by slow cooling in air. Quenching is a process in which a heated metal is instantly cooled with cold water.
Ability to craft items artistic forging it was always considered difficult, experience came to a blacksmith only after years of work. In order to determine the properties of the metal, the master paid attention to the type of sparks that came out of it, and the types of faults. In the absence of high-tech equipment, the heating of the metal was controlled only by the experience of the blacksmith and his intuition. The master determined the temperature by the color of the hot workpiece.
Today, the production of forged products begins with 3D computer modeling. With its help, even before working with metal, you can select the required processing modes and equipment for production.
An international festival is held in Donetsk every year. The best examples of forged products remain after him in the park of forged figures. The first exhibit of the open-air museum was a basket with groves. Now the park has gazebos, an alley of zodiac signs, an alley of fairy tales, a football cup, and fantastic trees.
It is curious that the word "forge" and "deceit" have the same root. The craft of the blacksmith was considered not only difficult, but mysterious and almost magical. "Deceit" used to mean a mystical skill, and only later acquired a negative connotation, meaning malicious intent. And such expressions as "forge their own destiny" are now being interpreted in a positive way.
Legends about blacksmiths originate in theogony. The first blacksmiths master was the god Hephaestus from the Greek Olympus. He forged lightning for Zeus, which always hit the intended target. The ancient Romans had the god Vulcan, who controlled the element of fire and was considered the patron saint of blacksmiths. According to the legend of the ancient Slavs, he taught art forging god Svarog, who made the first plow for agriculture in his divine forge. In Christianity, blacksmiths are patronized by Kuzma and Demyan.
Craftsmanship artistic forging throughout its history it has remained one of the most revered. No wonder one of the most common surname in the world comes from the word blacksmith. It sounds different in different languages, but it means one thing. These are the Russian Kuznetsovs and Kovalevs, and the Ukrainian Kovalenko, and the German Schmidts, and the Smiths from England, and the French Ferrand. More than six million people around the world have a surname associated with the art of forging.

Blacksmith - a master of metal forging. The profession of a blacksmith is one of the most ancient. People were amazed that a blacksmith made valuable things almost from “nothing”, from a piece of some kind of brown stone. Therefore, many peoples considered the blacksmith a "prophetic person", almost a sorcerer. “It’s not supposed to talk to a blacksmith,” notes a Finnish proverb. “A thousand blows from a tailor - one blow from a blacksmith,” the Uzbeks said respectfully.

Blacksmithing and the profession of a blacksmith have always been held in high esteem. From everywhere in every village or settlement, paths led to the rural smithy. It was always noisy and fun around her - the blacksmith did not have to be bored. Passers-by shouted: "Blacksmith, and blacksmith, forge me happiness?" “What God does not give, the blacksmith will not forge you,” was the answer from the forge. Since ancient times, people have learned how to extract iron from swamp ore and process it in special premises, forges. And it was not for nothing that their roofs were decorated with small iron cockerels. After all, blacksmithing was associated with fire, and therefore with mystery, legends and myths, legends and beliefs, ceremonies and rituals.

The history of the emergence of artistic forging has thousands of years. Archaeologists have found handmade forged items that were made about 8 thousand years ago. These were mainly decorative items. And the first mentions of blacksmiths and blacksmith's craft are found in ancient Greek myths. For the crucifixion of Prometheus on the Caucasian rock, the divine blacksmith Hephaestus forged nails. This mention is considered to be the starting point of the birth of artistic forging and blacksmithing. An interesting fact is that the name of Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve, has an etymology of origin directly related to blacksmithing, and means "blacksmith". Among the descendants of Cain was the blacksmith Tuvalkain, who devoted his whole life to the blacksmith's craft. In the Bible, we find mentions of forged products made by the inventive Tuvalcain, which were used in agriculture and as weapons of war. Artistic blacksmithing is also mentioned in the description of entire quarters in Jerusalem, such quarters, as a rule, were inhabited exclusively by blacksmiths. There is a story about the construction of the Jerusalem Temple under King Shlomo, and this is one of the first mentions of the work of blacksmiths in the construction of walls. Blacksmiths made doors, gates, locks and bolts.

As the story goes, they began to engage in blacksmithing in Russia in the 6th-4th centuries. BC. Ancient people beat spongy iron with mallets in a cold state to remove all impurities from it. Then they figured out that in order to give the metal the desired shape, it was better to heat it. The first ground-based stoves appeared in the 10th century, they used air that was pumped with leather bellows. The bellows were manually inflated. This work made the brewing process very difficult. At the end of the "cooking" of iron, the furnace was broken, impurities were removed, and the chicken was removed from the furnace with a crowbar. In order to thoroughly forge the hot chicken, it was captured by ticks. Forging removed slag particles from the surface of the die and eliminated the porosity of the metal. After that, the chicken was again heated and placed under the hammer. This operation was repeated several times. For a new smelting, the upper part of the blast furnace was restored or rebuilt. In later houses, the front part no longer broke, but was dismantled, and the molten metal flowed into clay containers.

Old Russian blacksmiths produced a variety of things needed in everyday life, accessories, utensils, etc. Necklaces, rings, pendants, buckles, mantles, clasps, bracelets or details of horse harness, door locks, hinges for chests and caskets, and fetters for them, battle axes, helmets, swords, chain mail - all this and much more was the result of the work of blacksmiths , true masters of their craft.

The famous blacksmith - Nikita Demidov

In the Tula Museum of Weapons, located in the 300-year-old Tula Kremlin, there is an ancient weapon belonging to the era of Genghis Khan.

Today, as well as many years ago, the products of Tula gunsmiths are very popular not only in Russia, but all over the world. The Instrument Design Bureau is developing precision weapons for various troops, which are used in the armies of many countries. Such state-owned enterprises as "Splav" are famous for multiple launch rocket systems "Hurricane", "Grad", "Smerch" and various products for peaceful purposes, from medical to printing equipment.

Tula and the Urals gained fame for deposits of various types of metals thanks to the Demidov dynasty. Siberian hunters still use 275-year-old rifles made at the Tula Arms Factory. Nikita Demidovich Antufiev (Antufeev), who is better known under the name Demidov, was the owner of a blacksmith's workshop in Tula. Nikita's father, Demid Grigorievich, was a peasant from the village of Pavshiy, located 20 versts from Tula. In the late 1660s, he was a blacksmith in the Tula settlement, and was engaged in the manufacture of gun barrels. His son Nikita began his career as a worker with a master - a blacksmith.

Peter I, met Nikita Demidov during one of his visits to Tula. The blacksmith distinguished himself when fulfilling the tsarist order (three hundred halberds were forged and already brought to Voronezh a month later). Demidov and in the future more than once surprised Peter with his skill, which influenced the Tsar's disposition towards him.

In 1694-1695, Demidov created his first plant in Tula, and in 1702 Peter I gave him and his family the Nevyansk ironworks for 20 years, which, during the Northern War, produced and supplied weapons and ammunition for the Russian army.

In 1709 Demidov received the rank of commissar, and in 1720 he was promoted to the rank of noble. The coat of arms depicted a hammer, a shishak and three mining vines, which reflected the occupation of the Demidov family.

Of course, the role of these artisans in our time is slightly less than in the old days, since many processes are mechanized and people who make metal objects today do not have to be blacksmiths. But still, decorative elements - such as awnings, fences, fences, railings, gates, wrought-iron furniture and interior items - must be made only by hand. And if we consider this in terms of the economic sector, then a solid segment of the national economy comes out.
If in the old days the forge was the main place of work, now, as a result of industrialization, many blacksmiths work in the shops of enterprises.
Although there are still forges, where craftsmen are engaged, as a rule, in artistic forging and casting.
Often in blacksmith shops and forges they work as a brigade. Its composition depends on the types of work and the equipment used. In hand forging, the hammer smith can be assisted by trainees.
The production team is led by a foreman.
Who can work as a blacksmith? Of course, a person who is physically strong. He must have good eyesight, a perfect eye, the ability to tolerate high temperatures, visual memory. And, as the blacksmiths themselves say, for successful work you need to be able to feel the material.
Artistic forging is usually done by people who are artistically gifted, who know how to draw, who are inclined to engage in applied arts.
At the same time, it is important to take into account the physical activity that the blacksmith has to cope with.
Graduates of art universities often become masters of art forging. In particular, there is a specialty in art universities"Artistic metal processing".
Metallurgical metalworking technologies (artistic forging, artistic casting) are taught at metallurgical universities. For example, at the Moscow State Evening Metallurgical Institute.
In the School of Blacksmithing at the same university, you can get a specialty"Blacksmith-artist".

Problem

The blacksmith was brought five chains, three links in each, and instructed to connect them into one chain. The blacksmith decided to open four rings and chain them again. Can't you do the same job with fewer rings?

(Answer: You can open three links of one chain, and then use these links to connect the four remaining pieces.)

Blacksmith

Piedmont master, miner,
He forges armor and swords.
And never goes out
Living fire in his furnace.

Stands by the forge is black and dirty,
Glorious sorcerer of metal,
But his proud face is beautiful -
The fire of ideas burns in the eyes!

He is the lord of fire and steel.
Always at work, always in sweat.
Under the resounding rumble of the anvil
He forges beauty for people.

Hephaestus is a stubborn disciple,
He was given talent from God.
The submissive rings in his hands,
Born in the fire, damask!

Nikolay Zaburunny

"ANTHEM TO THE FORMERS OF RUSSIA"

poems by Nikolai Lisunts

Union of Blacksmiths! from the times of those ancient
We wish you the glory and honor to sing.
Having tamed the fire, and did not burn out in it,
They forged native copper.
Their art has lived for fifty centuries,
And they also forged gold.
And the temple was crowned with domes skillfully,
shining from afar, like lights!

The blacksmith is the father of all crafts.
A hard worker, warrior and creator!
He can forge any metal

The blacksmith was at the origin of technology,
How to melt iron and cast steel,
Opening the way for many professions,
As in the forge of personnel - forge victories.
And if the enemy wants to mock
Over our history and over the country
With steel weapons we can fight back
What the blacksmiths will make for us with you.

The blacksmith is the father of all crafts.
A hard worker, warrior and creator!
And he has no skill.

There is a steamer and a rocket takes off
Worker's hammer and sickle at the reaper.
And in every detail of the construction of this
There is a contribution and a particle of the work of a blacksmith.
Let's multiply the holy, ancient deed,
That requires the strength and skill of two.
Forces a weakened body with labor,
And ours strengthens an exalted spirit.

The blacksmith is the father of all crafts.
A hard worker, warrior and creator!
He can forge any metal,
And he has no skill.

Mystery

The flame burns with heat

Sweat is pouring from my face

Soundly hits steel

Hammer...

(Blacksmith.)

Quiz

This man, according to the duty of his profession, had to have a beard, as well as the habit of working in the twilight.

Each of us in relation to our happiness.

Each person is in relation to their own happiness.

Comedy by the Italian writer P. Aretino.

A malleable master.

Hot metal master.

Working specialty of the god Hephaestus.

Leskovsky Lefty by profession.

Who was the gypsy Budulai by profession?

Yesenin's poem.

Profession of Gogol's Vakula.

American economist, Nobel laureate (1971).

God Hephaestus by profession.

Forging- This is one of the most ancient and widely used methods of metal processing. Back in the 4-3 millennium BC. first cold and then hot forging appeared in ancient Iran, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Some household items, tools, agricultural implements, as well as armor, weapons and horse harnesses were made from iron through forging.

Forging is one of the oldest and most widely used methods of metal processing. Back in the 4-3 millennium BC. first cold and then hot forging appeared in ancient Iran, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Some household items, tools, agricultural implements, as well as armor, weapons and horse harnesses were made from iron through forging. Artistic forging in Naberezhnye Chelny is done in the same way.

Iron it lends itself to processing worse than some other metals, therefore it must be heated to a high temperature (about 1000 ºС) in order to obtain the required shape. It is difficult to imagine, but approximately the same temperature has lava, which begins to descend along the slopes of the volcano.

Worldwide one of the most common surnames comes from blacksmithing. The blacksmith was a very famous and necessary person in every village, so surnames on this basis appeared everywhere. Russian Kuznetsov, Kovalev, Kovalchuk, Ukrainian Koval, Kovalenko, Polish Kovalsky, German Schmidt, English Smith, Spanish Herrero, French Ferran are some of the most common surnames in different countries.

From the word "forge" the noun "deceit" happened. The ancient Slavs considered the craft of a blacksmith incomprehensible and mysterious. A blacksmith or "trickster" forges kovy, fetters. The phrase "to build kovy" was also interpreted as intrigue, and "to knit fetters" means to entangle. Initially, the word "deceit" meant wisdom, skill. Later, the meaning of the word changed, "insidiousness" began to denote malicious plans, intentions. At the same time, the expressions “forge your own happiness” or “forge your destiny” have a positive meaning.

In the twentieth century with the development of heavy industry, the forging process became simpler, manual art forging was supplanted by rolling and stamping production, and welded structures came to replace it

In our century standard products and their mass production, artistic forging is one of the last surviving crafts that have come down to us. Each creation of artistic forging is made by hand by a blacksmith, and the quality and perfection of the final product largely depends on his skill and imagination.

Annually in Donetsk the International Blacksmithing Festival is taking place. The best works of blacksmithing art remain in the park as a gift to the city. More than 70 works have already been collected here, including a glade of fairy-tale heroes, gazebos of lovers, an alley of zodiac signs. Looking at these creations, you understand that only a talented person can breathe life into metal. In Minsk, city parks and squares also have their own forged characters: a grandmother with seeds, a postman, a girl with an umbrella, etc.

With the coming into our lives personal computers, the manufacture of unique and complex forged products is not complete without computer three-dimensional simulation. This technology allows you to select the necessary technologies, equipment and blanks for the future forged product even before the start of production.

The belief that a horseshoe brings happiness is one of the most common superstitions. However, the magical properties of horseshoes were known in ancient times, when they were sold not in souvenir shops, as today, but blacksmiths forged in forges ... And, of course, it could not do without magic.

Horseshoe for luck

If someone found it on the road, it was nailed above the door with the ends up. This was explained by the fact that the devil, from which, in fact, the horseshoe was supposed to protect, walks in circles. So, having reached the end of the horseshoe, he will turn around and turn back.

Where did the horseshoe cult come from? The legend of St. Dunstan was born in the British Isles. The latter, they say, worked as a blacksmith, and somehow the unclean himself came to him with a request to shoe a hoof. Dunstan allegedly agreed to appear. But in fact, he chained the "client" to the wall, so tightly that he even asked for mercy. Then the saint promised to release him if he swore that he would never enter the house over the door of which a horseshoe was nailed.

Both the carts and the owners of the wagons needed horseshoes from the "iron" masters. Blacksmiths were engaged in the manufacture of tires for wheels, for which a special device was arranged next to the forge - a "tensioner". Shoeing the wheel to the carts, the blacksmith warmed up the tire and put it on the wheel. The tire, cooling down, pulled together the wooden arcs on the spokes, then they were fastened with rivets.

Blacksmiths have never been out of work. They also made a wide variety of household items - locks, latches, awnings, crosses ...

The masters, who astonished fellow villagers with fancifully made iron "wizards", enjoyed honor among their fellow countrymen. A lot of blacksmiths were carried away. So, in many areas of Meshchera, forged chests decorated with marvelous ornaments were valued.

Basically, each smithy specialized in products of one kind. This depended on the inclinations of the blacksmith and the demand from the surrounding residents. So, in Vasyukovka of the Shatura region of the Moscow region, horseshoes, hoops for barrels, notches for millstones were forged. And in the nearby Varyukovka, axles for mill wheels, millstones, grindstones, tongs and tongs were made.

Often, forges were located near dams where water mills were located; the water turned the millstones and fanned the bellows.

"Savvy" love

Since blacksmiths dealt with fire and iron - two of the main natural elements, they were known as people associated with otherworldly forces. It was believed that a blacksmith could “forge” happiness for lovers or “forge” a “strong wedding” for the bride and groom. The ancient Slavs often ranked blacksmiths as magi - in Slavic - priests. Magi blacksmiths were the patrons of marriage and played an important role in wedding rituals. For example, they were engaged in forging wedding rings, which in the old days for ordinary mortals were usually made not of gold, but of iron or copper. Only the elite that existed at all times could afford gold rings.

During the time they sang sub-dish songs about a blacksmith forging a wedding crown. At the games, the guys dressed up as blacksmiths "shod the girls up" - they lifted their legs with the help of pincers, and also beat them with a hammer on a stick, put to the foot, like on an anvil. Of course, all for fun. Then the custom disappeared, but the common expression "to shoe a girl" remained - this was the name for entering into an extramarital affair with a girl, which was a rarity among our ancestors and, of course, was not encouraged.

"Witchcraft" craft

There was also a saying: "The blacksmith forges, and the toad substitutes his leg." Let us recall the legendary Lefty from the story of Nikolai Leskov, who managed to shoe a flea. Although in this work there are no hints of any mysticism (except perhaps the very fact of shoeing a flea), it is clear that this could only be done by someone who used otherworldly help.

In Russian folk tales, the devil is such an assistant for the blacksmith. Thanks to witchcraft skills, a blacksmith could forge a voice to a person - make a thin man out of a rough, forge an old man into a young man, use forceps to "squeeze" a disease or "pinch" trouble, forge a talisman for happiness or an amulet to protect against evil forces ... Finally, he had power over the same damn it, forcing him to stop his evil deeds.

The blacksmith of his own happiness

Near the countryside, as usual, people were always spinning. They came there even without much work, just scratching their tongues. It is not without reason that Alexander Tvardovsky, in his poem "Beyond the Distance - Far", wrote about the village smithy, which he remembered from childhood:

On that little particle of light
She was for everyone around
The club of the time, and the newspaper
And the Academy of Sciences.

“Blacksmith, blacksmith, forge me happiness,” the girl asked. “What God does not give, dear, the blacksmith will not forge you,” the traveler sighed. And then from the cart, the wheels of which were already dressed in brand new iron tires, was heard: "Everyone is a blacksmith of his own happiness!" And so this proverb went around the world.