Articles about the blacksmiths. Blacksmithing

The surname Kuznetsov is one of the most common in our country. This suggests that the craft was very popular and honorable in Rus'. And there are millions of Kuznetsov namesakes in the world: Koval, Kovalevsky, Kovalchuk, Schmidt, Smith, Ferran, Kovacs and so on. It is noteworthy that among the British and Americans the most popular surname is "Smith", which is also translated as "blacksmith".

Among the rulers there were many who mastered, or tried to master, blacksmithing. For example, Peter the Great took an active part in the forging of ship anchors at the shipyard in Voronezh. King Charles IX of France personally forged locks and keys, and Louis XIV even had his own forge in the Palace of Versailles.

Since pagan times, among the revered gods were blacksmiths or their descendants associated with the element of fire and the process of iron processing. So Hephaestus is the Greek blacksmith god, Thor is Scandinavian, Woland is European.

In folk beliefs, it is often believed that blacksmiths are known with evil spirits. The word "deceit" comes from the verb "forge". What is the connection? The Slavs considered blacksmithing to be mysterious and incomprehensible. Therefore, blacksmiths were not only respected, but also feared.

Artists and sculptors most often depicted blacksmiths with huge muscles, easily wielding a huge hammer. But, so, most often, not blacksmiths looked like, but hammerers. Their duties differed: the blacksmith supervised the forging process, pointing out to the hammerer the place where the hammer should be struck with a light hammer. Therefore, we can say that the blacksmith performed the intellectual part of the work, and the hammerer did the physical part.

The fun of Irish blacksmiths (or hammerers) eventually turned into a serious sports discipline, which is even included in the program of the Olympic Games. In their spare time, they organized competitions to see who could throw the blacksmith's hammer the farthest. Competitions have become so popular that they are now one of the types of athletics. True, the throwing hammer has undergone major changes, and now it does not resemble a hammer for forging metal.

In Rus' there was a legend about a blacksmith who had excellent health. Every morning he went to the forge, which was located a few miles from the house. In order not to waste time, the blacksmith placed the hut next to the forge. And soon he fell seriously ill. It turns out that daily walks helped to remove harmful substances from the lungs that the blacksmith inhaled during work.

Forges were built on the outskirts of a village or village, there must have been a reservoir nearby. This was due to the fact that blacksmithing was flammable. One spark is enough for the forge to ignite, and after it the neighboring buildings.

The Demidov dynasty of industrialists originates from the Tula blacksmith-gunsmith Nikita Demidov, who made weapons for the amusing troops of young Peter. Demidov's efforts did not disappear, thanks to the location of the king, he became one of the richest people in Russia. It is interesting that the blacksmith's hammer even flaunted on the Demidov family coat of arms.

Russian blacksmiths even had their heavenly patrons - Saints Kosmas and Demyan, whose memorial day the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on November 14. On this day, blacksmiths do not start work, I consider this a great sin. According to folk beliefs, Kosma and Demyan were also blacksmiths, forged plows and distributed them to people so that they would cultivate the land.

There were no windows in the old forges. This was explained by the fact that when forging a product, it is necessary to strictly maintain the temperature regime. And in ancient times, this could only be determined by eye - by the color of the metal. And in the dark forge it was easier to do.

Blacksmith - a master in forging metal. The profession of a blacksmith is one of the most ancient. People were amazed that a blacksmith made valuable things from almost nothing, from a piece of some brown stone. Therefore, many peoples considered the blacksmith a "prophetic person", almost a sorcerer. “You are not supposed to speak with a blacksmith,” says a Finnish proverb. “A thousand blows of a tailor is one blow of 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, trails led to the village smithy. It was always noisy and cheerful near her - the blacksmith did not have to be bored. Passers-by shouted: “Blacksmith, blacksmith, forge happiness for me?”. “What God does not give, the blacksmith will not forge for 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 forge rooms. And not without reason 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, rites and rituals.

The history of the emergence of artistic forging goes back thousands of years. Archaeologists have found forged handmade items that were made about 8 thousand years ago. Mostly they were decorations. And the first mention of blacksmiths and blacksmithing can be 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 for the emergence 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, there was a blacksmith Tubal Cain, who devoted his whole life to blacksmithing. In the Bible, we find references to forged items made by the inventive Tubal Cain, which were used in agriculture and as military tools. 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 so 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, blacksmithing in Rus' began in the 6th-4th centuries. BC. Ancient people beat sponge iron in a cold state with mallets in order to remove all impurities from it. Then they guessed that in order to give the desired shape to the metal, it is better to heat it. The first above-ground ovens appeared in the 10th century, they used air, which was pumped with the help of leather bellows. Furs were inflated by hand. This work made the cooking process very difficult. At the end of the "cooking" of iron, the domnitsa was broken, foreign impurities were removed, and the kritsa was removed from the furnace with a crowbar. In order to carefully forge the hot bloom was captured by ticks. Forging removed slag particles from the surface of the crown and eliminated the porosity of the metal. After that, the kritsu was heated again and put under the hammer. This operation was repeated several times. For a new smelting, the upper part of the house was restored or rebuilt. In later houses, the front part no longer broke, but disassembled, and the molten metal flowed into clay containers.

Old Russian blacksmiths produced a variety of household items, accessories, utensils, etc. Necklaces, rings, pendants, buckles, mantles, clasps, bracelets or parts 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

The Tula Museum of Weapons, located in the 300-year-old Tula Kremlin, has ancient weapons belonging to the era of Genghis Khan.

Today, like many years ago, the products of Tula gunsmiths are very popular not only in Russia, but all over the world. The Instrument Design Bureau develops high-precision weapons for various troops, which are used in the armies of many countries. State-owned enterprises such as Splav are famous for their Uragan, Grad, Smerch multiple launch rocket systems and various civilian products, from medical to printing equipment.

Tula and the Urals became famous for their deposits of various types of metals thanks to the Demidov dynasty. Siberian hunters still use 275-year-old rifles made at the Tula Arms Plant. Nikita Demidovich Antufiev (Antyufeev), who is better known by the surname Demidov, was the owner of a blacksmith shop in Tula. Nikita's father, Demid Grigoryevich, was a peasant from the village of Fallen, 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 for a master blacksmith.

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

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

In 1709, Demidov received the rank of commissar, and in 1720, a nobleman. The coat of arms depicted a hammer, a cone and three ore-finding vines, which reflected the occupation of the Demidov family.

Of course, the role of these artisans in our time is a little 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 - should be done only by hand. And if we consider this in terms of the sector of the economy, 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 workshops 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 team. Its composition depends on the types of work and the equipment used. When hand forging, the blacksmith-hammerer can be assisted by trainees.
In production, the team is led by a foreman.
Who can work as a blacksmith? Of course, a man who is physically strong. He must have good eyesight, an ideal 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, able to draw, prone to applied arts.
At the same time, it is important to take into account the physical loads that the blacksmith has to cope with.
Masters of artistic forging often become graduates of art universities. In particular, in art universities there is a specialty"artistic processing of metals".
Technologies of artistic processing of metals (artistic forging, artistic casting) are taught in metallurgical universities. For example, at the Moscow State Evening Metallurgical Institute.
At 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 the four rings and chain them again. Couldn't the same work be done with fewer rings open?

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

Blacksmith

Podgorny master, miner,
He forges armor and swords.
And never fade
Living fire in his furnace.

It stands at the forge black and dirty,
Metal glorious sorcerer,
But his proud face is beautiful -
The fire of ideas burns in the eyes!

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

Hephaestus is a stubborn student,
He was given talent by God.
Submissive rings in his hands,
Born in fire, damask steel!

Nikolai Zaburunny

"HYMN TO THE BLACKsmithS OF RUSSIA"

poems by Nikolai Lisunts

Blacksmith Union! from those ancient times
We wish to sing glory and honor to you.
Having tamed the fire, and not being burned in it,
They forged native copper.
For fifty centuries their art has been living,
And they also forged gold.
And the temple was skillfully crowned with domes,
shining from afar, like fires!

The blacksmith is the father of all crafts.
Hard worker, warrior and creator!
Any metal he can forge

The blacksmith stood at the origins of technology,
How to melt iron and cast steel,
Having opened 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 weapons of steel we can fight back
What will the blacksmiths make for us with you.

The blacksmith is the father of all crafts.
Hard worker, warrior and creator!
And he does not take skill.

There is a steamer, and a rocket takes off,
The worker's hammer and sickle at the reaper.
And in every detail of the design of this
There is a contribution and a particle of the work of a blacksmith.
Let's multiply the holy, ancient cause,
That requires the strength and skill of two.
Labor hardens a weakened body,
And ours is strengthened by an exalted spirit.

The blacksmith is the father of all crafts.
Hard worker, warrior and creator!
Any metal he can forge,
And he does not take skill.

Mystery

The flame is hot,

Sweat pours from the face

Loudly beats on 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 own happiness.

Each person in relation to their own happiness.

Comedy by the Italian writer P. Aretino.

Malleable master.

Hot metal worker.

The working specialty of the god Hephaestus.

Leskovsky Left-hander by profession.

What was the gypsy Budulai by profession?

Yesenin's poem.

The profession of Gogol's Vakula.

American economist, Nobel laureate (1971).

God Hephaestus by profession.

One of the oldest arts of metalworking is forging. With its help, people created iron products that were necessary and made life easier in ancient times. Smelted devices and tools were especially valued because of their strength and durability. The steel samples of the 5th-6th century AD found in Central Russia speak of the excellent professionalism of blacksmiths.

The excavated artifacts are not only masterfully made, but also skillfully decorated. This is evidenced by the finds of the remains of kitchen utensils and marvelous jewelry.

The advent 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 meteoric iron. The alloy of iron and carbon gave great prospects for the development of many industries, from agriculture to metalworking.

Since ancient times, people have used steel objects both at home and in other areas of activity. Therefore, blacksmithing was so highly revered in society. No wonder folk wisdom says: "The blacksmith is the father of all affairs."

Smith Gods

From early pagan times, gods, demigods-blacksmiths or their descendants, associated with the elements of fire and the process of iron processing, dominated the hierarchy of the gods. We know such patrons of blacksmithing: Hephaestus - the Greek god, Thor - Scandinavian, Woland - European. In folk beliefs, there are blacksmiths - sorcerers, shamans and masters of the fire elements.

In Ancient Rus', we revere Svarog, the blacksmith god sent to Earth to arrange the human universe. Blacksmith assistants were 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 the state of the early period.

The mystery of the transformation of swamp ore

The secrets of ore mining were classified and accessible to a narrow circle, therefore they were overgrown with speculation and rumors. The use of "meteorite iron" in the forges added to this mythicity. He was given a special unearthly origin. The blacksmiths-artisans themselves also caught up with the nebulae. Actions with "unearthly material" were carried out in strict secrecy and were available to units. Even fellow villagers were afraid to show interest in what was going on in the workshops because of fear and superstitious prejudice.

Forges were always 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" determine the level of heating of the metal, which definitely affected the quality of the forged elements.

Temperature regime

It was required to heat up the iron to a temperature of 800-1200 C. Is it a little or a lot? Now such values ​​surprise no one. But in the old days, to achieve such temperatures, it was necessary to spend more than one hour. Steel was obtained by very hard work. Blacksmith apprentices manually inflated leather furs in a melting furnace, and today a pyrometer or thermocouple is used for this purpose.

Myths about master blacksmiths

Looking at the pictures of the forges and the forge, we usually see the image of an inflated hero with a massive sledgehammer in his hands. The torso, bare to the waist, is covered with a leather apron, strong muscles are visible under it. Burning sparks fly out from under the hammer. The representative of the blacksmith profession looks so pretentious in the illustrations. In fact, a person who has been smithing for many years is often wiry and dried out by the daily heat.

The master supervised the forging process - he held the handbrake and gave commands to the apprentice when and where to hit the red-hot workpiece. The whole cycle should take place quickly and smoothly, until the iron has cooled down. Constant blows not only dried the hands of the hammerer, but also led to diseases and deformities of the joints. All this is the cost of working in a hot shop. The work of a blacksmith was harmful and hazardous to health. But despite this, getting into the apprenticeship of an artisan blacksmith was a huge success.

Evgeny Rodin

Forging can rightly 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 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.

1. Hot forging technology is the process of heating the metal to the required temperature, at which it becomes plastic and easily processed mechanically. For iron, this temperature is 1000 degrees. This is not at all small - the same temperature is at the hot lava on the slope of an erupting volcano. The metal is subjected to normalization and hardening. Normalization is the process of heating followed by slow cooling in air. Hardening is a process in which a heated metal is instantly cooled with cold water.
2. Ability to craft items artistic forging has always been considered difficult, the experience of a blacksmith came only after years of work. In order to determine the properties of the metal, the master paid attention to the type of sparks that were knocked 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.
3. Today, the production of forged products begins with computer 3D modeling. With its help, even before working with metal, you can select the required processing modes and equipment for production.
4. Every year Donetsk hosts an international festival. The best samples 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, fantastic trees.
5. It is curious that the word "forge" and "deceit" have the same root. The craft of a blacksmith was considered not just 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 your own destiny" are now interpreted in a positive way.
6. The legends about blacksmiths originate in theogony. The first blacksmith was the god Hephaestus from the Greek Mount Olympus. He forged lightning bolts for Zeus, which always hit the intended target. The ancient Romans had the god Vulcan, who controlled the elements of fire and was considered the patron of blacksmiths. According to the legend of the ancient Slavs, he taught art forging the god Svarog, who made the first plow for agriculture in his divine forge. In Christianity, blacksmiths are patronized by Kuzma and Demyan.
7. Mastery artistic forging Throughout its history, it has remained one of the most revered. No wonder one of the most common surnames in the world comes from the word blacksmith. It sounds different in different languages, but it means the same thing. These are the Russian Kuznetsovs and Kovalevs, and the Ukrainian Kovalenkos, and the German Schmidts, and the Smiths from England, and the French Ferran. More than six million people around the world have a surname associated with the art of forging.

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

Horseshoe for good luck

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

Where did the cult of the horseshoe originate? The legend of St. Dunstan was born in the British Isles. The latter, they say, worked as a blacksmith, and somehow the unclean one himself appeared to him with a request to shoe a hoof. Dunstan supposedly agreed. 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 a house with a horseshoe nailed over the door.

Horseshoes from "iron" craftsmen were needed both by carters and wagon owners. The blacksmiths were engaged in the manufacture of tires for wheels, for which a special device was arranged next to the forge - the “tensioner”. Shoeing the wheel for the carts, the blacksmith warmed up the tire and put it on the wheel. The tire, cooling down, tightened the wooden arcs on the spokes, then they were fixed with rivets.

Blacksmiths never sat idle. They also made a wide variety of household items - locks, hecks, sheds, crosses ...

Masters enjoyed honor among fellow countrymen, who surprised their fellow villagers with intricately made iron “wisps”. Many blacksmiths took a great interest. So, in many areas of Meshchera, forged chests, decorated with marvelous ornaments, were valued.

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

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

"Savvy" love

Since the 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 among the magi - in Slavonic - priests. Blacksmiths-magicians were considered 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 mere mortals were usually made not of gold, but of iron or copper. Only the elite that existed at all times could afford golden rings.

During the ceremony, they sang songs about a blacksmith forging a wedding crown. At the games, the guys dressed as blacksmiths “shod the girls” - lifted their legs with the help of pincers, and also beat with a hammer on a stick attached to the foot, as if on an anvil. Of course, all make-believe. Then the custom left, but the common expression “to shoe a girl” remained - this was the name for entering into an extramarital affair with a girl, which was rare among our ancestors and, of course, was not encouraged.

"Witch" craft

There was also a saying: "The blacksmith forges, and the toad substitutes his foot." 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 possible for someone who used otherworldly help.

In Russian folk tales, the devil is such an assistant for a blacksmith. Thanks to witchcraft skills, a blacksmith could reforge a person’s voice - make a voice out of a rough one, reforge an old man into a young man, “squeeze” illness or “pinch” misfortune with tongs, forge a talisman for good luck or an amulet to protect against evil forces ... Finally, he had power over the same hell, forcing him to stop his evil deeds.

Forge of your happiness

Near the villages, as usual, people were always spinning. They even came there without much to do, just to scratch their tongues. No wonder Alexander Tvardovsky in the poem "For the distance - the distance" wrote about the rural forge, which he remembered from childhood:

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

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