blacksmith phrases, history, traditions, and stories

[habu68]

Let's start a string of blacksmith phrases, history, traditions and stories. It could be as simple as "striking while the iron is hot" or "too many irons in the fire", luck of the horse shoe, loosing ones temper or Blacksmith weddings.

some thoughts on the hammer and gavel to "Strike a deal" , "hammer out a deal"

These are good subjects to hold a crowd when doing a demo and add to the fun of our trade.

[pete46]

Let's Forge Ahead With This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ThomasPowers]

"St Dunstan as the story goes
Once grabbed the Devil by the nose
with red hot tongs which made him roar
that could be heard 5 miles or more"

A bit of nonsense verse I read about 30 years ago that has stuck with me.

There are a number of Irish tales about blacksmiths; but they are a bit long to type in...I'll see if I can dig up the cites.

[irnsrgn]

we did this same thing a long time ago, http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f8/blacksmith-influence-1223/

[habu68]

Gretna Green
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gretna Green is a small village on the west coast in the south of Scotland.[1] It is in Dumfries and Galloway, near the mouth of the River Esk, and has a railway station serving both Gretna Green and Gretna.[1] The Quintinshill rail crash, with 227 deaths the worst rail crash in Britain, occurred near Gretna Green in 1915. Another interesting fact about Gretna green is that one of the telluric ley lines that traverses Scotland known as the "Rose Line" begins there at the border and continues up through the center of Scotland. It also passes through Rosslyn Chapel. Gretna Green is a wonderful, rich, cultural treasure that features often in folklore and history.

Gretna Green is distinct from the larger nearby town of Gretna.[1] Both are alongside the M74 and both are very near to the border of Scotland with England.[1]

Gretna is the home of the football team Gretna F.C..

[edit] Marriage

Its main claim to fame are the Blacksmith's Shops, where many runaway marriages were performed. These began in 1753 when an Act of Parliament, Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act, was passed in England, which stated that if both parties to a marriage were not at least 21 years old, then consent to the marriage had to be given by the parents. This Act did not apply in Scotland where it was possible for boys to get married at 14 and girls at 12 years old with or without parental consent. Since 1929 both parties have had to be at least 16 years old but there is still no consent needed. In England and Wales the ages are now 16 with consent and 18 without. In addition, English law required the "asking of the banns" (periodic announcements of an impending marriage, with an invitation for anybody who knew of a reason the parties could not marry to state the reason) or, later, the advance issuance of a license for a marriage to be legal; this allowed people who opposed a marriage—even one that could be performed legally—to know that it was planned, and thus possibly to prevent it.

This led to many elopers fleeing England and making for the first Scottish village they came to — Gretna Green. The Old blacksmith's shop, built around 1712, and Gretna Hall Blacksmiths Shop 1710 became, in popular folklore at least, the focal point for the marriage trade. The Old Blacksmiths opened to the public as a visitor attraction as early as 1887.

The local blacksmith and his anvil have become the lasting symbols of Gretna Green weddings. Scottish law allowed for 'irregular marriages', meaning that, so long as a declaration was made, in front of two witnesses, almost anybody had the authority to conduct the marriage ceremony. The local blacksmiths in Gretna became known as 'anvil priests'. As a "forger", the blacksmith marries hot metal to metal over the anvil, in the same way the anvil priests forged a union between couples who had eloped in love.

Gretna's two Blacksmiths shops and countless Inns and smallholding became the backdrops for hundreds of thousands of weddings. Today, Gretna Green remains one of the most popular wedding venues in the world, and thousands of couples still come from all over the world to be married 'over the anvil' at Gretna Green.

In law, Gretna Green marriage came to mean a marriage transacted in a jurisdiction that was not the residence of the parties being married, in order to avoid restrictions or procedures imposed by the parties' home jurisdiction. A famous Gretna marriage was the second marriage in 1826 of Edward Gibbon Wakefield to the young heiress Ellen Turner, the Shrigley Abduction.

In 1856 Scottish law was changed to require 21 days residence for marriage, and a further law change was made in 1940. Other Scottish Border villages previously used for these marriages were Coldstream Bridge, Lamberton, Mordington and Paxton Toll.

But today, possibly as many as one of every six Scottish weddings still take place at Gretna Green or in the town of Gretna.

[SwagedSoul]

Strike while the iron is HOT!

[Joseff]

Much of this has the ring of truth
Joseff

[skunkriv]

test your mettle

Main Entry: met

[Joseff]

This may test my mettle, but I have too many irons in the fire as it is. Probably the terms quench and slake have smith origins as well.
Joseff

[Marc]

Try not to lose your temper.

[anglesmith]

"He hasn't struck a blow since he started here" or "Come on, strike a blow"
Graeme

[Hofi]

''hit The Nail On His Head''--- Speak To The Point
''stright Like A Nail'' ---- Honest Prrson
''last Nail In The Coffin'' --the Smallthing That Created The Disaster
''your Wife Is As Beautyful As A Bag Full Of Nails''-- Your Wif Is Ugly (english Phrase)
'' Nail You ''
''to Find A Nail In The Low Tide''-- To Achive A God Thing (duch Phrase)
'' To Be Between The Hammer And The Anvil''--- To Be In A Big Distres
'' Tong Is Done With A Tong'' --to Achive Someting You Have To Start With Somting Else

Hofi

[Neal L]

I recently heard a politician us this phrase may times "I will forge a plan". Thing is, I dont' think the politician ever said what that plan was......but that is normal for a politician.

[firefarm39]

Does anyone have any idea where the term "slack tub" comes from? I suspect it may be a permutation of "slake", as in to quench, but have no evidence to prove it.

[John McPherson]

Had a strapping lad today trying to use a letter set and 2lb brass hammer to make an ID# on a weld test pipe. He just would not strike hard enough to get a good imprint. He kept trying to put the stamp back on the same spot to make it deeper, and it would bounce around. So I took the hammer and stamp, swatted it just once, hard.

Then I told him, "You only get one chance to make a good first impression." He had no more problems with the stamp set. And he passed his weld test. :D

[Rcrew]

Dead as a door nail.

[Strine]

To beat the daylights out of something....from straightening something on the anvil until no daylight can be seen between anvil and the once bent piece.

[Ferrous Beuler]

Billy blacksmith took an axe, gave his mother forty whacks. When he'd seen what he had done he gave his father forty one...

[Dodge]

Billy blacksmith took an axe, gave his mother forty whacks. When he'd seen what he had done he gave his father forty one...

Similar was said of Lizzy Borden; "Lizzy Borden took and axe and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one!" :D

[Frank Turley]

"St Dunstan as the story goes
Once grabbed the Devil by the nose
with red hot tongs which made him roar
that could be heard 5 miles or more"

A bit of nonsense verse I read about 30 years ago that has stuck with me.

There are a number of Irish tales about blacksmiths; but they are a bit long to type in...I'll see if I can dig up the cites.

A friend gave me a "retablo" with a picture of St. Dunstan grabbing the devil's nose. In New Mexico, a retablo is a flat board upon which saints are painted. They are hung on the walls of many homes. The following is written on the reverse of this commercial retablo. "St. Dunston Patron of Blacksmiths, Jewelers Armorers and Locksmiths. Dunstan was archbishop of Canterbury in the 10th Century. He was banished by King Edwy for accusing the king of having sex! During his exile he took up blacksmithing. The devil came to him in the guise of a woman. Dunstan recognized the devil and caught him by the nose with his tongs. In 957 he was restored to office by the new king Edgar."

http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools

[Frank Turley]

"En la casa de herrero,
Cuchilla herrumbrosa."

In the house of the blacksmith,
A rusty knife.

"En la casa de herrero,
Cuchara de palo."

In the house of the blacksmith,
A wooden spoon.

[Ian]

A friend gave me a "retablo" with a picture of St. Dunstan grabbing the devil's nose. In New Mexico, a retablo is a flat board upon which saints are painted. They are hung on the walls of many homes. The following is written on the reverse of this commercial retablo. "St. Dunston Patron of Blacksmiths, Jewelers Armorers and Locksmiths. Dunstan was archbishop of Canterbury in the 10th Century. He was banished by King Edwy for accusing the king of having sex! During his exile he took up blacksmithing. The devil came to him in the guise of a woman. Dunstan recognized the devil and caught him by the nose with his tongs. In 957 he was restored to office by the new king Edgar."

http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools

I work just across the road from St Dunstan's Church in Stepney Green, London :D

[ThomasPowers]

Sounds like a good friend Frank!

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

"Beat it kid"!

"A man of many vises"!

I was going to put a wreath on my anvil and call it "Laurel and Hardy"!

[ThomasPowers]

I've been a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism for over 30 years now and have received their highest award in Arts & Sciences for my study, recreation and teaching of medieval metalworking; it's called a Laurel and it's a term that can be used to refer to the recipients as well. So sometimes I will introduce myself to other SCA'ers holding a hardy and giving them a "Laurel and Hardy Handshake"...