Ringing of the anvil

[Mick Cain]

Since this web site is accessed around the world I have a qeustion of the tradition of "ringing the anvil" in memorial of someone who has passed away. is there a certain number of times the anvil is struck?
or what is the story of the tradition in general.

[Harley]

My understanding is that you "ring" the anvil once for each year of the life of the person who has passed. IN other words if he/she passed at the age of 80 then you would ring the anvil 80 times.

[ThomasPowers]

An adaptation of the "tolling bell" in a village church---remember the poem about "For whom the Bell Tolls"

[Thomas Dean]

My understanding is that you "ring" the anvil once for each year of the life of the person who has passed. IN other words if he/she passed at the age of 80 then you would ring the anvil 80 times.

I attended the 'mini conference' at the Lee Bothers shop a few weeks ago and they had a "ringing of the anvil" for Verl Underwood, one of the original founders of the NTxBA IronFest. The way we did it was everyone filled by, took the hammer and tapped the horn one time. If we did it for each year of his life we would still be there ringing the anvil. I thought it was a very reverent time. We were instructed that the ringing is NOT 'see how hard you can hit the anvil' but it was paying respect to the one that has gone one in a reverent manner, tapping the anvil. This was the first time I have done this in a public venue. When I have done this in the past in my own shop I do it with bowed head and tap the anvil 3 times, allowing the ring to dissapate before striking the next. I'm sure there are many ways but this seems to me more meaningful...

[Mainely,Bob]

I tap it 3 times so that the Goddess,God and Great Spirit will each be sure to hear it.

[nhblacksmith]

Does anyone have any historical references they could quote on this tradition or is this a product of our modern society? I've been a full time smith for over 30 years and have shelves full of books but I don't recall hearing of this before. I doubt that historically a bunch of people (especially other smiths because there weren't many in an area) would get together to pound an anvil in memory of a blacksmith. Not that there is anything wrong with the practice but if it is other than a recent tradition I would be interested in how and where it started. Thanks.

[Mick Cain]

Thank ya folks fer the information.

[Frank Turley]

I have a hunch it is recent. No proof.

[John B]

I had a hunch too, but I found a good physio and I'm alright now. Well up to the head anyway, can't vouch for above there.

[bruce wilcock]

there is no mention of anvil ringing ,in the records of the worshipfull company of blacksmiths ,that i can find ,and having been to funerals of blacksmiths with other blacksmiths present no mention of anvil ringing was ever made ,perhaps the oposite whilst stood with a group in the early 60s of a recently decesed blacksmiths, shop a young lad picked up a pick sharpning hammer on the anvil and my father told him to not strike the anvil ,let it stay quiet he was told ,could be they just wanted to talk ,or reverance for the old smith ,i have no idea, the only thing i am farirly shure of anvil ringing wasnt a custom ,there were enough men there that day for at least one to have known ,and that occassion was ideal if it had been.

[John McPherson]

I think this is another artifact of the internet, like the story of Yankees breaking horns off anvils.

IIRC, this was first suggested for Francis Whitaker about a decade ago on the old KeeneJunk forum. Then it was repeated for Bill Moran, etc, and spread from there.

How long do we have to do something before it becomes "traditional" anyway?

[Larry H]

don't use the word " tradition" or any variation there of, some people around here take offense

[ThomasPowers]

Here in America most churches do not have a tolling bell and as the ringing of an anvil is often compared to the sound of a bell...

Predates the death of St Francis though as I recall doing it around 30 years ago for a friend.

I only take offense when the word tradition is used to try to say something is a widespread and *old* thing when it may only be localized to a country or two and be around 100 years old---the old "My grandpa did it that way and so everyone back into the dawn of time *MUST* have done it that way!"

New folk who don't know much about the craft can get misled that way. I've noticed that a lot of my new students *want* there to be *one* *right* *way* for everything and are a bit lost when you tell them there is a lot of ways to get the same result in smithing and you should choose the one most convenient to you! Practical Blacksmithing", Richardson is a great example of this as it's full of smiths writing in and saying that they had a "better way" to do stuff---sometimes in reference to a previous published "better way".

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Ive got a stupid question, 

I’m sorry if this has been asked before but I haven’t seen a thread for it, 

ive seen it posted here quite a few times about ringing the anvil when someone passes away, 

I was wondering what is the story, meaning and history of it is? 

[JHCC]

I gather that this is a fairly recent custom, but it's certainly evocative of the older practice of the "death knell" -- tolling a church bell to announce a death. In England, at least, a church bell would be rung nine times for the death of a man or six for the death of a woman, and then one time for each year of the person's life. 

There was a discussion of this a few years back in this thread:

 

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Who ever merged threads thank you! 
This answers my questions, 

I think it’s still a nice tradition even if it’s not a really old one,

the idea of anvils ringing across the country or possibly around the world when a smith passes away is a pretty awesome send off in my opinion, 

 

[JHCC]

Taking a bit of a side trip into semantics, one can make a useful distinction between "tradition" and "custom". "Custom" simply refers to something done regularly, without any implications of either novelty (as does "innovation") or antiquity (as "tradition" often does). "Traditional" can be prescriptive -- what should be done -- while customary is simply descriptive -- what is done.

[Frosty]

I'm pretty sure making a noise to mark the passing of someone is as old as humanity, maybe hominids. I recall many years ago, a Wonderful World of Disney or other contemporary program showing a funeral somewhere in Africa and the "jungle" drums echoing across mountains and valleys. IIRC there was a death cadence and villages within ear shot would pick it up and it'd pass along. 

I think its a good tradition to mark the people's passing.

Frosty The Lucky.

[anvil]

"Ringing the Anvil" is a stand alone. There is no tradition for adding on "when someone passes away" .

" Ringing the Anvil" is when one anvil is placed face down, then the concave at the center is filled with black powder and a fuse. A second anvil is placed on top the two are sealed. Light the fuse, listen to the ring, and watch how she will fly.

There is plenty of evidence of this, but none for the other.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I've always heard that as "Shooting the Anvil". Most clubs have outlawed the tradition as far as I know.

[ThomasPowers]

I've never seen that called "ringing of the anvil". In all the old books I remember; that was called firing or shooting of an anvil. ( Interesting to note that anvils that came with a indentation were Peter Wrights, Trentons and some Arm and Hammers.)

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Custom or tradition how ever you see it old or new, I still think it’s a nice gesture for smiths to ring their anvil when a fellow smith passes, 

the recent passing of “honest bob” being posted is what prompted me to ask about the ringing of the anvil, he sounded like a very interesting guy, 

So tonight before I go inside I will ring my anvil for him, and from now on when a sad announcement is made about a smith passing I’ll do the same for them too, 

[anvil]

Actually its a beautiful gesture. And who knows. Perhaps this will become a new tradition for smiths.  

I've not heard it called anything but ringing the anvil. I did it a few years running for my community on the 4th of July. It was also quite an event at all the Abana conferences I attended and I'm pretty sure both the old SWABA and the RMS did as well on occasions. I'ts even called that in my Turley Forge notes.

Alas, I am aware that ABANA and a number of other chapters did ban it. Seems it caused a minor rebellion within ABANA and some state affiliates when they did. No matter what you call it, Such a loss. 

If you have ever been present, you will certainly hear "The Ring", and know why at least some call it "Ringing the Anvil".  

 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I had attended several events where we would ring/shoot the anvil. There were strict guidelines as to anvil weight and powder charge involved, along with the distance spectators had to be from the area. The highest I ever saw a anvil fly was estimated to be 150 feet (if I recall) using two 100 pound anvils and 5 pounds of black powder. The object was a contest, to see which team could launch the anvil the highest. Exciting for the crowd to see an anvil fly that high and land on target. For those who have never seen it, a small blurb, 2:31 video here, too bad the camera didn't follow the shot anvil up to it's full height. There is a good and humorous article in the Anvil magazine archives, but I don't know if a link is allowed.

https://roamlab.com/anvil-shoot/

[George N. M.]

I have read accounts of shooting an anvil at Independence Rock on the Oregon Trail (middle of Wyoming) by the immigrants on the 4th of July.  I have always thought that if I were a blacksmith on the trail and I had hauled my anvil 700+ miles for the last few months I would have been pretty reluctant to let it be blown 100+ feet into the air.  That anvil would be crucial to my earning a living when I got to Oregon or California.  Maybe the risk of it being hurt or landing on the bottom anvil in the middle of a big meadow would be small but I'm not sure I would have wanted to take that risk.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."