28.04.09

Iron: The Esoteric

Written by Phillip Berrie

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In this article we are going to have a look at some of the more fantastic qualities attributed to Iron and how it is used in genre.

But first a Digression ...

To me 'magnetism', normally associated with ferrous materials, seems 'magical'. Therefore, I wrongfully assumed that the words might actually be derived from the same source and started my research for this article by looking at the derivation of these two words. It turns out I was wrong. Magnetism, Magnetite and Magnesium all being named after the island of Magnesia which was part of the original Grecian empire and a good site for finding lodestones and Magnesium. Whereas, the word magic derives from the word 'magus' the name for a devotee of the ancient Iranian prophet Zoroaster. Anyway, I had to start my research again, but I thought you might like to know this.

 

Cold Iron

Using some lateral thinking I then started searching on the term 'Cold Iron'; I have seen this used many times in both fiction and role playing games. In both these forms of entertainment Cold Iron normally appears in the form of weapons which have particular efficacy against certain magical types of creatures ranging from devils through to faeries depending on the milieu. This same property is also used to explain why certain magic-using classes of adventurers do not wander around in heavy armour and why the traditionally earthy and 'iron-using' Dwarves do not have magic. The common theme here is that Iron is attributed with anti-magic properties, a magical property in itself to me, as to my mind the true opposite of a magical substance should be magically inert.

Note: I have to admit to propagating the anti-magical properties of Iron myself in my own fiction where I not only have Iron being harmful to magical beings but also as an explanation as to why Humans in my story world do magic differently from Elves; the Iron in their blood preventing them from storing and manipulating magic in the same way as the more magical races.

 

A horseshoe nailed to a door for good luck. Photo taken by Man vyi

Image from the Wikimedia Commons and in the public domain

 

In the real world, the magical effect of Cold Iron is mainly involved with the bringing of good luck and the warding off of evil spirits. Perhaps these are the same thing, with the former being the end result of the latter, and the darker meaning having been lost in modern times because belief in evil spirits is no longer common. Even so, the nailing of a horseshoe to a door to bring luck, the putting of an iron fence around a graveyard to keep the dead within, and burying sharp iron objects under thresholds to prevent witches entering a house all suggest that Iron is seen as a positive force in the world of superstition and magic.

 

My own personal opinion, which is somewhat supported by the references below, is that Iron's efficacy as a positive force stems from its association with the craft of Smithing. Iron was the most effective metal created and worked by blacksmiths and in prehistory it represented the beginnings of technology and science. Iron and Smithing was seen as an anathema to the world of superstition and mysteries, a world that could only respond by bringing these new things into itself as negative forces. It's a matter of perspective in the end.

 

 

Meteoric Iron

The other form of 'supernatural' Iron commonly referenced is 'Meteoric Iron'. Meteorites fall (if you will excuse the pun) into two main classes: stony and Iron. As you might expect Iron meteorites look like lumps of melted metal and are made of extra-terrestrial alloys of Nickel and Iron. If you can remember my first article on Iron this should not be surprising as Iron is the sixth most common element in the universe. However, what might be surprising is how long this material has been used by mankind.

Because of its hardness and ability to take an edge Meteoric Iron was often used in prehistoric times; well before humankind learnt how to smelt and work the Earth-bound variety. And references come from the most unusual (to me) places including: the Incas, who when asked by the Conquistadors where they got their iron bladed daggers simply pointed to the sky, and the Inuit (i.e. Eskimos) who were able to harvest intact Iron-based meteorites relatively easily from their northern icebound homelands.

 

A sample of the Cape York (Greenland) Iron Meteorite called Ahnighito. It weights 31 tonnes and stands in American Museum of Natural History.

Image from Wikimedia Commons and made available under a Creative Common Attribution licence v2.0 and originally taken by Fermion (on Flickr)

 

For more information about the use of Meteoric Iron by primitive man there is a reference below to an academic paper on the subject. Also the International Meteor Organisation's 'Meteor Beliefs Project' web page has a number of references to the use of meteorites (including Iron Meteorites) in both fact and fiction and includes a reference to meteoritic blades in Tolkien's fiction (Wikipedia reference for these below).

 

That Meteoric Iron literally fell from the heavens might lead one to assume that it would have divine connections. This, however, does not seem to be the case. The only clear cut case I could find was that ancient Tibetans made ritualistic objects from Meteoric Iron, it being more worthy than its Earth-borne counterpart.

 

My opinion as to why this is, is that the material was far too useful to waste on ritual; the Incas valued their Meteoric Iron for its use in weapons much more highly than gold. And of course when the Iron Age arrived there would have been no way to tell whether a piece of Iron was from the heavens or from the local forge, so it would have lost a lot of its mystique when any Tom, Dick or Conan could have an Iron blade ...

 

Conclusion

An article that I hope will engender some debate. If anyone has anything to add, please don't hesitate to write a comment. Next, I think I'll look into Silver.

 

References:

Derivation of the word Magnet

http://www.languagehat.com/archives/001914.php

Derivation of the word Magic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magus

The Wikipedia on Cold Iron and its use in folklore.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_iron

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_in_mythology

The Wikipedia on Meteoric Iron

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoric_iron

Academic article on the use of Meteoric Iron by primitive man.

http://www.jstor.org/pss/2844401

Reference for Incan, Inuit and Chinese Meteoric Iron uses.

http://www.bookrags.com/research/metals-and-metallurgy-eorl-09/

The Greenland, Cape York Iron Meteorite

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_York_meteorite

The International Meteor Organisation: Meteor Beliefs Project

http://www.imo.net/projects/beliefs

Wikipedia reference for Tolkien Meteoritic Blades from Middle Earth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapons_of_Middle-earth

A URL for an image of a beautifully crafted Meteoric Iron blade.

http://warehamforgeblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/known-meteor-iron-blade-from-1600.html

 

N.B. Please note that I although I use the Wikipedia (and WikiMedia Commons) a lot for references, this is for expediency and the familiarity of my readers. Anyone interested in further studies should make use of the references where available and understand that the Wikipedia is a co-operative project contributable to by anyone and must always be looked at in that light.

(Apologies for the long hiatus but Real Life(TM) intervened.)