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] has a long and varied tradition in mythology and folkore throughout the world. Interestingly, the bulk of ]s are constituted by iron. ] has a long and varied tradition in mythology and folkore throughout the world. Interestingly, the bulk of ]s are constituted by iron.

===Cold Iron===
Cold iron is sometimes asserted to repel, contain, or harm ]s, ], ], and/or other malevolent ] creatures. This belief continued into later ]s in a number of forms:
* Nailing an iron ] to a ] was said to repel ]s or later, to bring good luck.
* Surrounding a ] with an iron ] was thought to contain the ]s of the ].
* Burying an iron ] under the entrance to one's ] was alleged to keep ] from entering.

In his story, "]," the ] author ] wrote, "Your wife's a witch, man; you should nail a horse-shoe on your chamber-door."

In mythology, the term "cold iron" is sometimes only applied to cold-worked iron of ] origin {{Fact|date=February 2007}}, as such metal has never been heated by ] agency. ] iron must be ] first, so such iron may or may not be considered "cold iron", depending on the source consulted.


===Fairies and iron=== ===Fairies and iron===

Revision as of 06:28, 15 March 2007

Iron has a long and varied tradition in mythology and folkore throughout the world. Interestingly, the bulk of meteorites are constituted by iron.

Cold Iron

Cold iron is sometimes asserted to repel, contain, or harm ghosts, fairies, witches, and/or other malevolent supernatural creatures. This belief continued into later superstitions in a number of forms:

In his story, "Redgauntlet," the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott wrote, "Your wife's a witch, man; you should nail a horse-shoe on your chamber-door."

In mythology, the term "cold iron" is sometimes only applied to cold-worked iron of meteoric origin , as such metal has never been heated by human agency. Mined iron must be smelted first, so such iron may or may not be considered "cold iron", depending on the source consulted.

Fairies and iron

Iron, particularly Cold iron, was employed as a protective substance or charm against faeries. In Celtic Folklore, Fae are culturally held to hold an aversion to iron or even be harmed by the touch of iron. Conversely, amongst Asian traditions, there are tales of ironworking fairy.

Meteoric Iron in Tibet

Thogcha means 'sky-iron' in Tibetan. Meteoric iron was highly prized throughout the Himalaya where it was included in sophisticated pollymetallic alloys for ritual implements such as the singing bowl (Jansen, 1992) and phurba (Müller-Ebeling, et.al, 2002).

Blood and ochre

In many indigenous Australian Aboriginal peoples' traditions ochre and blood, both high in iron content and considered Maban, are applied to the bodies of dancers for ritual. As Lawlor (1991: p.102-103) states:

In many Aboriginal rituals and ceremonies, red ochre is rubbed all over the naked bodies of the dancers. In secret, sacred male ceremonies, blood extracted from the veins of the participant's arms is exchanged and rubbed on their bodies. Red ochre is used in similar ways in less secret ceremonies. Blood is also used to fasten the feathers of birds onto people's bodies. Bird feathers contain a protein that is highly magnetically sensitive.

Lawlor comments that blood employed in this fashion is held by these peoples to attune the dancers to the invisible energetic realm of the Dreamtime. Lawlor then draws information from different disciplines charting a relationship between these invisible energetic realms and magnetic fields. Iron and magnetism having a marked relationship.

References