Iron wards off the supernatural

For many years,iron has been believed to be a substance that repels witches, fairies, evil spirits and all that is supernatural.In our society,whan a close relative of a person expires,that person is advised to carry an iron object like a bunch of keys,with him/her till the ‘sradh’ ceremony of the deceased is over.I wonder  whether  this tradition is in place because iron is associated with strength and vigour.Remember  most weapons are made of iron.Or is there any other scientific reason behind this tradition?I would love a discussion on this.

The medieval world was a world of iron.

The blacksmiths were very important people in the medieval ages.

They were widely respected in the  medieval society because they made and repaired keys, armour, chains, metal tools and swords.

The term "blacksmith" comes from the activity of "forging" iron or the "Black" metal - so named due to the color of the metal after being heated The word “smith” comes from the same root as the word “smite”, and refers to someone who makes a living by hammering metal 


The term "forging" means to shape metal by heating and hammering.These people usually work with wrought iron and steel and give shapes to them using the hammer,anvil and the chisel.

They had many beliefs and superstitions like the following.

BLACKSMITHING SUPERSTITIONS

    1.A blacksmith’s first sale,usually a coin or some denomination, is kept under his anvil to remind him that  only when he is hammering at the anvil is he making money.

    2 .Ringing the anvil keeps the Devil at bay.

    3. Cross your long handle fire tools over the fire pot after putting out the fire for the day to keep the devil out.






Some of the tools created by blacksmiths

However with the growth of civilization, the concept of blacksmithing changed.As steel became more common and more reliable,blacksmith'magic 'changed  and was replaced with science as in almost all areas.

MORE ON THE HORSE SHOE IRON

The horseshoe is also considered to be lucky because of its crescent shape.Some ancient tribes worship the Triple Godess whose symbol is crescent in shape.Thus this shape is believed to stand for shelter and protection

THE "HOLY"HORSE

Ashwamedha yajna(horse sacrifice ritual)was performed by Dasharatha in the Ramayana.The birth of Rama is said to have come about because a horse was sacrificed to the Gods.

In Mahabharata too,Yudhisthira,the eldest of the Pandavas, performed the Ashwamedha yajna while his younger brothers guarded the horse as it roamed into neighbouring countries.

Christians too consider this animal as holy because Jesus was born in a stable where asses and horses lived.

The horse is considered to be the ‘avtaar’ of the Sun God Surya.Surya is said to travel by a chariot drawn by seven mares called Harrits.

what is needed to be said

Our National curriculum framework NCF-2005 lays great stress on the teaching of science through projects and experiments.There are many things which teachers can do to make science interesting,interactive and activity based  in the lower classes.But when it comes to the +2 level,it all vanishes out of the window.Learning science becomes another  name for memorization   and remembering only the important points.It comes down to passing the examination with a high % of marks.

However,it is necessary to relate the senior class science courses  to social aspects and also to develop enquiry based skills  among the students. Keeping this in mind,I thought of teaching the chemistry of Iron through the Project based learning(PBL) method.In this enlightening journey with my students,we were amazed  at all that we came across and some of this I would like to share through this blog.

the story of the horse-shoe tradition on doors

Many houses have a horseshoe hung on their doors.It is supposed to bring luck.To bring luck,the horseshoe must be lost by the horse and found by you. The ends should point upwards while hanging since then it would appear like a container for storing good luck. Some traditions believe that luck will be achieved only by the owner of the house and not  on the person who hangs it. I wonder what is the origin of this belief. It is also said that the shape of ‘U’ in many cultures is linked with good fortune. It is said that the "U" shape represents the "cup" of prosperity and luck.

Can anybody give any information on the cultures which believe in the magic of this shape?