The Magic of the Horseshoe: The Magic Of The Horse-shoe: VI. Iron As A
Protective Charm
The Magic of the Horseshoe: The Magic Of The Horse-shoe: The Magic Of
The Horse-shoe
http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/mhs/index.htm
The Magic of the Horseshoe Index
The Magic of the Horse-Shoe
With Other Folk-Lore Notes
by Robert Means Lawrence
[1898]
And still o'er many a neighboring door
She saw the horse-shoe's curvèd charm.
-WHITTIER, The Witch's Daughter.
Happy art thou, as if every day thou hadst picked up a horse-shoe.
-LONGFELLOW, Evangeline.
VI. IRON AS A PROTECTIVE CHARM
Some writers have maintained that the luck associated with the
horse-shoe is due chiefly to the metal, irrespective of its shape, as
iron and steel are traditional charms against malevolent spirits and
goblins. In their view, a horse-shoe is simply a piece of iron of
graceful shape and convenient form, commonly pierced with seven
nail-holes (a mystic number), and therefore an altogether suitable
talisman to be affixed to the door of dwelling or stable in conformity
with a venerable custom sanctioned by centuries of usage. Of the
antiquity of the belief in the supernatural properties of iron there can
be no doubt.
Among the ancient Gauls this metal was thouoht to be consecrated to the
Evil Principle, and, according to a fragment of the writings of the
Egyptian historian Manetho (about 275 B.C.), iron was called in Egypt
the bone of Typhon, or Devil's bone, for Typhon in the Egyptian
mythology was the personification of evil.
Pliny, in his "Natural History," states that iron coffin-nails affixed
to the lintel of the door render the inmates of the dwelling secure from
the visitations of nocturnal prowling spirits.
According to the same author, iron has valuable attributes as a
preservative against harmful witchcrafts and sorceries, and may thus be
used with advantage both by adults and children. For this purpose it was
only necessary to trace a circle about one's self with a piece of the
metal, or thrice to swing a sword around one's body. Moreover, gentle
proddings with a sword wherewith a man has been wounded were reputed to
alleviate divers aches and pains, and even iron-rust had its own healing
powers:--
If a horse be shod with shoes made from a sword wherewith a man has been
slain, he will be most swift and fleet, and never, though never so hard
rode, tire.
The time-honored belief in the magical power of iron and steel is shown
in many traditions of the North.
A young herdswoman was once tending cattle in a forest of Vermaland in
Sweden; and the weather being coId and wet, she carried along her
tinder-box with flint and steel, as is customary in that country.
Presently along came a giantess carrying a casket, which she asked the
girl to keep while she went away to invite some friends to attend her
daughter's marriage. Quite thoughtlessly the girl laid her fire-steel on
the casket, and when the giantess returned for the property she could
not touch it, for steel is repellant to trolls, both great and small. So
the herdswoman carried home the treasure-box, which was found to contain
a golden crown and other valuables.
The heathen Northmen believed in the existence of a race of dwarfish
artisans, who were skilled in the working of metals, and who fashioned
implements of warfare in their subterranean workshops. These dwarfs were
also thought to inhabit isolated rocks; and according to a popular
notion, if a man chanced to encounter one of them, and quickly threw a
piece of steel between him and his habitation, he could thereby prevent
the dwarf from returning home, and could exact of him whatever he desired.
Among French Canadians, fireflies are viewed with superstitious eyes as
luminous imps of evil, and iron and steel are the most potent safeguards
against them; a knife or needle stuck into the nearest fence is thought
to amply protect the belated wayfarer against these insects, for they
will either do themselves injury upon the former, or will become so
exhausted in endeavoring to pass through the needle's eye as to render
them temporarily harmless. Such waifs and strays of popular credulity
may seem most trivial, yet they serve to illustrate the ancient and
widely diffused belief in the traditional qualities ascribed to certain
metals.
One widely prevalent theory ascribed to iron a meteoric origin, but the
different nations of antiquity were wont to attribute its discovery or
invention to some favorite deity or mythological personage; Osiris was
thus honored by the Egyptians, Vulcan by the Romans, and Wodan or Odin
by the Teutons.
In early times the employment of iron in the arts was much restricted by
reason of its dull exterior and brittleness. There existed, moreover,
among the Romans a certain religious prejudice against the metal, whose
use in many ceremonies was wholly proscribed. This prejudice appears to
have been due to the fact that iron weapons were held jointly
responsible with those who wielded them for the shedding of human blood;
inasmuch as swords, knives, battle-axes, lance and spear points, and
other implements of war were made of iron.
Those mythical demons of Oriental lands known as the Jinn are believed
to be exorcised by the mere name of iron; and Arabs when overtaken by a
simoom in the desert endeavor to charm away these spirits of evil by
erving, "Iron, iron!"
The Jinn being legendary creatures of the Stone Age, the comparatively
modern metal is supposed to be obnoxious to them. In Scandinavia and in
northern countries generally, iron is a historic charm against the wiles
of sorcerers.
The Chinese sometimes wear outside of their clothing a piece of an old
iron plough-point as a charm; and they have also a custom of driving
long iron nails in certain kinds of trees to exorcise some particularly
dangerous female demons which haunt them. The ancient Irish were wont to
hang crooked horse-shoe nails about the necks of their children as
charms; and in Teutonic folk-lore we find the venerable superstition
that a horseshoe nail found by chance and driven into the fireplace will
effect the restoration of stolen property to the owner. In Ireland, at
the present time, iron is held to be a sacred and luck-bringing metal
which thieves hesitate to steal.
A Celtic legend says that the Dame Iron-land or Ireland originated as
follows: The Emerald Isle was formerly altogether submerged, except
during a brief period every seventh year, and at such times repeated
attempts were made by foreigners to land on its soil, but without
success, as the advancing waves always swallowed up the bold invaders.
Finally a heavenly revelation declared that the island could only be
rescued from the sea by throwing a piece of iron upon it during its
brief appearance above the waters. Profiting by the information thus
vouchsafed, a daring adventurer cast his sword upon the land at the time
indicated, thereby dissolving the spell, and Ireland has ever since
remained above the water. On account of this tradition the finding of
iron is always accounted lucky by the Irish; and when the treasure-trove
has the form of a horse-shoe, it is nailed up over the house door. Thus
iron is believed to have reclaimed Ireland from the sea, and the
talismanic symbol of its reclamation is the iron horse-shoe.
Once upon a time--so runs a tradition of the Ukraine, the border region
between Russia and Poland--some men found a piece of iron. After having
in vain attempted to eat it, they tried to soften it by boiling it in
water; then they roasted it, and afterwards beat it with stones. While
thus engaged, the Devil, who had been watching them, inquired, "What are
you making there?" and the men replied, "A hammer with which to beat the
Devil." Thereupon Satan asked where they had obtained the requisite
sand; and from that time men understood that sand was essential for the
use of iron-workers; and thus began the manufacture of iron implements.
Among the Scotch fishermen also iron is invested with magical
attributes. Thus if, when plying their vocation, one of their number
chance to indulge in profanity, the others at once call out, "Cauld
airn!" and each grasps a handy piece of the metal as a counter influence
to the misfortune which would else pursue them throughout the day. Even
nowadays in England, in default of a horse-shoe, the iron plates of the
heavy shoes worn by farm laborers are occasionally to be seen fastened
at the doors of their cottages.
When in former times a belief in the existence of mischievous elves was
current in the Highland districts of Scotland, iron and steel were in
high repute as popular safeguards aoainst the visits of these
fairy-folk; for they were sometimes bold enough to carry off young
mothers, whom they compelled to act as wet-nurses for their own
offspring. One evening many years ago a farmer named Ewen Macdonald, of
Duldreggan, left his wife and young infant indoors while he went out on
an errand; and tradition has it that while crossing a brook, thereafter
called in the Gaelic tongue "the streamlet of the knife," he heard a
strange rushing sound accompanied with a sigh, and realized at once that
fairies were carrying off his wife. Instantly throwing a knife into the
air in the name of the Trinity, the fairies' power was annulled, and his
wife dropped down before him.
In Scandinavian and Scottish folk-lore, there is a marked affinity
between iron and flint. The elf-bolt or flint arrowhead was formerly in
great repute as a charm against divers evil influences, whether carried
around as an amulet, used as a magical purifier of drinking water for
cattle, or to avert fairy spite. It seems possible that iron and steel
in superseding flint, which was so useful a material in the rude arts of
primitive peoples, inherited its ancient magical qualities.
In the Hebrides a popular charm against the wiles of sorcerers consisted
in placing pieces of flint and untempered steel in the milk of cows
alleged to have been bewitched. The milk was then boiled, and this
process was thought to foil the machinations of the witch or
enchantress. The fairies of the Scottish lowlands were supposed to use
arrows tipped with white flint, wherewith they shot the cattle of
persons obnoxious to them, the wounds thus inflicted being invisible
except to certain personages gifted with supernatural sight.
According to a Cornish belief, iron is potent to control the
water-fiends, and when thrown overboard enables mariners to land on a
rocky coast with safety even in a rough sea. A similar superstition
exists in the Orkney Islands with reference to a certain rock on the
coast of Westray. It is thought that when any one with a piece of iron
about him steps upon this rock, the sea at once becomes turbulent and
does not subside until the magical substance is thrown into the water.
The inhabitants of the rocky island of Timor, in the Indian Archipelago,
carry about them scraps of iron to preserve themselves from all kinds of
mishaps, even as the London cockney cherishes with care his lucky penny,
crooked sixpence, or perforated shilling; while in Hindostan iron nails
are frequently driven in over a door, or into the legs of a bedstead, as
protectives. It was a mediaeval wedding custom in France to place on the
bride's finger a ring made from a horse-shoe nail, a superstitious bid,
as it were, for happy auspices.
In Sicily, iron amulets are popularly used against the evil eye; indeed
iron in any form, especially the horseshoe, is thought to be effective,
and in fact talismanic properties are ascribed to all metals. When,
therefore, a Sicilian feels that he is being "overlooked," he instantly
touches the first available metallic object, such as his watch-chain,
keys, or coins. In ancient Babylon and Assyria it was believed that
invisible demons might enter the body during the acts of eating and
drinking and thus originate disease, and the doctrine of demoniacal
possession as the cause of illness is still widely prevalent in
uncivilized communities at the present day. Wherever, therefore, such
notions exist, talismans are naturally employed to render inert the
machinations of these little demons; and of all these safeguards, iron
and steel are perhaps the most potent. Quite commonly in Germany, among
the lower classes, such articles as knives, hatchets, and cutting
instruments generally, as well as fire-irons, harrows, keys, and
needles, are considered protectives against disease if placed near or
about the sick person.
In Morocco it is customary to place a dagger under the patient's pillow,
and in Greece a black-handled knife is similarly used to keep away the
nightmare.
In Germany iron implements laid crosswise are considered to be powerful
anti-witch safeguards for infants; and in Switzerland two knives, or a
knife and fork, are placed in the cradle under the pillow. In Bohemia a
knife on which a cross is marked, and in Bavaria a pair of opened
scissors, are similarly used. In Westphalia an axe and a broom are laid
crosswise on the threshold, the child's nurse being expected to step
over these articles on entering the room.
The therapeutic value of iron and its use as a medicament do not
properly belong to our subject; and, indeed, neither the iron horse-shoe
nor its counterfeit symbol have usually been much employed in
folk-medicine. Professor Sepp, in his work on the religion of the early
Germans, mentions, however, a popular cure for whooping-cough, which
consisted in having the patient eat off of a wooden platter branded with
the figure of a horse-shoe.
In France, also, a favorite panacea for children's diseases consists in
laying on the child an accidentally found horse-shoe, with the nails
remaining in it; and in Mecklenburg gastric affections are thought to be
successfully treated by drinking beer which has been poured upon a
red-hot horse-shoe.
Pliny ascribed healing power to a cast-off horse-shoe found on the road.
The finder was recommended carefully to preserve such a horse-shoe; and
should he at any future time be afflicted with the hiccoughs, the mere
recollection of the exact spot where the shoe had been placed would
serve as a remedy for that sometimes obstinate affection.
In Bavaria a popular alleged cure for hernia in children is as follows:
From a horse-shoe wherein all the nails remain, and which has been cast
by a horse, a nail is taken; and when next a new moon comes on a Friday,
one must go into a field or orchard before sunrise and drive the nail by
three blows into an oak-tree or pear-tree, according to the sex of the
child, and thrice invoke the name of Christ; after which one must kneel
on the ground in front of the tree and repeat a Pater-noster. This is an
example of a kind of therapeutic measure not uncommon among peasants in
different parts of Germany, a blending of the use of a superstitious
charm with religious exercises.
An ingenious theory ascribes the origin of the belief in the magical
properties of iron to the early employment of the actual cautery, and to
the use of the lancet in surgery. In either case the healing effects of
the metal, whether hot or in the form of a knife, have been attributed
by superstitious minds to magical properties in the instruments, whereby
the demons who caused the disease were put to flight. In northern India
the natives believe that evil spirits are so simple-minded as to run
against the sharp edge of a knife and thus do themselves injury; and
they also make use of iron rings as demon-scarers, such talismans having
the double efficacy of the iron and of the sacred circle.
In Bombay, when a child is born, the natives place an iron bar along the
threshold of the room of confinement as a guard against the entrance of
demons. This practice is derived from the Hindoo superstition that evil
spirits keep aloof from iron; and even to-day pieces of horse-shoes are
to be seen nailed to the bottom sills of the doors of native houses. In
east Bothnia, when the cows leave their winter quarters for the first
time, an iron bar is laid before the threshold of the door through which
the animals must pass, and the farmers believe that, if this precaution
were omitted, the cows would prove troublesome throughout the summer.
So, too, in the region of Saalfield, in central Germany, it is customary
to place axes, saws, and other iron and steel implements outside the
stable door to keep the cattle from bewitchment.
The Scandinavian peasants, when they venture upon the water, are wont to
protect themselves against the power of the Neck, or river-spirit, by
placing a knife in the bottom of the boat, or by fixing an iron nail in
a reed. The following is the translation of a charm used in Norway for
this purpose:--
Neck, Neck, nail in water, the Virgin Mary casteth steel in water. Do
you sink, I flit.
In Finland there is an evil fairy known as the Alp Nightmare. Its name
in the vernacular is Painajainen, which means in English "Presser." This
unpleasant being makes people scream, and causes young children to
squint; and the popular safeguard is steel, or a broom placed beneath
the pillow.
Friedrich remarks that the Moslems look upon iron as a divine gift, and
that the Finlanders have their tutelary gods of this metal.
Among the Jews there prevails a popular belief that one should never
make use of a knife or other steel instrument for the purpose of more
readily following with the eye the pages of the Bible, the Talmud, or
other sacred book. Iron should never be permitted to touch any book
treating of religion, for the two are incompatible by nature, the one
destroying human life and the other prolonging it. The Highlanders of
Scotland have a time-honored custom of taking an oath upon cold iron or
steel. The dirk, which was formerly an indispensable adjunct to the
Highland costume, is a favorite and handy object for the purpose. The
faith in the magical power of steel and iron against evil-disposed
fairies and ghosts was universal, and this form of oath was more solemn
and binding than any other.
Among the Bavarian peasants nails and needles have a reputation the
reverse of that of the horse-shoe. A horse-shoe nail stuck into the
front door of a house will give the owner a serious illness. A needle,
when given to a friend, is sure to prick to death existing friendship,
even as such friendship is severed by the gift of a knife or pair of
scissors. Such an untoward result may be averted, however, if the
recipient smile pleasantly when the gift is made. A curious superstition
about iron locks prevails in Styria and Tyrol. If you procure from a
locksmith a brand-new lock and carry it to church at the time of a
wedding ceremony, and if, while the benediction is being said, you
fasten the lock by a turn of the key, then the young couple's love and
happiness is destroyed. Mutual aversion will supplant affection until
you open the lock again.
On 4/9/2015 3:20 AM, Susan Arthure wrote:
> I'm with M Chris Manning in thinking it sounds like a protective folk
> practice. Whilst not horseshoes, there is an old Irish tradition of burying
> horse skulls under the floors of dwelling houses, variously explained as
> either a protective device or to magnify the echoes of music played in the
> room. This tradition is referred to, for example, in E Estyn Evans 1957
> Irish Folk Ways and Sean O'Suilleabhain's 1977 Irish Folk Custom and Belief.
>
> I, also, would be interested in hearing more about this find and seeing some
> photos.
>
> Susan Arthure
> PhD candidate, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
> E [log in to unmask]
> E [log in to unmask]
> W www.dontforgetyourshovel.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of anne
> grulich
> Sent: Thursday, 9 April 2015 12:24 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Horseshoes - Foundations
>
> We recently discovered 6 unused horseshoes in the lower warming oven of a
> ca. 1840s fireplace on Great Cranberry Island, Maine. (This was not an
> archaeological context.) Two postulates for their placement: trivets or the
> folk practice Chris refers to. This discovery was made on the heels of a
> group of human shoes discovered concealed in a fireplace wall of a
> neighboring contemporary home.
> Anne Grulich
> Great Cranberry Island Historical Society (gcihs.org) [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of M. Chris
> Manning
> Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2015 11:20 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Horseshoes - Foundations
>
> This is most likely evidence of a widespread folk practice in which a
> horseshoe or other iron object, such as an edge tool, is secured to a
> building or integrated into the structure itself to bring good luck and/or
> protection to the house. Check out my recent article in the fall issue of
> Historical Archaeology. I specifically discuss horseshoes on pages 72-73.
>
> Manning, M. Chris. 2014. The Material Culture of Ritual Concealments in the
> United States. Historical Archaeology 48(3):52-83.
>
> I would be very interested in learning more about the details of this find
> and seeing some photos. Please message me off list.
>
> Chris
>
> M. Chris Manning, M.A., M.S.H.P.
> [log in to unmask]
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ben
> Resnick
> Sent: Tuesday, April 7, 2015 1:56 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Horseshoes - Foundations
>
> We encountered several horseshoes buried partially beneath the corner of a
> dressed stone foundation at a 19th century domestic site located along the
> southern Virginia coastal plain. Additional horseshoes were also recovered
> along the foundation wall of an early 20th century addition. I would be
> interested to hear of any similar observations for these site types
> including information regarding the possible background of site occupants
> (ethnicity, etc.).
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ben
> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> Ben Resnick, MA, RPA, MBA
> GAI Consultants, Inc.
> 385 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120-5005
> 412.476.2000 ext. 1200 | C 412.759.3156
>
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