The smelting of iron is a procreative process whereby the union of primal elements - earth, air, fire, and water conceives iron as its offspring. Like midwives, the master smelters attended the birth, offering blood sacrifices of a chicken or a goat, performing dances, songs, invocations, and praises to encourage the fruition of success.

Life Force at the Anvil
The Blacksmith's Art from Africa

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