Blacksmith - Kajiya

Japanese: 鍛冶屋 - かじや

A craftsman who forges metal. Also called a blacksmith. A resident craftsman. Along with a carpenter, this is one of the earliest professions to specialize in. In terms of technical history, it is a successor to the blacksmiths and blacksmiths of the late 5th century in the early ancient period, and in terms of social history, some were released from their craftsmanship, but the majority were those who evolved from the peasant class due to the increasing demand for blacksmith products. By the end of the ancient period in the 12th century, they had grown into craftsmen. Furthermore, there is also differentiation according to the type of metal they process and the type of product they produce. Blacksmiths have come to refer mainly to technicians of iron processing, such as silversmiths and silversmiths who process silver, coppersmiths who process copper, and blacksmiths who process iron. Among these blacksmiths, swordsmiths who produced swords began in the 12th century, farm tool blacksmiths who produced farm tools in the late Middle Ages in the 15th century, and gunsmiths who produced guns and knife blacksmiths who produced knives in the early modern period of the 17th century. Apart from swords and guns, ordinary blacksmiths produced farm tools, knives, scissors and other bladed items according to demand. Eventually, areas specializing in such metal products emerged, such as Sakai (Osaka Prefecture) for knives, Miki (Hyogo Prefecture) for tools, Takefu (Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture) for sickles, and Sanjo (Niigata Prefecture) for sickles and knives. Iron sand, the raw material for ironmaking, was refined using no tatara smelting. In the 18th century, during the mid-modern period, refining using tatara furnaces began, laying the foundations for the development of the production of iron agricultural tools and household items, and also stabilizing the production and management of blacksmiths, creating the conditions for the establishment of a specialty region. The tools used by a typical blacksmith are an iron hammer, anvil, chopsticks, and a box bellows. Heated solid metal material (mainly iron) is placed on the anvil and shaped by hitting it with a hammer while holding it with the chopsticks. Sometimes the hammer is struck alternately by one or two people facing each other. In this case, the apprentice or helper is called aizuchi, and while the master hits lightly with a small hammer, the master hits harder with a large hammer. Charcoal is used as fuel. Throughout the Middle Ages and early modern times, most blacksmiths continued to work in cities and villages for general customers, but in modern times, many of them became wage laborers in ironworks as blacksmiths and lost their independence, or moved to related production sectors. Some continued to work as subcontractors for large factories by installing a certain amount of machinery. On the other hand, there are still craftsmen in cities and villages who work for specific customers using the same tools and equipment as before, but their social and economic role has become very light.

The ancestor deity or ancestral deity of blacksmiths is generally the Kanayagogami (Kinzan-no-kami) of the goldsmith group. It is thought that this is from the time when mining and metallurgy were undifferentiated and people traveled around various places. In addition to this, in ancient times, Ameno-ma-hitotsu-no-kami and Kaji-no-okina, who are associated with the Hachiman faith, and in the Middle Ages, Inari Myojin, who is associated with the Inari faith, were all worshiped as ancestor deities or guardian deities. This is probably due to the route of transmission of technology. In the early modern period, when people began to settle in cities, the Bellows Festival (Fuigo-matsuri) was held individually as an internal festival for metalworking craftsmen on November 8th, the day of the Inari Shrine fire burning, but it is no longer seen today. Nowadays, it is not craftsmen but merchants such as metal wholesalers who hold the Bellows Festival to worship the Kanazan-no-kami.

[Motoo Endo]

Western

The Old Testament says, "The smith worketh with the fire of coals; he maketh it with the hammer; he forges it with his strong arm" (Isaiah 44:12). The image of the blacksmith depicted here has not changed from Greek vase paintings and Roman reliefs to the present day. Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire and blacksmithing, was originally a god of Asia Minor. The history of blacksmiths using hammers and bellows also began in the Hittite Empire, where ironware was first produced. There were already people there who specialized in blacksmithing, called the Charibes. They first made objects for rituals and ornaments using meteoric iron, a gift from heaven more precious than gold, silver or copper. They then went on to produce artificial iron, which had a major impact on agriculture, military affairs and more. The respect and special treatment they received was passed on to Europe, along with the mysticism and universality of iron. In the Middle Ages, the division of labor among blacksmiths progressed, with the creation of gold, silver, and copper. The decorative work of ironsmiths can be seen in the lattices and door fittings inside monasteries and churches. The simple C-shaped fittings of the 11th century evolved into complex patterns made of two iron bars in the 12th century, and by the 13th century had reached a high level of skill, as seen in the fittings on the west door of Notre Dame de Paris. Meanwhile, swordsmithing developed in specific towns, such as Toledo in Spain and Solingen in Germany, and in order to maintain secrecy, the guilds (Zunfts) of craftsmen, including those of temperers and sharpeners, prohibited craftsmen from studying abroad and made hereditary succession the rule. Not only did the production process become divided into separate labor, but the Zunfts of finishers gave rise to the status of merchants in charge of sales, and the power of merchants increased. Armorsmithing was at its best in the 16th century, but from this century, guns became important in warfare, and with the development of large waterwheel-powered hammers, gunsmithing changed to a factory-style business. In Emden, a city in northern Germany, the number of apprentices who came to work under a master who made tin products decreased from 54 between 1601 and 1650, to 34 between 1701 and 1750, and to 18 between 1801 and 1850. As time went on, blacksmiths' work was absorbed into mass production factories and they were employed there, or, as in the Swedish report, they changed from makers to repairers. Nevertheless, statistics from the small Austrian village of Unterwald show that there were three blacksmiths in the village in 1910. Even today, blacksmiths can be found in towns and villages in every country, although their numbers are declining.

In response to customer orders, blacksmiths have produced a wide variety of items, from weathervanes, store signs, chest fittings, pots, kettles, to crosses for graves. Of course, they also produced farm tools such as ploughs and sickles, and horseshoes. For centuries, blacksmiths have also been places where men gathered and chatted. Perhaps for this reason, blacksmiths often appear in the world of oral literature. In one old tale, a blacksmith immobilizes a large number of customers or demons, which reminds us of the myth of Hephaestus immobilizing his mother Hera in her chair. There are actually blacksmiths who are narrators of oral literature. In England, there is a legend that a blacksmith got King Alfred the Great to recognize him as the king of craftsmen. Blacksmiths have been proud of the idea that all work originated with them since ancient times. Until the mid-16th century, some people could not become blacksmiths depending on their parents' occupations. In Hungary, the name of a blacksmith remains as a place name due to the great respect that blacksmiths received, and many noble families can be said to have blacksmiths as their ancestors. Blacksmiths not only forged horseshoes, but were also known as veterinarians, relieving people of toothache. Blacksmiths also served as doctors in other European countries. In Austria, people had sacrificial animals such as cows and sheep made from sacred iron and placed them in churches to pray for the safety of the animals. However, in the mountain villages of Switzerland, blacksmiths were feared and excluded from peasant communities, as they were seen as mysterious beings connected to the world of curses, and although their work was valued, they were feared and excluded from peasant communities.

[Michio Iide]

"The History of Iron, by L. Beck, translated by Nakazawa Morito, 5 volumes, 17 books (1974-75, Tatara Shobo)" ▽ "The New and Expanded Edition of the History of Technology, edited by C. Singer et al., translated by Hirata Hiroshi et al., 14 volumes (1978-81, Chikuma Shobo)" ▽ "Ironmaking, by Iida Kenichi" (included in "History of Science and Technology in Japan," 1962, Asahi Shimbun)" ▽ "Mining and Metallurgy, by Yamaguchi Keiji et al. ("Lecture Series: The Social History of Technology in Japan, Vol. 5," 1983, Nippon Hyoronsha)"

[Reference] | Swordsmith | Tatara

Blacksmith
Blacksmith. "Shokunin-zukushi Ekotoba" (Illustrated Tales of Artisans), second scroll (part) The original is by Kuwagata Keisai (Masami Kitao), with a note by Kyokaen (Shuzanjin) ( Owned by the National Diet Library )

Blacksmith

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

打物(うちもの)つまり金属鍛造の職人のこと。鍛冶ともいう。居職(いじょく)である。番匠(ばんしょう)（大工）と並んで、その専業化の早い職種の一例である。技術史的には古代前期の5世紀末の鍛冶部(かぬちべ)や鍛冶戸(かじべ)の系統を受け継ぐものであるし、社会史的にはそうした工人身分から解放されたものもあったであろうが、鍛冶製品の需要の増大によって、農民層から分化したものが主流であった。12世紀の古代末期には職人として成長していた。しかも、そのなかで、処理・加工する金属の種類による分化や生産品の種類による分化もみられる。銀加工の銀(しろがね)鍛冶・銀(ぎん)細工、銅加工の銅細工、鉄加工の鍛冶というように、鍛冶はおもに鉄加工の技術者のこととなってきた。そうした鍛冶のうち、まず12世紀に刀を生産する刀鍛冶、中世後期の15世紀に農具生産の農具鍛冶、近世の17世紀に鉄炮(てっぽう)生産の鉄炮鍛冶と庖丁(ほうちょう)生産の庖丁鍛冶が分化してきた。一般の鍛冶屋は、刀と鉄炮は別にして、農具・工具や庖丁・鋏(はさみ)などの刃物を需要に応じて生産していた。やがて、そうした金物の特産地として、庖丁の堺(さかい)（大阪府）、工具の三木（兵庫県）、鎌(かま)の武生(たけふ)（福井県越前市）、鎌・庖丁の三条（新潟県）などができてきた。製鉄原料の砂鉄は野たたらによって精錬されていた。近世中期の18世紀になってたたら炉による精錬が始まり、鉄製の農工具や生活用具の生産に発展の基礎をつくり、また、鍛冶屋の生産と経営も安定し、特産地を成立させる条件ともなった。一般の鍛冶屋の道具は、鉄製の金槌(かなづち)、金床(かなとこ)（金敷）、金箸(かねばし)（やっとこ）と箱ふいごである。加熱した固体の金属材料（おもに鉄）を金床の上にのせて金箸でつかみながら金槌で打って形をつくる。金槌は向き合った1人か2人で交互に打つこともある。それは徒弟か手伝いで相槌(あいづち)といい、親方が小さい金槌で軽く打つのに対して、大きい金槌で強く打つ。燃料は木炭である。中世・近世を通じて、鍛冶屋の大部分は一般の顧客を相手に、都市や村落で仕事を続けていたが、近代になると、多くの者は鍛冶工として鉄工場の賃金労働者へと転化して自主性を失い、あるいは関連生産部門に転業していった。また、ある程度の機械を設備することによって、大工場の下請けとして仕事を続ける者もあった。一方に、これまでの道具や設備で特定の顧客を対象に職人としての仕事をしている者も都市や村落にいるものの、その社会的・経済的役割は非常に軽いものになっている。

　鍛冶屋の職祖神または祖神は、一般的には金屋集団の金屋子神(かなやごがみ)（金山神）である。採鉱と冶金(やきん)が未分化で、各地を遍歴していた時代からのものであろうと考えられる。それとは別に、古代では、天目一箇神(あめのまひとつのかみ)や八幡(はちまん)信仰に結び付く鍛冶翁(かじのおきな)、中世では稲荷(いなり)信仰に結び付く稲荷明神が、いずれも祖神あるいは守護神として祀(まつ)られた。これは技術の伝来経路によったものであろう。近世になって、都市に定住するようになると、個別に金属加工職人の内祭(うちまつり)として、稲荷神社の火焼きの日の11月8日に鞴祭(ふいごまつり)が行われるようになったが、今日ではみられない。いまでは職人ではなくて金物問屋などの商人が、金山神を祭る鞴祭を行っている。

［遠藤元男］

西洋

『旧約聖書』に「鉄の細工人はこれをつくるのに炭の火をもって細工し、鎚をもってこれをつくり、強い腕をもってこれを鍛える」（「イザヤ書」44章12節）とある。ここに描かれた鍛冶屋の姿は、ギリシアの壺絵(つぼえ)、ローマの浮彫りから現代に至るまで変わらない。ギリシアの火と鍛冶の神ヘファイストスは本来小アジアの神だった。ハンマーとふいごを使用する鍛冶屋の歴史も、最初に鉄器を生み出したヒッタイト王国から始まる。そこではすでにカリベス人という鍛冶を専門とする者たちがいた。彼らは初め金銀銅よりも貴重な天からの授かり物隕鉄(いんてつ)で、祭祀(さいし)に使う物と装飾品をつくった。その後さらに人工の鉄を生み出し、農業、軍事などに大きな影響を与えることになる。彼らの受けた尊敬と別格の扱いは、鉄のもつ神秘性・普遍性とともにヨーロッパに受け継がれた。中世では金銀銅など鍛冶屋の分業化が進む。鉄鍛冶の装飾的な仕事は修道院・教会内部の格子や扉の金具にみられる。11世紀の単純なC形金具は、12世紀になると2本の鉄棒で複雑な紋様がつくられるようになり、さらに13世紀に入ると、パリのノートルダム寺院の西側の扉の金具のような高度の技術水準に達する。一方、刀鍛冶はスペインのトレド、ドイツのゾリンゲンのように特定の町で発達し、秘密保持のため、焼入れ師、研ぎ師ともども同業組合（ツンフト）は職人の他国への修業を禁じ、世襲を原則とした。また生産過程の分業化ばかりでなく、仕上げ師のツンフトから販売を担当する商人身分が生まれ、商人の力が強くなった。甲冑(かっちゅう)鍛冶は16世紀に最高のできばえを示すが、この世紀から銃が戦争で重要になり、大きな水車利用のハンマーの発達とともに、鉄砲鍛冶は工場的経営に変わっていく。北ドイツの一都市エムデンで錫(すず)製品をつくる親方のもとにきた徒弟数は、1601年から1650年までが54人、1701年から1750年までが34人、1801年から1850年までが18人と減っていく。鍛冶屋は時代が下るにつれてその仕事を大量生産の工場に吸収され、そこに雇われたり、スウェーデンの報告例のようにつくる者から修理する者になったりする。それでもオーストリアの小村ウンターワルトの統計では、この村に1910年に3人の鍛冶屋がいた。いまでも鍛冶屋は数こそ減っているが、各国の町や村にいる。

　鍛冶場は客の注文に応じて風見鶏(かざみどり)、店の看板、長持の金具、鍋(なべ)、釜(かま)から墓の十字架まで多様な物をつくりだしてきた。むろん、犂(すき)、鎌などの農具や馬の蹄鉄(ていてつ)もつくった。そこは何世紀にもわたって男たちが集まっておしゃべりをする場所でもあった。そのためか口承文芸の世界にはしばしば鍛冶屋が登場する。昔話の一つに鍛冶屋が大ぜいの客とか悪魔を席から動けなくしてしまう話があるが、それはヘファイストスが母のヘラを椅子(いす)から動けなくした神話を思い出させる。鍛冶屋には現に口承文芸の語り手である人がいる。イギリスに鍛冶屋が職人の王であることをアルフレッド大王に認めさせる伝説がある。鍛冶屋はそのように古来すべての仕事は自分たちに始まるという誇りをもっていた。16世紀中葉までは親の職業によっては鍛冶職人になれない者がいた。ハンガリーでは鍛冶屋が受けていた大きな尊敬ゆえにその名が地名となって残っており、また数多くの高貴な家が鍛冶屋を先祖としているという。鍛冶屋は蹄鉄を打つばかりでなく、獣医としても知られ、人々の歯痛を止めたりした。鍛冶屋が医者でもあったのは、ヨーロッパ諸国にみられる。オーストリアでは神聖な鉄で牛・羊などの犠牲獣をつくってもらい、教会に納めて無事を祈った。しかしスイスの山村地帯では呪的(じゅてき)世界とかかわる不気味な存在として、鍛冶屋は仕事を重宝がられながら、恐れられ、農民の共同体から締め出されていた。

［飯豊道男］

『L・ベック著、中沢護人訳『鉄の歴史』全5巻17分冊（1974～75・たたら書房）』▽『C・シンガー他編、平田寛他訳『増補新版　技術の歴史』全14巻（1978～81・筑摩書房）』▽『飯田賢一著「製鉄」（『日本科学技術史』所収・1962・朝日新聞社）』▽『山口啓二他著『採鉱と冶金』（『講座・日本技術の社会史　第5巻』1983・日本評論社）』

[参照項目] | 刀鍛冶 | たたら

鍛冶屋
鍛冶屋。『職人尽絵詞』　第2軸（部分）　原図は、鍬形蕙斎（北尾政美）画、杏花園（蜀山人）詞書国立国会図書館所蔵">

鍛冶屋

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

<<: Firehouse - Kasha

>>: Kasha (Russian)