Blacksmith - Kajishi

Japanese: 鍛冶師 - かじし

...The combination of fire and water, two opposing elements, signified the attainment of perfection, which was the goal of alchemy. The reason why blacksmiths are called "fire masters" and shamans "fire masters" may be related to the magical power of fire to bestow such transcendental qualities on things. Due to this characteristic, torches and bonfires are indispensable elements in ceremonies celebrating the union of the sexes and production, such as weddings and fertility festivals.

From [Metallurgy]

...The technology of producing usable products from metal lumps with unique mechanical properties, that is, the field that deals with all the problems associated with metal processing, is called processed metallurgy. Considering that metallurgy technology began with the processing of natural metals, it can be said that the blacksmiths (kajishi), the ancestors of processed metallurgists, have a longer history than the prospectors (yamashi) and metal bluffers (kanefukishi), the ancestors of chemical metallurgists. Metal processing traditionally included casting (a molding method in which metal is melted and cast into a mold), hammering (a molding method in which metal lumps are hammered out), and engraving (a technique for engraving and decorating metal products), and these techniques are still used in metal crafts today.

*Some of the terminology that refers to "blacksmith" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…また相反する2元素である火と水の結合は，錬金術が目標とした完全性の獲得を意味した。鍛冶師が〈火の親方〉と呼ばれ，シャーマンが〈火の熟達者〉といわれるのも，このような超越的性質を事物に付与する火の呪力にかかわっていよう。この特性により，結婚や豊穣の祭礼など両性の結合や生産を祝う儀礼には松明（たいまつ）やかがり火が欠かせぬ要素となっている。…

【冶金】より

…この独特の機械的性質をもつ金属の塊から実用に供する成形品を製造する技術，すなわち金属加工に伴うすべての問題を取り扱う分野が加工冶金である。冶金技術が自然金属の加工から始まっていることからみても，加工冶金技術者の先祖である鍛冶師（かじし）は化学冶金技術者の先祖である山師（やまし）や金吹師（かねふきし）よりも古い歴史をもっているといえよう。金属加工は古くは鋳金(金属を溶かして型に鋳込む成形法)，鍛金(金属の塊を打ち延ばす成形法)，彫金(金属成形品に彫刻加飾する技法)の技法があり，現代でも金属工芸に受け継がれている。…

※「鍛冶師」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について | 情報

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