Metal working in Africa was and still is
considered a form of magick. Metal workers are feared and also respected
in some African societies because of their potential to benefit or
negatively effect the lives of those around them. These people were
venerated and held important positions in society alongside royalty and
other authorities.
In Africa, when one examines closely, there is
an ancient cultural reference to a spirit or god of iron and
metalworking. In the Yoruba this god is called
Ogun*
and in North Nigeria, the god is called
Ogu
or
Gu. Traditionally in the West African region, one chooses
to make the position of smithing a sacred and secret trade.
In the Mande culture, blacksmiths are said to
control a force called Nyama which is liken to chi, witch-power and prana
life force. It is a hot and wild force that must be mastered and used to
transform when forging metals that are worked with, ultimately creating
a form of powerful art. The ability to control this energy is said to be
carried through the family. They believed this ability to be hereditary
and that metal working is controlled by the ancestors and
spirits. Members of the blacksmith family are taught the Daliluw, which
is the secret knowledge of the use and nature of nyama.
As quoted
from a book on art forms in Africa concerning the Mande people-
“Nyama is the foundation that nourishes the
institution of smithing, so that it may nourish society, is the simple
axiom that knowledge can be power when properly articulated…. One must
first possess it (nyama) in substantial amounts and then acquire the
knowledge to manipulate and direct it to capitalize on its potential
benefits. Acts that the difficult or dangerous—like hunting, or
smelting, and forging iron—demand that a greater responsibility of
energy and a higher degree of knowledge be possessed by the actor
(Perani, Smith 1998: 71)."
It is
interesting to note that many of these blacksmiths and metal workers are
also practitioners of divination (seeing into the future or unknown),
amulet making and medicine and many were also trained to be high
priests. These initiates and trainees would separate themselves from
society and conduct many rituals before they went into the "mother"
(earth) to become a metallurgist. Rituals of purification and fasting
was done in preparation to engage in this sacred and magickal act and
ensure the timing was correct to go along with this.
In ancient Africa, the metal worker was often
seen as a very powerful sorcerer and had the power to direct the forces
of nature. The will of the smith was used to transmute metals despite
the danger in the act. It is also interesting to note that Mande
blacksmiths were called "the first sons of the earth" and near their
forge were the forms of the 4 elements present to aid in their smithing
and ritual practice.
The
blacksmith was known as an enlightened one and one who deals with
numerous amounts of universal energy.
Though the actual act of forging metal is
performed in these African societies to make weapons and tools, the
spiritual and allegorical significance still remains. The Mande culture,
along with majority of true African culture, has been infiltrated. The
Mande still have their ancient beliefs but many of them have adopted the
poisonous program of Islam due to centuries of invasion. This is the
case in many traditional African religions such as in Vodun/Voodoo.
The metal
working tradition relates to spiritual transformation and for those of
you not aware, "metal work" or "metal working" is spiritual alchemy and
the metals are the Chakras.
In my study
of metal working in traditional African religion, it seems that this one
spirit that has smithing, craft and metallurgy under his domain is in
association with Azazel and the other gods who specialize in spiritual
alchemy.
Azazel
is known as a master at spiritual alchemy and in the Bible and in enemy
grimoires, it reads that he is known to have taught men to make swords,
shields and body armor and that he is a master at working with metal,
minerals and geology. This is all spiritual.
In reference to
"first sons of the earth", it connects with the black race being one of
the first races created. It also references the Mande's connection in
working with earth, mining and using it to gain spiritual
transformation. Working with the earth in a spiritual way in alchemy.
*Ogun/Gu is
also an aspect of the
Sacral chakra ruled by Mars and
associated with Iron.
Hail Satan!
Sources:
The Unknown lore of Amexems's Indigenous People,
Noble Meyer
Perani, Judith. Smith,
Fred T. (1998) The Visual Arts of Africa, gender, power, and life cycle
rituals