Horseshoes, bells, and coffin nails; magic and iron have remained hand in hand, seemingly ever since the dawn of time. As the great expansion of civilization occurred, cultures moved and spread their folklore from one part of the globe to another. One fascinating thread that runs through most civilizations is the universal importance of iron for ceremonial purposes. The stories and folklore have always been clear: the Fae, a mythical race often associated with nature and magic, have a deep aversion to iron, considering it harmful and repulsive. Conversely, hanging iron is believed to bring good luck. But why? To understand this better, we will have to go back in time to get to the bottom of this topic: approximately 5,223 years ago.
Metal From the Heavens
Iron makes up approximately 32% of the earth, but for thousands of years, it was unusable. Iron, in its raw form, is actually quite brittle. To make it stronger, the ore must be smelted with other elements. Thus, earlier civilizations preferred stronger bronze weapons. The first use of iron as a weapon, which has become integral to our lives, was not from our own planet. It was an alien metal, a fact that may seem strange to us today. This mystery of iron's origin, sparking wonder and intrigue in our ancestors who were yet to discover that our very earth is made of iron, is a fascinating aspect of its history. Meteors that crashed into the planet were the earliest known examples of iron use.
In 1911, a tomb in el-Gerzeh, a pre-dynastic cemetery in northern Egypt, was excavated, and scholars were shocked to find nine beads made of meteorite iron. Professor Thilo Rehren, a director at University College London's Institute of Archaeology campus in Qatar, scanned the beads and discovered that they were not drilled or carved like gems of their time were. Instead, these beads were formed by smithing the metal, flattening them into thin sheets, and then rolling them to create the bead shape. Rehren believes this to be the world's earliest example of metalwork.
693 km away, in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt, King Tut's tomb offers another early glimpse at iron from the skies. Tutankhamun's Meteoric Dagger, a beautiful ceremonial piece, was laid to rest with his body in 1323 BCE. The Egyptians often interred their dead with items useful in their afterlife, such as gold, food, servants, and weapons. The inclusion of this alien metal, considered sacred and mystical due to its rarity, was a testament to its significance. Only the rich and powerful had use of this precious resource. However, the Egyptians weren't the only civilization that had used meteoric iron decades before the Iron Age. Archaeologists discovered iron Beads in North America, iron axes in China, and an iron dagger in Turkey.
Assur, an ancient Assyrian city-state in contemporary Iraq, established trade settlements within present-day Turkey between 2000 BCE and 1800 BCE. A trove of approximately 20,000 clay tablets unearthed at Kültepe-Kanesh, these colonies' principal hub, provides trade records. Among the recorded transactions, numerous references to iron-related terms emerge; notably, the term 'amūtum' recurs frequently, accompanied by cuneiform symbols denoting 'metal' and 'sky.' This 'metal of the sky' was listed as 40 times more expensive than silver, showing its revered status and the economic value placed on it. These records show that some amūtum items were gifted to the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III, Tutankhamun's grandfather. Some scholars argue that Tut's meteoric iron dagger could be one of those mentioned in the lists, perhaps passed down as an heirloom.
Even in more modern times, meteoric iron has been used for special ceremonial tools. In 1814, naturalist and meteorite scholar James Sowerby gifted Tsar Alexander I a meteoric sword with the following engraving: "This Iron having fallen from the heavens was, upon his visit to England, presented to His Majesty Alexander Emperor of all the Russias, who had successfully joined in Battle, to spread the blessings of peace throughout Europe." Once again, the connection to the heavens is established.
Why the Fae Hate Iron
A Heavenly Material to Combat Mythical Foes
There are three different theories as to why the mythical Fae hate iron. The first is what I believe to be the most probable: iron is a heavenly object gifted to humans from the gods and is, therefore, able to repel evil. As discussed previously, the earliest examples of iron were from meteors that crashed onto the earth. Imagine the sight of a meteor shooting across the sky, covered in flames, and landing in a field. Then, imagine the simple peasant folk realizing it is a metal stronger than anything they have available. This incident would have been seen as almost mythical. They had no explanation for this phenomenon at that time. As a matter of fact, meteors weren't publicly accepted until English chemist Edward C. Howard and French mineralogist Jacques-Louis de Bournon published an analysis showing the difference between meteorites and terrestrial rocks in 1802. So, for early civilizations, this was something otherworldly.
The ancient Celts (from whom we get our folklore about Fae) lived from the late bronze age through the Iron Age. They were alive and thriving before the technology was around to smelt common iron. The only iron they had during the bronze age would probably have been a meteorite. We all want some protection from those who are stronger than us. It is a natural instinct. Hence, stories were conjured that gave mortals a feeling of protection against the Fae. So, here is a group of people who have daggers and swords made from a precious heavenly material, using it to repel their magical enemies. According to Robert Kirk in his book The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns & Fairies: A Study in Folk-lore & Psychical Research, published in 1815, "This belief probably came in when iron was a new, rare, and mysterious metal." p. XXX.
Iron is of the Earth
Another belief about the Fae's aversion to iron concerns raw iron ore's earthly conception. Since iron is dug up from the earth, it is tied to the earthly plane, the realm of humans. Fae, however, are not of this world and find anything of the earth unsightly. This theory is not an accurate argument because while that might explain why the Fae don't like iron, it would not explain why it physically hurts them. Secondly, iron is an excellent conductor of energy. Therefore, the logical leap would be that iron would help the fae magic, not hinder it. Lastly, the knowledge of how to craft raw iron ore was unavailable in the bronze age, so the Celts still needed to learn that it was of the earth when they made their first stories.
The Christian Philosophy
When Christianity was invented around 1 CE, much of the world's folklore was crushed beneath the new religion. Irish clergymen, however, tended to weave their traditions into Christianity. Many of the old Irish gods and goddesses were rewritten as human saints. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the Fae also took on a different history. According to the Irish, Fae were angels who fell to the earth following Lucifer's descent and were trapped there. This idea gives credence to the notion that the Fae are otherworldly. So, it would not have been uncommon for a practicing Christian to still hold on to apotropaic magic for protection against their historic enemy. Bells, crosses, and cemetery fences were all made of iron as protection, which led some later generations to believe that the Fae hated iron because it was holy and blessed by God. One historical fact can easily disprove this theory: the Fae are a Celtic folklore, and the Celtic civilization died approximately 500 years before Christianity was invented. The Celts could not have written anything involving Christianity as it did not exist during their time. The church's inclusion of iron as a protective element is a case in which the current beliefs shaped the new. Churches used iron because it was a mythology already in place. Not the other way around.
When I started the research into iron, I had no idea the amount of information I would learn. The intertwined relationship between iron and magic, spanning civilizations and ages, is a captivating tale. From its celestial origins as a metal forged in the heavens to its revered status in trade records and ceremonial tools, iron has long held a place of reverence and power. As civilizations evolve and beliefs intertwine, the significance of iron remains a constant thread, reflecting humanity's enduring fascination with the mystical and the tangible alike. Even today, the use of iron to repel evil and otherworldly forces is still being passed on to younger generations. I hope you have enjoyed this deep dive today. If you've learned something new, leave me a comment and let me know what it was.
Sources:
Bennett, Jay, et al. "How Did Ancient Cultures First Discover Iron? It Fell from the Sky." National Geographic, 9 May 2023, www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/how-ancient-cultures-discovered-iron-feature.
Brenan, J.M., et al. "The Anoka, Minnesota Iron Meteorite as Parent to Hopewell Meteoritic Metal Beads from Havana, Illinois." Journal of Archaeological Science, Academic Press, 22 Mar. 2017, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305440317300353?via%3Dihub.
Henderson, Paul. "A Most Unusual History of an Iron Meteorite." UCL Earth Sciences, 26 July 2018, www.ucl.ac.uk/earth-sciences/news/2013/nov/most-unusual-history-iron-meteorite.
Kennedy, Maev. "Ancient Egyptian Beads Are Oldest Iron Objects Found." The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 19 Aug. 2013, www.theguardian.com/science/2013/aug/20/ancient-egyptian-beads-museum.
Kirk, Robert, and Lang, Andrew. The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns & Fairies: A Study in Folk-lore & Psychical Research. United Kingdom, D. Nutt, 1893.
Li, C., et al. "Meteoritic Origin and Manufacturing Process of Iron Blades in Two Bronze Age Bimetallic Objects from China." Journal of Cultural Heritage, Elsevier Masson, 13 Nov. 2017, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1296207417305356.
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Skurie, Jaclyn. "Scientists: Meteorite Beads Oldest Example of Metalwork." Science, National Geographic, 24 Aug. 2013, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/130822-ancient-egypt-beads-meteorites-iron-gerzeh.
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