Iron supposed to be greatly disliked by the Sídhe/'Fairy Folk', and many other sprites, (may be to do with its effects on magnetic fields, and other properties iron has, which few other metals have) For this reason some Pagan's won't use metal/iron for magical tools.
Iron nail hammered into door posts reputed to keep the Fairy Folk out. Some sub-species of the Fairy Folk are supposed to play all sorts of (nasty) pranks if allowed to. In the Celtic areas, problems such as illness in cattle where often thought to have been caused by the cattle being shot by an elf's arrow. The Ban-shee/Supernatural (white)-Woman, announced/caused death. So you can see why people looked for a way of stop these harmful entities entering their homes. (Don't know how helpful brownies supposed to get past the iron?) Other cultures ascribed these bad happening to other kinds of creatures, who also (largely?) seem to have a disliking for iron.
May date back to times when weapons were made of metals softer than Iron. First person with iron weapons would have been seen as a great warrior/ someone not to mess with.
There may also much stuff within the traditions/customs that blacksmiths (like other craftsmen) certainly used to observe. Read somewhere that when primitive/early iron was produced its quality wasn't that good, but it could be improved, by burying lumps of the low quality iron, and leaving it to rust. Poorer iron rusts in preference to the high quality iron. If you timed it right, you could with luck, dug the rust filled/covered lump up, hammer out the rust, and get a much better quality iron.
2007-08-29 05:24:26
·
answer #1
·
answered by Steve C 6
·
2⤊
1⤋
yes it is lucky been there and done that. It comes from the belief around neolithic times that our ancestors had to have this for weapons and farm tools. On the more modern metaphysical side of today iron keeps away negative influences from around our living and personal spaces it makes their effects null and void. Also it helps the owner to have a sense of being grounded(centered) within their daily lives. If it has rust on it clean it off and also dull the point off of it so that it won't hurt you this will not make it work any less
2007-08-29 00:55:15
·
answer #2
·
answered by Anonymous
·
1⤊
1⤋
Iron is a 'magical' metal, with lots of superstitions around it.
Iron is not easily extracted from ore.... it is associated with meteorites......... it can be magnetised
even when iron was 'tamed', the people who worked with it were seen as special and important people... being called 'smith' was once, an honour.
It is only since the industrial revolution that we have lost our reverence for iron... but, even today, many aspects of iron are said to be lucky
2007-08-29 00:50:48
·
answer #3
·
answered by Vinni and beer 7
·
0⤊
1⤋
Iron was once a very valuable commodity, like other metal ores. It is thought the Romans wanted to invade the British Isles partly for this reason.
It would have been like striking oil today.
So to have it linked to superstitions of luck and protection is not that suprising.
2007-08-29 07:06:32
·
answer #4
·
answered by Anonymous
·
1⤊
0⤋
Iron is indeed lucky-this is where the idea of lucky horseshoes comes from. Iron is meant to keep away bad spirits.
2007-08-29 00:46:24
·
answer #5
·
answered by plwimsett 5
·
1⤊
1⤋
If you had found gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, emeralds etc. I'd say you are "lucky". As you found an old nail, I'd say you are unlucky unless you have an old fence to use it on LOL
2007-08-29 00:51:09
·
answer #6
·
answered by kendavi 5
·
0⤊
0⤋
Iron was a Defence against Witchcraft and Sorcery
2007-08-30 05:37:49
·
answer #7
·
answered by sorbus 3
·
0⤊
1⤋
well finding iron is lucky because being such as demons djinns and other magical entites body or shape is composed of etheric energies which r disrupted by iron or silver
this in ancient times kept demons away because of their weakness to these metals.
2007-08-29 09:45:13
·
answer #8
·
answered by Enrique C 2
·
1⤊
1⤋
Iron and bronze were considered magical by both christian and prechristian superstition. Nails on the door were meant to keep elves and spirits away from houses, while latter this precaution started referring to the devil.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/mhs/mhs09.htm
2007-08-29 03:52:58
·
answer #9
·
answered by Ant-lion 5
·
2⤊
0⤋
wow! really? go to the nearest museum! maybe you will recheiv money for it,or you can keep it if you believe in lucky things
2007-08-29 00:45:24
·
answer #10
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋