21 thesouth-west
Tuesday, 25 October, 2016
Nigerian Tribune
‘It’s not a job for women’ Continues from pg20
hammer, thongs or pliers (Emu), mortar car and the iron bender (omo owo). Also speaking, Yusuff Oyebamiji stated that the art of blacksmithing is one that seldom changes as it goes on the same way year in, year out. He added that the palm oil is also very essential to the craft as it is used in forging some difficult tools. He explained further that palm wine can never be far from a blacksmith’s workshop as it is used to appease the God of iron. One of the tools, the anvil, called Ewiri in Yoruba is said to produce entertaining musical sounds which not only entertains but gingers the blacksmith to work harder and faster. History has it that the sound is used to compose songs that teach the benefit of hard work, morality and good living among other credible virtues. But today, the use of the singing anvil is no more in practice as the one now in use does not produce sounds. “It is true that in years past, the anvil used produced sounds that type is the double anvil and we do not ise it again. That was used by our fathers but modernization has made it a thing of the past. Now, we use the single anvil which is easier to manage but does not produce any sound,” Biliaminu stated. Ogun is synonymous to blacksmithing; indeed, he is inseparable from the craft and is often described as the god of blacksmiths. He is credited with introducing iron and the patron deity to blacksmiths and anyone that works with iron. A particular story has it that Ogun as a deity sent to the earth having taken oath to protect a village against its enemies but was tricked by Esu (deity of tricks) to drink palm wine just before the battle. He got drunk having imbibed excessively and he went into battle the next morning very drunk and could not differentiate the enemies from the people he had sworn to protect. As a result, he began to slaughter everyone and when the effects of the wine wore off, he realized the damage he had done and his father, Obatala, sentenced him to a lifetime of hard labour; mining iron ore from the earth, refining it in a furnace and using hammer to fashion the ore into beautiful pieces and weapons to be used by man and deities, as a penance for the crime he had committed. Another story said Ogunladindin Alagbede Akokois a renowned blacksmith sent to the earth every five days by God to cast iron implements and he charges the same price for every work irrespective of its complexity and falling in love with his work, they gave him a wife to tie him down on earth but his apprentice connived with his wife to betray him and he in annoyance, relocated back to heaven through a great chain. “You cannot be a blacksmith without worshipping Ogun, it is very impossible though it doesn’t preclude embracing other religion. Our fathers were Muslims and they went on holy pilgrimage to Mecca but they still worship Ogun. You must worship Ogun to be a blacksmith and we usually hold Ogun festival annually; it holds eight days after Oke’badan festival though we make appeasement regularly,” Yusuff explained. They stated that it is rare for a blacksmith to move around though they lead normal lives like any other person and when asked what they can’t do, Biliaminu stated that, “we really live normal lives like everyone and don’t have much taboos except that we can’t eat Oore, a kind of insect that looks like a cricket as when you eat it, tools and
Entrance of the blacksmith’s family house
The modern day art of blacksmithing still uses the same techniques and processes used in times past but with better tools whatever you are designing will continue to break,” And why can’t women do the job? They said nothing stops women except the stressful nature of the job. “There’s no taboo or spiritual limitation, the only thing that hinders them is the cumbersome nature of the job. Can a woman sit in this hot environment all day and wield this big hammer? This is not a lazy man’s job,” Yusuff said. However, in developed climes, the system and procedures of blacksmithing employed in the Southwest today are three generations old and is no more a feasible nor acceptable means of creating things from iron. Indeed, blacksmithing has moved beyond the artisan’s craft to a more evolved production industry that makes use of machines that not only makes work quite easy but much faster and enables mass production. In all its forms, the modern day art of blacksmithing still uses the same techniques and processes used in times past but with better tools and to make more fanciful objects and the art has indeed changed a great deal to put the trade on a pedestal of a massive production industry to open it up to a brighter future. Blacksmithing, contrary to popular belief is not a relic of the past that is replaced by modern machines and industrial factories, it is still the same process made easier as the use of heat and fire as well as thongs has not been eroded. In fact, in the developed world,
Nigerian Tribune reporter (right), Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare at the blacksmith’s workshop
blacksmithing is experiencing a renaissance with many people especially youths putting their artistic abilities to consistent and profitable use through blacksmithing. That more people venture daily into this trade even outside the shores of Africa is seen in the huge number of blacksmiths in Europe and other western countries; the Artist-Blacksmiths’ Association of North America (ABANA) now claims about 5,000 members which is double the number it had 10 years back. Today, blacksmithing is an emerging civilized and viable career path in developed countries with a future that is capable of creating wealth and huge employment due to the gradual introduction of modernized tools. But in Southwest Nigeria, the trend is yet to change and is unlikely to change in the nearest future. This is because the forging, welding, riveting and repairing metal parts
for use in farm machinery, and industrial and domestic equipment is still done as it was done in ancient times. And the blacksmiths, most of whom inherited the trade are quite unwilling to change their ways. For them, the craft is closely linked with their faith and belief which precludes the use of advanced tools that was not used by Ogun, a deity they believe is the first blacksmith. Also, they think that embracing modern tools is tantamount to turning their backs on the god of iron and an invitation to his wrath. Biliaminu sums this up when he said, “This craft was handed over to us by our fathers, just as we will hand it over to our children. We cannot effect a change because it goes beyond tradition; it has to do with source and life. As it was done then and our fathers made so much profit, so will we do it in order to remain relevant and blessed.”