What do we know about blacksmithing techniques in Africa ?

The Double D · 4th August 2006, 07:21 PM

A.T. Bryant inThe Zulu People has 16 pages on the process. Bryant talks about the evolution of the process of iron making and iron working among the African people.

Eileen Krige The Social sytem of the Zulus describes the process ammong the Zulu.

Henri A Junod The Life of a South Africa Tribe describes the iron making process in the Tsonga tribe a close relation of the Zulu's. Nice picture of a furnace.

Zan · 5th August 2006, 02:07 AM

I wish to add my humble personal observations.

Here is a picture of a Dogon blacksmith in Mali (2005). I found him in a tiny village near a great cliff. The other picture is a knife bought to him (but clearly not new !).

The working boy is his son. His father learned his art from his own father. The young fellow is activating a typical forge made of two "drums", a "Y" pipe and a charcoal fire.

The Dogon are no longer using their own iron ore found by mining : they buy it in town from time to time.

The village's blacksmith is mainly forging utilitarian things, but occasionaly traditional knifes. The Dogons are not a warlike people, so swords are not made by those workers.

Sincerely,
Zan

The Double D · 5th August 2006, 08:40 AM

One thing to note in the Zulu scheme of things is that the blacksmith makes the blade, the Spearmaker gets the blades and makes the spears.

I can find no specific reference to knife or sword making in these works, but it may be there. The problem is indexing.

In Junod there is no reference to knife or sword. While browsing the pages I found a picture of weapons and one is described as a dagger. Yep, there's dagger in the index. That illustration also shows some interesting axes.

Again a example of poor indexing, is this passage:

Quote:

I may also mention the big knives (mikwa), a sort of sword ; one sometimes meets brawny fellows walking along the paths, armed with these dangerous looking implements! However they are quite inoffensive.

Nope no mikwa in the index either. There is no other details on this weapon or it's construction and no mention of such a weapon by the authors.

Shaka's iKlwa is about as close as it appears that the Southern tribes got to Swords.

Hope this helps. At least it might give you an area to not spend time researching.

katana · 7th August 2006, 12:27 PM

Thankyou Gentlemen for your input, and extra thanks to Emanuel (Manolo) and Douglas (Double D) for the PDF's and word documents they e-mailed.

Please.....if anyone else has any info, pics etc please feel free to PM me or add to this thread..........all donations gratefully received ..

5th August 2006, 02:07 AM	#2
Zan Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada Posts: 46	I wish to add my humble personal observations. Here is a picture of a Dogon blacksmith in Mali (2005). I found him in a tiny village near a great cliff. The other picture is a knife bought to him (but clearly not new !). The working boy is his son. His father learned his art from his own father. The young fellow is activating a typical forge made of two "drums", a "Y" pipe and a charcoal fire. The Dogon are no longer using their own iron ore found by mining : they buy it in town from time to time. The village's blacksmith is mainly forging utilitarian things, but occasionaly traditional knifes. The Dogons are not a warlike people, so swords are not made by those workers. Sincerely, Zan Attached Images

4th August 2006, 07:21 PM	#1
The Double D Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: On the banks of Cut Bank Creek, Montana Posts: 189	A.T. Bryant inThe Zulu People has 16 pages on the process. Bryant talks about the evolution of the process of iron making and iron working among the African people. Eileen Krige The Social sytem of the Zulus describes the process ammong the Zulu. Henri A Junod The Life of a South Africa Tribe describes the iron making process in the Tsonga tribe a close relation of the Zulu's. Nice picture of a furnace.

7th August 2006, 12:27 PM	#4
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	Thankyou Gentlemen for your input, and extra thanks to Emanuel (Manolo) and Douglas (Double D) for the PDF's and word documents they e-mailed. Please.....if anyone else has any info, pics etc please feel free to PM me or add to this thread..........all donations gratefully received ..