The position of the medieval blacksmith or metalworker is often innately connected with that of the knight, for whom he is immortalised as supplying a steady stream of swords and weaponry. To accurately describe this trade in the context of the medieval period, the blacksmith must be detached from the knight and analysed as a separate entity.
Essentially, it must be asked: what was there in the life of a blacksmith aside from hammering out swords for lords? What sort of world did he inhabit, and what were the rules he had to play by?
Far from being merely creators of weaponry, blacksmiths were part of a bona fide trade industry and a conscientious effort existed to create an administration to preserve it. This article will focus on the other aspects of the blacksmith’s life, showing that there was a complex industry surrounding who was able to become one and how they maintained their craft throughout the changing medieval world.
Blacksmiths and Warfare under Charlemagne
British Library MS Sloane 3983, fol. 5
Carolingian records extol the virtues of blacksmiths and metalsmiths. A capitulary from 802 stipulates that lords must have these workers to produce chainmail for military campaigns. It was as a direct result of this exposure to conflict that smiths were able to innovate and receive the most praise from their feudal lords.
The Carolingians were particularly impressed with the horse-shields created for them, which would have afforded even greater superiority in battle. It is easy to view these records as confirming the smiths’ commitment to producing the tools of war and to the sole employment of the lords who directed it.
It must, however, be observed that the records of Charlemagne pertain to warfare and, as such, reflect his emphasis. His tenure as King of the Franks from 768 A.D. and later as Holy Roman Emperor from 800 saw him expand his territory with unprecedented success, maintaining the loyalty of his nobles by promising the riches of annual summertime invasions into enemy territory.
With such a heavy emphasis on conflict to establish and maintain his crown, it is no surprise that blacksmiths are recorded primarily as catering to military needs. Here we see the conception of the blacksmith as primarily a producer of arms and armour, an image that has endured to the present day.
The Economic and Legal Value of Smiths
Charlemagne and his successors did recognise the other values of smiths, to the extent that smith-produced goods such as armour and plate were among the items counted as wergild. This was a price placed on every item and living being within his domain; it was the amount that had to be paid if that thing or person was killed, stolen, or injured.
BNF Français 167 fol. 163v
For example, the Lex Ribuaria records a “good breast plate” as being valued at “12 solidi.” This process required the intervention of a court to determine the outcome and clearly shows that the work of smiths was viewed as having both physical value and legal significance within the empire. It was, in this sense, a form of currency, incurring financial discomfort to those who stole or destroyed such items.
While we have discussed the inception of the blacksmith as a weapons producer under Charlemagne, it is important to note that they were recognised as having other uses regarding the items they made. As a result, the blacksmith became a highly valuable member of lay society, as he had the means to produce goods of significant value.
It is crucial to understand that this tradition existed alongside the wars of the Carolingians; thus, the blacksmith never existed solely as a weapons producer or a valued civilian craftsman, but as both simultaneously.
Training, Guilds, and the Rise of the Master Smith
Away from the battlefield, the smith learnt his trade from a master, who often employed several apprentices from a young age. Advancement from apprentice to master was by no means guaranteed and rested entirely upon being noticed as a talented worker likely to be worthy of patronage or capable of securing loans.
The master himself would have risen through the ranks in this manner, a system designed both to forge the best blacksmiths and to regulate the number of workers to reduce competition and preserve the prestige of the business.
UBH Cod. Pal. germ. 432 fol. 30r
Masters were unlikely to be lenient toward their apprentices, as only the master would suffer financially from inferior workmanship. It is interesting to note the basic parallels between smiths at this stage and the advancement process for young knights seeking recognition.
The industry itself, like many others, assumed legitimacy by creating a guild administered by the masters, which regulated the number of smith apprentices permitted and the materials allowed.
Blacksmiths in Medieval Trade and Civic Life
The development of these institutions is important to understanding smithing and metalwork as staples of medieval life, because it shows an active attempt to prevent the trade from becoming saturated or exploited. It is clear that smiths served a societal purpose independent of weapon production, hence the attempt to formalise and preserve their craft.
Blacksmith’s wife forging nails. Image taken from Holkham Bible Picture Book. British Library MS Add. 47682 fol.31
This was continued consistently into the high and later Middle Ages, as blacksmithing assumed a major position in international trade. Evidence for this lucrative development can be found in the German city of Dinkelsbühl, which prospered largely through the trade brought in by its smiths.
Further demonstrating the integration of blacksmithing into medieval civic life was the admission of their elite to positions of authority within a region, such as a town council. This move represents a synthesis of the practice of blacksmithing and metalworking with civic legitimacy and recognition.
Dinkelsbühl was one of the first cities to implement this, granting smiths the right to stand on the town council in 1387. This official move reflects that the city officials recognised blacksmiths as important domestic assets useful in both international trade and local development.
A Dual Role: Weaponsmiths and Community Builders
On balance, the image of the blacksmith cannot be completely separated from the feudal caricature that has endured. Despite the establishment of smithing as a major aspect of regional economies, blacksmiths maintained a latent ability to provide for the military, and this cannot be ignored.
At the same time, they existed as separate entities with legal, institutional, and economic interests. Even in times of war, blacksmiths performed other societal functions that were no less distinguishing features of their trade.
Timothy R. Jones was a graduate student in Medieval Studies at the University of Lincoln.
By Timothy R. Jones
The position of the medieval blacksmith or metalworker is often innately connected with that of the knight, for whom he is immortalised as supplying a steady stream of swords and weaponry. To accurately describe this trade in the context of the medieval period, the blacksmith must be detached from the knight and analysed as a separate entity.
Essentially, it must be asked: what was there in the life of a blacksmith aside from hammering out swords for lords? What sort of world did he inhabit, and what were the rules he had to play by?
Far from being merely creators of weaponry, blacksmiths were part of a bona fide trade industry and a conscientious effort existed to create an administration to preserve it. This article will focus on the other aspects of the blacksmith’s life, showing that there was a complex industry surrounding who was able to become one and how they maintained their craft throughout the changing medieval world.
Blacksmiths and Warfare under Charlemagne
Carolingian records extol the virtues of blacksmiths and metalsmiths. A capitulary from 802 stipulates that lords must have these workers to produce chainmail for military campaigns. It was as a direct result of this exposure to conflict that smiths were able to innovate and receive the most praise from their feudal lords.
The Carolingians were particularly impressed with the horse-shields created for them, which would have afforded even greater superiority in battle. It is easy to view these records as confirming the smiths’ commitment to producing the tools of war and to the sole employment of the lords who directed it.
It must, however, be observed that the records of Charlemagne pertain to warfare and, as such, reflect his emphasis. His tenure as King of the Franks from 768 A.D. and later as Holy Roman Emperor from 800 saw him expand his territory with unprecedented success, maintaining the loyalty of his nobles by promising the riches of annual summertime invasions into enemy territory.
With such a heavy emphasis on conflict to establish and maintain his crown, it is no surprise that blacksmiths are recorded primarily as catering to military needs. Here we see the conception of the blacksmith as primarily a producer of arms and armour, an image that has endured to the present day.
The Economic and Legal Value of Smiths
Charlemagne and his successors did recognise the other values of smiths, to the extent that smith-produced goods such as armour and plate were among the items counted as wergild. This was a price placed on every item and living being within his domain; it was the amount that had to be paid if that thing or person was killed, stolen, or injured.
For example, the Lex Ribuaria records a “good breast plate” as being valued at “12 solidi.” This process required the intervention of a court to determine the outcome and clearly shows that the work of smiths was viewed as having both physical value and legal significance within the empire. It was, in this sense, a form of currency, incurring financial discomfort to those who stole or destroyed such items.
While we have discussed the inception of the blacksmith as a weapons producer under Charlemagne, it is important to note that they were recognised as having other uses regarding the items they made. As a result, the blacksmith became a highly valuable member of lay society, as he had the means to produce goods of significant value.
It is crucial to understand that this tradition existed alongside the wars of the Carolingians; thus, the blacksmith never existed solely as a weapons producer or a valued civilian craftsman, but as both simultaneously.
Training, Guilds, and the Rise of the Master Smith
Away from the battlefield, the smith learnt his trade from a master, who often employed several apprentices from a young age. Advancement from apprentice to master was by no means guaranteed and rested entirely upon being noticed as a talented worker likely to be worthy of patronage or capable of securing loans.
The master himself would have risen through the ranks in this manner, a system designed both to forge the best blacksmiths and to regulate the number of workers to reduce competition and preserve the prestige of the business.
Masters were unlikely to be lenient toward their apprentices, as only the master would suffer financially from inferior workmanship. It is interesting to note the basic parallels between smiths at this stage and the advancement process for young knights seeking recognition.
The industry itself, like many others, assumed legitimacy by creating a guild administered by the masters, which regulated the number of smith apprentices permitted and the materials allowed.
Blacksmiths in Medieval Trade and Civic Life
The development of these institutions is important to understanding smithing and metalwork as staples of medieval life, because it shows an active attempt to prevent the trade from becoming saturated or exploited. It is clear that smiths served a societal purpose independent of weapon production, hence the attempt to formalise and preserve their craft.
This was continued consistently into the high and later Middle Ages, as blacksmithing assumed a major position in international trade. Evidence for this lucrative development can be found in the German city of Dinkelsbühl, which prospered largely through the trade brought in by its smiths.
Further demonstrating the integration of blacksmithing into medieval civic life was the admission of their elite to positions of authority within a region, such as a town council. This move represents a synthesis of the practice of blacksmithing and metalworking with civic legitimacy and recognition.
Dinkelsbühl was one of the first cities to implement this, granting smiths the right to stand on the town council in 1387. This official move reflects that the city officials recognised blacksmiths as important domestic assets useful in both international trade and local development.
A Dual Role: Weaponsmiths and Community Builders
On balance, the image of the blacksmith cannot be completely separated from the feudal caricature that has endured. Despite the establishment of smithing as a major aspect of regional economies, blacksmiths maintained a latent ability to provide for the military, and this cannot be ignored.
At the same time, they existed as separate entities with legal, institutional, and economic interests. Even in times of war, blacksmiths performed other societal functions that were no less distinguishing features of their trade.
Timothy R. Jones was a graduate student in Medieval Studies at the University of Lincoln.
Further Readings:
Alan Harding, England in the Thirteenth Century
Norman Zacour, An Introduction to Medieval Institutions
Catherine Moriarty, The Voice of the Middle Ages: In Personal Letters 1100-1500
Top Image: A medieval blacksmith at work in this 14th century manuscript. BNF Français 24364 fol. 61r
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