Black Stag Forge/Introduction

Black Stag Forge The Blacksmith was at the heart of every country village and was very often thought of as a magician, due mostly to his mastery of iron working and the ability to understand the metallurgy of the iron that he used. The secret processes of smelting metal were responsible for many Blacksmiths being burnt as witches and wizards. Some villages banned Blacksmithing as a black art in the middle ages with anyone caught practicing the craft being put to death. What went on in the darkness of the smithy was a mystery to most people. On a more practical day to day level, the Blacksmiths Knew how to keep a fire going all year round, so he was often asked to make space near his forge or even in a separate brick or stone box, which in time became known as an oven, for bread to be baked or meat to be roasted. We know that in later times when the Blacksmith stopped work for the day, the hot coals were scooped up and rushed to the Bakery to heat the ovens to bake the bread. In many communities bread was baked at night using the hot embers from the smithy. - anon