Joseph the Smith and the Salvational Transformation of Matter in Early Medieval Europe

Abstract

In early medieval Western Europe, Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, was identified occupationally not only as a domestic woodworker but also as a blacksmith, the most mysterious, powerful, and sacrosanct category of supernaturally endowed skilled crafting known to traditional nonindustrial societies.After reviewing skilled crafting and especially smithing as ritual processes, this essay considers typological identification of Joseph the smith as earthly parallel of the Deus artifex and as symbolic of the purifying (salvational) transformation of earthly matter (humanity) into a more rarefied (spiritual) state by fire as represented metaphorically by metallurgical processes.Aspects of the ideological climate of opinion encouraging such an identification in the early Middle Ages are also discussed.[St.Joseph, transformation of matter, smithing, early medieval cosmology, metaphors of salvation] Mary W. Helms, Professor Emerita of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA, is a cultural anthropologist interested in cosmology, cosmography, and political and ideological legitimation.Recent publications in early medieval cosmology and ideology include "Sacred Landscape and the Early Medieval European Cloister" (Anthropos 2002) and "Before the Dawn" (Anthropos 2004).This content downloaded from 152.13.

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