In at least some cases, “religious rituals of purification and prayers to invoke the gods,” should be classed with “things that work even though we don’t know why” instead of “things that do not work.” When working metal, time and speed are really important, and specific prayers and rituals can regulate that. You saw the same thing in other areas like baking. “Stir with this spoon while saying this prayer” because that old dirty wooden spoon had lingering yeast on it, and it took 4 times reciting the Lord’s prayer or whatever for enough to make it into the dough for it to rise properly.
On another note: I wonder if it mattered much that iron was an element instead of an alloy. Copper and tin aren’t mined in the same places, so whenever long distance trade broke down, like in the late bronze age collapse, you had serious issues. Iron, you needed ore and fuel, potentially more resilient?
That reminds me of a story I read about a lambic brewer in Belgium who needed to replace an again brewery roof. They ended up building a roof over the existing, but dilapidated, one because of the wild yeast that was had grown in it over the decades. His concern (legitimate) was removing the old roof and replacing it would cause the flavor of the brew to change.
One can easily see how such an event 2 or 3 hundred years back might produce a more mystical explanation but based on a very empirical observation.
In at least some cases, “religious rituals of purification and prayers to invoke the gods,” should be classed with “things that work even though we don’t know why” instead of “things that do not work.” When working metal, time and speed are really important, and specific prayers and rituals can regulate that. You saw the same thing in other areas like baking. “Stir with this spoon while saying this prayer” because that old dirty wooden spoon had lingering yeast on it, and it took 4 times reciting the Lord’s prayer or whatever for enough to make it into the dough for it to rise properly.
On another note: I wonder if it mattered much that iron was an element instead of an alloy. Copper and tin aren’t mined in the same places, so whenever long distance trade broke down, like in the late bronze age collapse, you had serious issues. Iron, you needed ore and fuel, potentially more resilient?
I really like the ‘prayers are just a religious working song’ angle.
That reminds me of a story I read about a lambic brewer in Belgium who needed to replace an again brewery roof. They ended up building a roof over the existing, but dilapidated, one because of the wild yeast that was had grown in it over the decades. His concern (legitimate) was removing the old roof and replacing it would cause the flavor of the brew to change.
One can easily see how such an event 2 or 3 hundred years back might produce a more mystical explanation but based on a very empirical observation.