The blacksmith’s craft is so woven into the identity of Kresevo, that without mentioning Kresevo blacksmiths, it would be meaningless to even write about this small and magical place in central Bosnia, the former seat of the Bosnian kings. The story of Kresevo without reference to its excellent blacksmiths would at least resemble the story of Mostar, which does not talk about the Old Bridge and the jumpers in the Neretva, it would resemble the story of Tuzla, which does not say that it is a “city of salt”. The blacksmith’s trade is simply a symbol of Kresevo.
“And no one made iron things as masterfully as the blacksmiths from Kresevo,” explained the narrator in the 1952 documentary film by Svetomir Jonic. The skills of Kresevo blacksmiths weresung about in numerous songs, and there was a phenomenon of egg shoeing, and according to folk stories, it was a kind of test for every young blacksmith, before his marriage. Namely, if a young man knew how to shoe an egg, it was a sign of his maturity, blacksmithing skills, that is, his ability to support his family.
Kresevo has been known as a mining area since ancient, medieval, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian times. At the beginning of 1878, there were as many as 19 squares and about 90 forges in Kresevo. In the village of Vranci alone, near Kresevo, there were about twenty forges for forging horse nails. Time has passed, crafts are slowly dying out, so only three forges remain active in Kresevo today.
Industrialization and extinction of small crafts
Frano Martincevic from the Kresevo Tourist Office told for Anadolu Agency (AA) that it is known that the ancient Illyrians, before the arrival of the Slavs, were engaged in mining, ore mining, and blacksmithing in this area, so this craft became specific for the entire Kresevo region.
Near the village of Vranci, two kilometers from Kresevo, there is Oberska jama, which was a mine and a source of raw materials for blacksmiths who worked in the village, which is why a mini production developed in the Middle Ages. With the arrival of the Ottomans, there was the development of differentbranches in the blacksmith’s craft, which are specific to the Kresevo region.
“Uncovering certain objects for cultivating agricultural soil, for felling in the forest, as well as certain objects that were used in cooking, so we have the famous Kresevo sac,” told Martincevic.
The Kresevo tradition is preserved by the youngest blacksmith in BiH
What is certainly encouraging is that the forge employs a significant number of young people, including 30-year-old Armin Neradin. Although a forest technician by profession, Neradin, like most employees, is from a blacksmith family, so he started doing this job. He has been working in this forge for seven years.
He acquired his first steps and first knowledge of the blacksmith’s craft from his father, who worked in the Celik Kresevo forge. But, he emphasized that he owes the greatest gratitude to Zijad Dugalic, with whom he “forged” the craft, and for whom he says that he was the first blacksmith of Yugoslavia.
E.Dz.
Source: Federalna
