.
The tetramorfos occupy prominent places in the Romanesque churches such as the apses, eardrums or capitals. However, there are other discrete objects in the Romanesque also contain, in secret, the essence of the four tetramorfos elements - earth, air, fire and water -: forged hardware.
Earth
The man, the hard way-billed, red stone extracted from the mines that slowly penetrated into the bowels of the earth following its rusty veins. The mineral, high in iron oxides and, in the form of rocks and blocks blood treasures of the earth, was transported to a place near the mouth of the mine.
Again, the hard way peak, mining and milling the ore piled along the prized pieces in the oven.
Air
The man, the hard way the wind whistling ax, felling trees close to the mine. The ring of light in the forest grew, over time, around the reservoir. Wood, the living energy source that, based on breathing through their leaves and receive the strength of the sun, grows slowly into the sky, save in its essence the air, the breath of Abraham, as a singular manifestation of Life Nature.
Again, by dint of an ax, the woodcutter chopped logs and branches making them inert piled logs and dry leaving the precious fragments patiently.
Fire
The coal piled the logs dry in wise provision, covered with twig and earth to prevent air penetrating into the pile and set on fire in the heart of the kiln. Slowly, the action of a drowned fire was advancing on the pile becoming a precious logs charcoal.
The smelter, which at the time of the Romans used even rudimentary manual forced draft furnaces usually built next to the mine, heating the carbon-based mineral, air, fire and patience to get to melt iron in the stone. The time is right, pulled from the oven of coarse porous iron. Water
The man, who at the time of the Romanesque and used forges built along a river, took advantage of water power to make a huge hammer on the anvil hit continuously. So again, the hard way deck hydraulic or manual, ferrero porous compacted mass of iron, cast out the dross and impurities contained therein, and did, slowly, the first purified form that ductile mass, usually a rough beam shaping iron.
The ferrero would use also, surely, the force of water to make two large bellows alternately opened and closed to get fuel in the air current, the fire of the forge and anvil with the power and convenience to the mass heat iron in these first operations of blacksmithing.
Tetramorph
And this is how the builder, which master blacksmith and artist working with iron, used as raw material such ductile iron rods supplied by the foundries. Slowly
, softening and working the material, hammering on the anvil. Slowly, assembling pieces with lace and braces carefully crafted with the same metal. Quietly by heating in the forge to get the color of the rising sun. Suddenly , tuned to convenience suddenly dipping underwater.
So gradually, the smith forging his forge the hard way accurate, combining in his office the appropriate dose of earth, air, fire and water. Thus, little by little, was becoming the vast malleable iron ornamental railings, fittings to embellish and reinforce the doors, handles, bolts and decorative motifs.
******** Little is known of the masters of the forge of the Roman era, although they do have numerous examples of his work which, by Usually at first sight, apart from aesthetic appeal, serve a more utilitarian function than symbolic. We could cite two prominent examples representative recently visited:
The bars of the collegiate Sant Vicenç de Cardona, dating from the thirteenth century, consisting of square section bars linked by a double spiral are caught in the bars and clamps .
The door hardware Sant Feliu de Beuda that, although the wood has been replaced in later restorations, are preserved Romanesque hardware. It is worth noting the usual spiral forms that were used in these types of elements, as well as worked pin simulates a fantastic animal as guardian of the lock of the temple.
Perhaps, in a visit to a Roman temple, it is unaware of the subtle symbolism hidden under a modest set of wrought iron. However, the transformation process required to convert the impure raw material into a beautiful piece forged probably bears a curious analogy with our internal development process.
Forging. Here is the essence of the four elements of tetramorfos kept secret behind the artistic beauty of a forging.
.
