It has been suggested that the art and craft of blacksmithing was devised and begun by Tubal Qayin, a descendant of the Biblical figure Cain. The negative allusions associated with Cain having murdered his brother, Abel, were handed down to his descendants. One of those descendants, Tubal-Qayin was the son of Lamech, son of Methusael, and his wife, Zillah. The name Qayin (variously, Cain) is believed to mean smith, as in 'a worker of metals'. 'Tubal' referred to a place. The combination of 'Tubal' and 'Qayin' therefore produced: forger of metal implements from Tubal. Reference to Tubal Qayin (variously, Tubal-Cain) appears in the Jewish Torah and Christian Old Testament: "As for Zillah, she bore Tubal-cain, who forged all implements of copper and iron.' [Genesis 4:22]
Because of the association of primal evil with Cain, and Cain's association with Tubal-Qayin by lineage, and Tubal-Qayin's association with the craft of blacksmithing, connotations of evil have often been associated with blacksmiths down through history. Despite the necessity of the blacksmith and his craft within a village, he was often feared and sometimes openly ostracized.
