pronounced Gowa or Gowain
"An uair a théid an gobhainn air bhathal 'se is feàrr a bhi réidh ris."
("When the smith gets wildly excited, 'tis best to agree with him." Gaelic Proverb)
Throughout
history, the blacksmith has been revered as the master of
allcraftsmen. In ancient times, people stood in awe when the
smith workedsimultaneously with all four elements, and iron
achieved a reputation for protecting against all manner of ills.
In the Highlands, an oath made upon cold iron was considered to
be inviolable, and it was not uncommon for men to swear on their
dirk-blades, usually the closest cold iron to hand. 
Iron was scarce in the
Scottish Highlands, and people were likely to make wooden tools
whenever possible. So scarce and valuable was iron that it was
believed that the spirit of a man who had hidden the metal away
could never rest until his secret was told. Much of the
blacksmith's time was spent in repair work, and the smith was
often called upon to fulfill numerous other needs of his rural
community (some smiths even enjoyed a reputation as healers).
Blacksmiths anciently performed the role of armourers, crafting
chain mail and weapons. Later, with improved trade, fine blades
were imported for use in swords, though the smiths still crafted
smaller dirk and knife blades for local use.
The blacksmith was an
important part of all rural cultures, even into the nineteenth
century, shoeing horses and oxen, repairing precious farm
equipment, and even occasionally singeing a sheep's head for
powsowdie soup in his large forge.
No two days were ever the same for the
blacksmith, but all of them were long, with work lasting well
into the evening. And iron still holds its ancient allure; in
this age of arc welders and flame-cutters, people still stop and
watch the blacksmith as he works the iron with hammer and tongs.
Copyright 
1998
Historic Highlanders