Why a Booktrail?
Timeless – The Argentine version of a famous folktale..
The Blacksmith and the Devils
What you need to know before your trail
Once upon a time there was a poor man who worked as a blacksmith in Argentina. He worked hard and barely stopped as he needed money for food and to survive. One day a man comes up to his blacksmiths and asks him to help fix his horse’s shoe. He does so and it turns out that the mysterious man has special powers and can grant wishes.
To thank the blacksmith, he grants him three wishes. Sadly the blacksmith doesn’t make good or wise choices and choses things which will come back to haunt him years later.
Travel Guide
Although ‘setting’ as such is not that important in this story, the moral of it is and this version set in Argentina is an tale known to various countries particularly in the Hispanic world.
The idea that a poor man can sell his soul to the devil for a short term fix is a tale that is relevant all the world over. What happens when the man is given 20 years of youth? What does he do when that youth runs out and the devil returns for his debt?
Folk tales however always seem to reflect or at least give a clue as to the culture and belief systems of that country and as they are passed and changed from culture to culture, the role of the blacksmith and the devil are those represented here.
There is also a similar Russian version of this tale written by the Brothers Grimm and it’s all about selling your soul and having to face your decisions once you reach your maker.
Where Next?
