Three Smiths

Right in the middle of Helsinki city center stands a Felix Nylund statue called Three smiths. Helsinki art museum introduction:

"The statue was commissioned by the Pro Helsingfors foundation, which donated it to the City of Helsinki. Felix Nylund (1878-1940) entered a sculpture with a smith theme in 1913 in the competition for the J.W. Snellman memorial. In 1919, Nylund made a drawing where the three smiths are placed on top of a 10-metre column. Although these early plans were never realized, Nylund reapplied the theme in the `The Three Smiths' which was to be placed in front of the Old Student House.

The `Three smiths' has been interpreted to symbolize, for instance, human labour and cooperation between people. The model for the master smith was Paavo Koskinen, a brick layer. The facial features are from the poet Arvid Mörne. The smith raising the hammer is a self-portrait of the young Nylund, while the third smith was modelled on the stone cutter Aku Nuutinen, an important assistant of Felix Nylund's. The statue is realistic with tones of Classicism. The statue is cast in bronze and its pedestal is red granite. The Latin text "MONUMENTUM - PONENDUM - CURAVIT - LEGATUM - J. TALLBERGIANUM - PRO HELSINGFORS A.D. MCMXXXII" is inscribed on the pedestal."

Three smiths

Three smiths

Symbolizes human labor and cooperation? Yeah, right.

There are two layers of esoteric symbolism in this statue. If you know anything about Freemasonry and masonic symbolism, you should be able to notice this one common masonic symbol - the hammer.

Masonic symbolism: Three hammers

Masonic symbolism: Hammer

Masonic symbolism: Hammer/gavel

There's a reason why this statue has three smiths and one of them is called the master smith. This is a reference to the original masonic grade system, which had only three grades, and the highest grade was called master mason. Today these three lowest grades are called the blue lodge.

Hammer has a part in the initiation ceremony of the third grade. In this ritual, the candidate gets struck by a hammer.

Masonic symbolism: Hammer and the initiation of the third grade

The origins of the hammer symbolism in the masonic context goes back to the myth of Tubal Cain.

"Tubal Cain has been consecrated among Masons of the present day as an ancient brother. His introduction of the arts of civilization having given the first value to property. Tubal Cain has been considered among Masons as a symbol of worldly possessions." - Albert Mackey

"The Mason must 'follow in the footsteps of his forefather, Tubal-Cain, who with the mighty strength of the war god hammered his sword into a plowshare." - Manly Palmer Hall

Tubal Cain and a hammer in front of the UN building in New York

On esoteric level, the symbolism of the hammer is about shaping the world into the liking of the "Elite". This is communicated loud and clear in the famous Fabian Window in London School of Economics. Hammer has become the symbol of the socialist (collectivist) agenda of the "Elite".

Fabian Window: Hammering the world

Other examples of hammer symbolism:

Hammer in the USSR emblem

Hammer and the masonic compass in the East-Germany emblem

The pope and the hammer

And of course the products of the entertainment industry of the "Elite" are sometimes depicted with the hammer:

Pink Floyd and the marching hammers

The Beatles, the hammer and three nails on the head - subtle masonic symbolism

Let's go back to the Three smiths. The second layer of hidden in plain sight esoteric symbolism is about tarot. The statue depicts the card Wheel of Fortune.

Three smiths:

1. The pedestal is of round shape.
2. The statue has three characters.
3. One of the smiths is a leading master smith
4. The master smith holds an iron bar.
5. There is text on the round pedestal.
6. The statue is in front of a book store and a former university building.

Wheel of Fortune:

1. The wheel is a round object.
2. The card has three characters.
3. One of the characters, the sphinx, is at the moment a ruling figure. (The one at the top.)
4. The sphinx holds a sword, which was once an iron bar.
5. There is text on the round wheel.
6. There are four characters in the corners reading a book.

In mythology we have many gods with hammers. In Fenno-Scandinavia the hammer was the symbol of Thor / Ukko (Finnish version). Both were thunder gods.

Thor's hammer

Ukko's hammer
(Finnish word for thunder is ukkonen)

In ancient Greece the smith god was called Hephaestus. In Rome he was called Vulcan. They were the gods of the volcanoes. An erupting volcano was considered as Hephaestus/Vulcan at work.

Hephaestus / Vulcan

The volcano god at work

What very few people seem to know, is that all the smith gods are based on the oldest of them all, Goibniu of the Irish mythology. He was the blacksmith of the tribe of the goddess Danu - Tuatha de Danann.

Goibniu