Tradition / Region: Georgian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Demon
The Myth
The Dev Blacksmiths are powerful devs who controlled all metalworking in the land, holding dominance over essential tools and survival. They lived in their own strongholds and possessed the only forges, meaning humans depended entirely on them for weapons and agricultural tools.
Anyone who brought metal to be worked had to meet their demands. Instead of ordinary payment, the devs required women from the household—wives, daughters, or daughters-in-law—forcing people to comply. Without tools, people would starve, so they had no choice but to obey.
In one account, a man sent his wife to the devs in exchange for plough equipment. When she returned, she lamented that death would have been better than what she endured. This revealed the suffering imposed by the devs and the extent of their cruelty.
The devs’ control over metal and tools gave them power over human survival itself. They used this power to dominate, exploit, and oppress, facing no resistance.
Their rule continued until divine intervention began, when forces were sent to oppose them and end their control.
The Dev Blacksmiths represent
a force that controls creation and survival, but uses it for domination, demanding submission in exchange for the means to live.
Sources
Tsanava, A. (1992). ქართული მითოლოგია [Georgian Mythology]. In Tbilisi: Merani P. 4.