Smelting thus takes place not only in a context of rich sexual metaphorizations; it is also surrounded by taboos imposing constraints on mixing the fertility of women with the fertility of the kilm. The blacksmith is prohibited from having sex during the smelting process. The compulsory celibacy for the smelters makes sense against the background of symbolic identification of the furnace as the wife of the smelters and the metaphoric association of smelting with sexual intercourse. Sexual intercourse with "real" women is looked upon as committing adultery towards the metaphoric furnace wife.