Why didn't the CotF use metal?

[Renie]

I was retreading the chapter last night where Maester Luwin explains to Bran the history of the CotF, the First Men and the Andals, and something occurred to me. Why after the Frst Men invaded, did the CotF not start using metal?

I can understand that they only used obsidian before then ,but once they were exposed to bronze, and were loosing against it, why didnt they starting working it themselves?

Is there something, some reason about bronze and steel that makes the CotF not start adopting it as a weapon?

I don't remember anything in the books that would explain this, am I forgetting something?

[The Dornishman's Wife]

Even bronze is not trivial to produce and work. More importantly though, the Children probably did not want to rely on metal. They are very in tune with nature and the trees and whatnot, and metal must seem kind of an alien substance to them.

Plus, fairies have +4 weakness to iron.

[Renie]

Even bronze is not trivial to produce and work. More importantly though, the Children probably did not want to rely on metal. They are very in tune with nature and the trees and whatnot, and metal must seem kind of an alien substance to them.

Plus, fairies have +4 weakness to iron.

Yes, but they were fighting the First Men and then the Andals for their very existence. And it's been thousands of years. I could understand in the beginning them sticking with obsidian, but thousands of years later?

Also even if they didnt want to work it, they still could have used it. I'm sure there were many swords they could have grabbed.

Maybe they are fairies :)

[Usrnmhsnomning]

Because the First Men probably decided not to share their knowledge of smelting and smithing with their enemy, and so at best the CotF had to rely on captured and stolen weapons, which were probably far and few between. Quite simply, the CotF likely had no time, no will, and no chance to adapt to and adopt metalwork.

[Groat]

Smelting metal is a rather cruel process. You have to dig deep in the earth, destroy stone for the ore, work in very hot conditions, beat on the metal with a hammer, temper the metal to make it stronger, etc... the process revolves around destruction and rebuilding, something that probably does not appeal to the culture of the Children.

[joluoto]

Because they are tree hugging hippies. Peace and Love, Brothers.

[Fire Eater]

Smelting metal is a rather cruel process. You have to dig deep in the earth, destroy stone for the ore, work in very hot conditions, beat on the metal with a hammer, temper the metal to make it stronger, etc... the process revolves around destruction and rebuilding, something that probably does not appeal to the culture of the Children.

True, as some cultures saw mining as raping the Earth, something that doesn't appeal to the CotF. Obsidian is as far as they will go. Obsidian is sharper than most metal blades also, and they have the magic of greenseeing.

[Mayura]

And also, I would bet some dollars on the fact the COTF are very much weak against iron indeed :)

Maester Luwin (IIRC) says that there is iron in the walls of Winterfell to keep the Others away as well.

And I personally believe COTF and Others are different kind of faeries, hence this would explain their aversion for iron.

[Morienthar]

There's two ways to see this they can't as in they don't have the knowledge or can't have the knowledge to smelt Iron and Bronze or they don't want to,Which I think is more likely of the two.

[Queen‍‍‍‍‍‍ Alysanne‍‍™]

Or also they may have thought their magic was strong enough to protect them, so they didnt need iron.

[Morienthar]

Or also they may have thought their magic was strong enough to protect them, so they didnt need iron.

Well it nearly was.

[RumHam]

Maester Luwin (IIRC) says that there is iron in the walls of Winterfell to keep the Others away as well.

Unless I'm mistaken at the time Winterfell was built the First Men had no knowledge of iron.

[Dragonmag170]

I think its probably what a bunch of people have said already- the CoTF were very in tune with nature and used it as their communication with their gods. Getting any king of metal required damaging nature, and changing it, and they likely saw this as wrong.

Edit: Its sort of like the Aiel and Swords from the Wheel of Time.

[Black Mike Secret]

Whatever plan they had didn't work out.