The story of Iron John

Iron John Academy was inspired by and named after a character in a fairy tale, Iron John, sometimes known as Iron Hans.

In the story, a young prince frees a rusty red haired Wild Man from a cage, and follows him into the forest. The Wild Man, named Iron John, gives the prince a series of tasks. Through mistakes, work, and challenges, the prince finds his way into adulthood, with Iron John as a guide.

Growth in this story takes time. The prince has to leave familiar comforts, brek through failure and shame, and take on thankless jobs. Gradually, the prince takes a more active role in his own development, and beings asking Iron John for support in even more challenging quests. In the end, he becomes a hero of a local community, and matures into a strong leader.

In Iron John Academy, learning to work with our hands, training our bodies, or speaking honestly in a circle, gives us a chance to be humble, curious, patient, and take responsibility. The skills matter in themselves, but the process of aquiring them is what builds the boy into a man.

Read the fairy tale: Iron Hans