Magarac, << MAG uh rak >>, Joe, is a legendary hero of steelworkers. Folk tales about Magarac originated among Hungarian and other eastern European immigrants who settled in the steelmaking region of western Pennsylvania.
There has been a rich exchange of story elements between popular published versions of these legends and the oral traditions. Most of the legends about Magarac involve his great strength and physical endurance. Stories tell how he worked day and night at an open-hearth furnace. Magarac could squeeze hot steel through his fingers to make railroad rails and could forge horseshoes and cannonballs with his bare hands. According to one story, Magarac’s life ended when he melted himself down to make the finest steel in the world. Magarac is a Slavic word that means jackass, but steelworkers used it as a term of admiration.
