For what it's worth, I don't think that blacksmiths have a deformed leg in West African legends. However, blacksmiths were definitely revered in many traditional West African cultures.

Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia page of Blacksmiths Of West Africa:

..."Ogun, the god of iron, is one of the pantheon of "orisa" traditionally worshipped by the Yoruba of Nigeria (Ross). Ogun is the god of iron and metalworking and was himself a user of iron as a blacksmith and metal worker. In Yoruba the use of "O" means "a spiritual force has mastered a particular form of wisdom" (Fatunmbi). Ogun therefore means the survival through assertive and aggressive action that is directed toward maintaining survival (Fatunmbi). Most of Nigeria's numerous ethnic cultures have a god of iron and metalworking in their traditional religion.

The Mande blacksmiths
The Mande blacksmiths are powerful individuals holding very important positions in society. Blacksmiths are often called upon by the chief for guidance in major decisions regarding the village. The power of the blacksmith is thought to be so great that they are also feared. Mande Blacksmiths control a force called nyama. This means that they control all energy and power in the village as well as the makeup and workings of the Mande society (Ross). The ability to control such a force is not given to just anyone. A single family in the village is designated to produce blacksmiths. The boys from that family are taught the daliluw, "the secret knowledge about the use and nature of nyama"(Ross)"...

-snip-

There are a number of online websites about Ogun. I chose to quote from the Wikipedia page because I thought that hyperlink might be more durable given how many years other Mudcat threads have been archived.