The most obvious and most ancient way of making fire
is obviously from other fire.
Fires are actually quite common around here
at a certain time of the year
and in certain areas.
The problem is the fire isn’t always where you want it, so you need to find a way
of transporting fire. Now there’s a couple of ways that early humans solved this problem and
a number of
Inventions that came into being, one of which I have in my hand right now:
a stick...
but not just any stick
if you look carefully
you'll see that this one is hollow.
It’s also very light
What it is, is something that's been
lying around in the sun and the wind and the rain
and
is
essentially turned to
sponge. Let’s assume for a moment I am
Homo Erectus
-not that there's anything wrong with that-
and I come across a fire in my hunting and gathering travels and I want to take it back
to my cave.
Well, I poke my stick in it
and
and I get it going.
Now, that will
burn almost like a fuse or a wick for a very long time
if I keep blowing on it
but I'm lazy and I don't want to keep blowing on it.
So this is what I do:
As long as I can keep
oxygen
flowing at the point there, this thing will smolder,
for probably a of couple hours.
(Singing) Walking back to my cave...
(Singing) Walking back to my cave...
(Singing) Wave stick, Wave stick...
Hello!
(Caughing)
and then the next part is
pretty simple
but it
takes a bit of practice
So, here we are,
back at my cave
it's not much but it's home
I have, uhhhh
some tinder,
some dry grass,
in a coconut shell, could just as well be a
calabash or gourd
I have some
kindling
and my magic fire stick
Behold:
FIRE!
which we will now celebrate
with an ancient primitive ritual.
Oonga Boonga, Oonga Boonga
Harrr! Harrr!
