2012-TKS & T in India- 19 BK Mohanta Fire Production.img

7/27/2019 2012-TKS & T in India- 19 BK Mohanta Fire Production.img

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19TKADITIONAL MEIHOD OF FIRE PRODUCTION INMAYUKBIIAIT{..I, ODISTIA

Basanta Kurnar Mobanta

IntroductionFire is one of the irnportant agents responsible for human cultural evolution.Fire was invented for the first time during palaeolithic period. Like theother animals, at that time, man was residing in the jungle and caves,depending upon the forest produces for subsistence. The invention andknowledge of fire storage by human being placed them superior over otheranimals. The human being became able to rule over the animal kingdomby using this fire and stone tools. Although the man discovered this fireduring the lower palaeolithic period they could not make control over that.Probably the fire was, for the first time, controiled by the Homo sapiensNeanderthal during the middle or upper palaeolithic period. At that timethe fire was probably produced naturally either by ignition of a dry tree byIightening, the stroke of and by friction of trees in the forest by storm orhigh winds and then preserved by the man for use. At that time the fire wasprobably used for warmth of the body, cooking of food, warding off wildanimals, and for lighting the dark corners of the shelter etc. According toBasu (1975) "Man's first acquaintance with fire was probably associatedwith conflagrations. These are produced by nafural events such as theeruption of a stream of lava into a forest, the ignition of a dry tree bylightning, the stroke of and by friction of trees in the forest by storm or highwinds". Similarly, at the time of analyzing the invention and use of fire,Haviland (1978:138-140) has stated that,

"Discovered in the cave with the human remains at Peking wasevidence that fire was used for protection, warrnth, and cooking,that H. erectushad burgeoning tool industry; and, apparently, that


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252 kaditional Knowledge System qnd Technology in lndincannibalism was practiced. Thousands of broken and charredbones of such animals as deeq, sheep, antelope, roebuck, smallhares, camels, bison, and elephants indicates that H. erectuswas ahunter who cooked food. This practice may have reduced the forcesof natural selection that previously favoured individuals withlargeteetll paving the way for reduction in tooth size, as well assupporting facial architecture".

In India, the people residing in the forest area use this fire forwardingoff the wild animals to protect their crops. Besides, most of the villages arenot connected with electricity and people are still using their traditionaloii-lamps and lanterns. At the time of load-shedding some of the citydwellers also follow their age-old practice of lighting by means of kerosenelamps.The present author born and brought up in the remote village belongs-to this particular region where he has observed and learned this indigenousmethod of fire producing. This is a unique observation that gives theprocedures of fire producing that began since the early days of wanderinglife and has been continued by the indigenous people inhabiting thisparticular zone of northern Odisha. The author had seen and used theseindigenous methods of fire producing during his childhood when he wasused to go to agricultural field or cow herding or to jungle for collectingfire wood. In this present paperattempt has been made to show the detailedprocess of this traditional method of fire making practiced in the northernOdisha before it vanished totally. The presented data is based on their fieldobservation, interview and personal experiences.

Process of LightingAs now-a-days the fire is very essential to each and every human beingthey always try to keep it within their control and use for various purposesaccording to their necessity. There are dilferent types of methods, such asfire-drill, bow-drill, pump-drilf fire-saw, fire-pistory percussion or strike-a-light of flint and iron, lenses etc. adopted for this fire production. Out ofthese techniques the drilling of wood and percussion or strike-a-light offlint and iron is commonly found in Odisha. A brief analysis of these twoindigenous techniques is made below(l) Procedure-l (Producing Fire by friction Wood)(a) lllaturtal UsedThe locally available raw materials are used for producing fire by friction


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Traditional method of fire production in Mayurbhanj, Odisha 253wood which includes two pieces of barkless dry wood and some dry leafor 8rass.(b) ProcedureProducing fire by friction two pieces of twigs is purely traditional one. Thevillagers exploit their local resources for collecting these raw materials. Thetwigof 'Sujana' or'Munga' (Moringaoleifera) tree is preferred forthis pulpose.This'sujana' is a light wooded tree of Moringaceae family.It is commonlyfound close to the house and kitchen garden of each house in the villages ofthe sfudied area. The flower, fruits (drum-stick) and leaves are used as avegetable after cooking. From root to fruit, each part of the tree are used forethno-medicinal purpose.In case of unavailability of suitable dry twigs ofthis 'sujana' tree some other light weighted twigs of 'Godkhudika' (Nyctanthes. arbortristisL.),'Mahnsindhu'(Cortonoblongifolius),Premnalatifolia,'CordifoliaMundi' (adina cordifolia)) and'Putush' (Latiana camern of verbanaceae family)tree are also used. The sizes of these twigs are about 30 cm in length.However, depending upon the availability and straightness some timesone twig is smaller (i,e. about 20 cm) than the other. out of these, two twigs,the first one (bigger one in case of variation in sizes) is placed horizontallyon the surface or any piane platform. There are chances of rolling or shakingof twig kept on the surface at the time of friction for producing fire. Thereforethe fire producer pressed both the ends of the twig very tightly with histoes. A small circular groove is made at the mid of the twig with a piece ofstone or any hard object. Sometimes one side of this groove is stightly cutto drain out the wood powder, ash and fire during its production. Afterthat the dry leaves or grass are kept close to that point of drilling to preservethe fire immediate after it's production. One end of second twig (smallerone in case of variation in sizes) is slightly sharpened by grinding on astone surface. Care is taken about the size and smoothness of the endof thetwig at the time of its sharpening. Pointing the grinded end towards thebottorn the second twig is pressed in between the two palms of the fireproducer. Then the grinded end is carefully placed into the groove of thefirst tr,r.ig. In this way the sharpened end of the second twig is fitted to thegroove of the horizontally placed first twig. Following to it, the secondtwig is placed in between the palms and rubbed slowly which producessome powder from the rubbed surfaces of the twigs. Continuous rubbingproduces heat. Sometimes the fine sand particles are kept into the grooveto increase heat. When the sand becomes hot it produces fire and the powderproduced by the friction accelerates fire. Then the fire falls on the dry leavesor grass which preserves fire quickly. The entire process takes haidly five

a\


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254 kaditional Knowledge System and Technology in lndiato ten minutes (Fig. 19.1). Some of the viliagers of the present study areacarry it with them for immediate use when they go to iungle for huntingand collecting forest produces as well as at the tirne of Soing outside oftheir village for cow herding or agricultural purposes. However this methodmay be considered as temporary method and at the vanishing stage it solvestheir problem at the time of emergency.

Fig.19.2: Material used for producing fire by percussion (a- tusser kholo,b- suta,c- cotton, d- chakmakipathor, e- piece of iron)

Fig.19.1: Producing f ire by f riction wood


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Traditional method of fire production in Mayurbhanj, Odisha(2) Procedtre-2 (Producing Fire by Percussion)Material Used

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The following materials are used for producing fire by using this indigenousmethod.

The Asan (Termialia tomentosa)and Arjun (Terminalia arjuna)of Combrataceaefamily are the two local plants available both in the hilly and plain areas ofMayurbhanj district of Odisha. Both of these plants are used as a suitableniche of the fusser (silk worm pupae). The fussers prepare their cells onthese trees. The empty shells of fusser are collected from these plants andcuts transversely, usually, into two pieces. One piece of the emPty fusserkholo (shell) is use as a base where the cotton of Simuli (Bombaxmalabaricum)tree is filled. The other portion of the empty shell is used as a lid to coverthis base. This lid is a flexible one which opened and closed from time totime as per the requirement. The size of the tusser shell, used as base of thecu1m, is almost double from the other used as a cover (Fig.19.2a).

Sometimes this empty shell of fusser cuts transversely into two equalhalves. One haU is permanently fixed at the one end of the bamboo culmwhere as the other half is used as lid to cover the hollow ends of bambooculm. Now-a-days the use of a small empty tino doba (box made of tin) isalso used in place of the tusser shell or bamboo culm.(b) Suta (Thread)The top portion of the tusser shell is knotted with one end of the threadwhereas the other end tied at the bottom of the other half of the tusser shellholding bamboo culms. A small knife shaped iron piece used fot fireproducing is also tied either at one end with the covering tusser shell or atthe middle of this thread. Tiaditionally it is prepared from the bark of alocally availablewild creepel, known as'siali' (Phnneraintegrifolia)belongingto Caesalpinieae s'tb-farnily of Fabaceae family (Fig. 19.2b). Earlier, the barkfiber of this creeper was used for thatching and making baskets and ropes.But now-a-days the use of cotton or plastic thread is also evident.(c) CottonThe fiber from the fruits of Simuli (Bombax malabsricum) is very light inweight. This Simuli tree is commonly evident in and around the Similipal

a\I


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256 kaditional Knowledge Sustern and Technology in IndiaBiosphere. It possesses thorny stem and twigs bearing scarlet large flowersbelonging to the family Bombacaceae. The fiber are collected during March-April and preserved for fufure use. Besides, this fiber is also used forvariouspurposes like preparing soft pillow, mattress etc. These fibers are insertedinto the bamboo culm from its upper hallow end of the lighter (Fig.19.2c).(d) Chakmaki PathorThis Chalonaki pathor (flint or quartz) is available on the river or stream bed.These are collected during leisure period and stored. There are three tofour pieces of chakmoki pathor are always kept in the lower portion of theculm. These chakmoki pathor remain safe inside the culm as both ends aretightly fitted with tusser halves (Fig.19.2d)(e) IronApiece of small knife shaped iron is used for producing fire. It is tied withthe thread and kept always with the culm.ProcedureProducing fire by percussion is one of the ancient methods of fire-makingwhere a piece of iron and a chakmakipathor are carefully striking one againstanother which sparks fire. At the time of striking of these iron piece ancichqkmaki pathor the user keeps these in such a way that each of the sparks offire would touch to the Simuli cotton, kept in the tusser shell or bambooculm or tino daba (a box made of tin). For this, the two ends of the chakmakipathor are pressed by the user with the thumb and first fingers and thetusser kholo or bamboo culm or tino doba is pressed with other fingers of thehand facing it's mouth towards the chakmaki pathor. The iron piece is keptby pressing with thumb and first fingers of the other hand. Then the userstruck this iron piece with the chakmaki pathor and produces the sparks offire (Fi9.19.3). This spark of fire is stored in Simuli cotton kept in atusserkholo. Sornetirne, in absence of a htsser kholo, a bamboo culms or atino dobais also used for the same purpose. After getting sparks of fire the userimmediately blows air into that Simuli cotton to prserve that fire. Then hecollects this fire from that device and use for various purposes as per hisrequirements (Fig.19.4) and put out the fire from that device after use.


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T'raditionsl method of fire production in Mayurbhanj, Odisha

Fig.19.3: Fire production by percussion in action

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Fig. 19.4: Using f ire for lighting bidi atter producing by percussion


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258 Traditional Knowledge System and Technology in lndiaConclusionBecause of the availability of the modern scientific equipments or devicesfor producing and storing fire it became very easy and popular in the lifeand culfure of the human being and hence these indigenous knowledgesystem of fire production became gradually reduced it's importance andthe technique is in endangered condition. But, if we peep into our past thenwe could able to see the importance of these traditional technologies"in thelife and culfure of our ancestors who used this fire who not only used thisfire for cooking or roasting food but also used to warming up his body andprotect himself and his agricultural fields from wild animals. Althoughthese traditional technologies are now became a matter of useless for themodern generations but these guide us to know the role of fire in humanculfural evolution and hence it is our duty to preserve these age.old practicesof fire making before it vanished totally.

AcknowledgementThe author expresses his gratitude to Mr. Yudhisthra Behera of village

Palasa, Mayurbhanjfor his various help during field work.

KeferencesBanerjee, Hemendra Nath 1994 Introducing Sociql und Cultursl Anthropology. Calcutta; K.K.Publication. Pp.93-95.Basu, M. N. and Molay Basu 1975 A Study of Material Culture. Calcutta.Haviland, William A. 1978 (First edition t974) Anthropology. New York; Holt, Rinehart andWinston. Pp.138-140.

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2012-TKS & T in India- 19 BK Mohanta Fire Production.img