THE HISTORY OF FIRE

My Grandmother and Her Tale of the Flint and Steel
When I was a child, I heard my grandmother (may God have mercy on her) talk about the old days, saying that the past was harsh and difficult. In her conversation about lighting fires, she mentioned that she used to strike a fire with the flint and steel,´-or-my grandfather would do it because it required a great deal of effort.
The steel is a piece of iron crafted by the blacksmith in various shapes—most famously a crescent´-or-a handle that is easy to hold—which is struck against a piece of flint several times to produce tiny sparks. The material that caught the spark was a piece of charred cloth´-or-cotton, called in some regions "the ember"´-or-"the receiver." It had a special method of preparation: the piece of cloth was placed in a small metal container and heated over a fire until it charred without burning, then stored for use when needed. The reason for charring it was to make it highly receptive to catching sparks and igniting.
After striking the flint and steel, tiny metal sparks would fly out and settle on the charred cloth. Then, the man´-or-woman would begin blowing on it until it turned into a glowing ember, from which a fire was started using firewood´-or-straw.
All of this was before the Briton John Walker invented the first practical friction matches in 1826´-or-1827, which subsequently spread worldwide. Interestingly, his invention came about as a casual observation during his chemical experiments. Later on, flint lighters appeared, relying on a small piece of flint and a rough steel wheel that produced sparks when rubbed against it in front of a wick saturated with fuel, igniting the fire easily. My father had one of these lighters, and I still remember it well.
I believe the use of matches in Syrian villages increased during the first decades of the 20th century, after they had been imported from Europe in the late Ottoman era, making it much easier for people to light fires and saving a great deal of time and effort. Gas lighters then spread across the various parts of the world.
Fire itself has accompanied humanity for more than a million years, playing a fundamental role in all aspects of life. It is a source of warmth, cooking, and illumination, and it was used in ancient times to keep predators away from the caves inhabited by early humans.
I remember watching a film in the United States during the 1980s titled "Quest for Fire." It was a wonderful movie depicting the life of early humans who obtained fire from natural fires´-or-lightning bolts, then maintained it by feeding it wood so it would not go out. When the fire went out due to rain, the tribe sent two young men to search for new fire. The events of the film revolve around the life of primitive man and his struggle with beasts and other human groups, yet its most important message lies in man s ultimate discovery of how to make fire himself—a transformation that changed the course of human civilization. The film was produced in 1981 and is based on a novel written by a French author at the beginning of the 20th century.
There is also an important book on the significance of fire in human history titled "Fire: A Brief History" by the American researcher Stephen J. Pyne. The book explains how fire changed human life on Earth, its importance in daily life, the history of religions, and the evolution of civilizations, in addition to its role in social life. Families used to sit around the fire on winter nights, conversing, while grandmothers and elderly women told their grandchildren stories of the past and life experiences.
Perhaps the sanctification of fire stems from its paramount importance in the lives of early humans-;- in their view, it transformed from a mere natural phenomenon into a symbol of life, power, and light. Zoroastrianism does not worship fire, as some people think, but rather considers it a symbol of divine light, purity, and truth. Therefore, its followers strive to keep it burning in their temples. To them, fire symbolizes the presence of Ahura Mazda, the god of goodness and light, in his struggle with Ahriman, the symbol of evil and darkness.
The clergy, known as the Magi, tend to the sacred fire, and some of them wear a special cloth over their mouth and nose during rituals so that the fire is not polluted by breath. By the way, the word "Magians" originally referred to the clerical class in the Zoroastrian religion, and later came to be used in Arab and Islamic heritage to refer to Zoroastrians in general. These clergy inherited their religious -function-s from generation to generation, much like the Jewish priests (the Levites) who also inherited this role.
The sanctity of fire was not-limit-ed to Zoroastrians-;- it was known among many peoples due to its importance in various areas of life. The Romans considered it a sacred element and linked it to Vulcan, the god of fire and metallurgy. Religious rituals were performed for it, offerings were made near it, and desecrating fire was considered a shameful act in their view.
Finally, I say that fire—ever since humans discovered its importance more than a million years ago—has never lost its place in our lives. It is a symbol of warmth, cooking, illumination, and industry, even though in reality it is nothing more than a rapid combustion reaction between oxygen and flammable gases produced by heating materials.
I have an important scientific observation: many people believe that wood, gasoline,´-or-liquids burn -dir-ectly, while the truth is that what burns are the gases´-or-vapors rising from them after they are heated. As for the solid´-or-liquid material itself, it does not burn until it releases those flammable gases.
I also have a charming linguistic note: women in some popular environments use the expression: "So-and-so cooks and blows" (تطبح وتنفخ). Cooking is well known, but the blowing likely traces its origin back to the ancient method of lighting fires with flint and steel, as the fire required continuous

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