Anthropology; an introduction to the study of man and civilization . -drill had already inancient times been superseded in common use by bettercontrivances, especially the flint and steel. But althoughdiscarded, from practical life, it has been kept up forceremonial purposes. As has been already mentioned,(p. 16) the Brahmans may be still seen churning witha fire-drill driven by a hair-cord the pure divine fire for 262 ANTHROPOLOGY. [chap. their sacrifices, thus religiously keeping to the old-fashionedinstrument used in daily life by the early Aryans. Theancient Romans had such a survival of t
Anthropology; an introduction to the study of man and civilization . -drill had already inancient times been superseded in common use by bettercontrivances, especially the flint and steel. But althoughdiscarded, from practical life, it has been kept up forceremonial purposes. As has been already mentioned,(p. 16) the Brahmans may be still seen churning witha fire-drill driven by a hair-cord the pure divine fire for 262 ANTHROPOLOGY. [chap. their sacrifices, thus religiously keeping to the old-fashionedinstrument used in daily life by the early Aryans. Theancient Romans had such a survival of their past state ofarts in the law that if the vestal virgms let out the sacredfire, it was to be made afresh by drilling into a woodenboard. The old art has even lasted on in Europe to ourown day as the orthodox means of kindling the * need-fire,with which, when there was a murrain, the peasants inmany parts usjd to light bonfires to drive the horses andcattle through, to save them from the pestilence. Thisrite, inherited from the religion of prae-Christian times,. Fig. 72.—Bushman drilling fire (after Chapman). requires new wild-fire made by friction, not the tame fireof the hearth. The last need-fire on record in GreatBritain is perhaps one that was made in Perth in 1826, butthey may still be seen in Sweden and elsewhere when thereis cholera or other pestilence about. In the last centurythere was a law passed forbidding the superstitious friction-fire in Jonkoping, the very district now famous for itscheap tandstickor or tinder-sticks, that is, curiously do the extremes of civilization come togetherin the world. The fire-drill is a of converting mechanical force XI.] ARTS OF LIFE. 263 into heit till the burning-point of wood is reached. But allthat is really wanted is a glowing hot particle or spark, andthis can be far more easily got in other ways. Breaking anodule of iron pyrites picked up on the sea-shore, and witha bit of flint striking sparks
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