The Story of An Extraordinary Relationship Between The Fire and ManKind

We all love stories. We used to read a lot of stories about love, friendship, revenge, and so on. Have you ever thought about the story of us, mankind? There is an excellent story, where the ‘superhero’ of the story is the hot, blazing fire. The fire showed us the path, in the dark, to civilization. When man met the strongest power of the universe he discovered infinite possibilities with which he could transform his life. Let us travel back to that time when our ancestors first witnessed that Red Flower, the Fire.  

Fire and its warming hands

Once they discovered flame, they experienced a new sensation of heat. It kept them warm. Survival in the coolest places became a possible option. Adverse climatic conditions raised threats to their lives, but after the discovery of fire, it helped them to tackle all those situations. When man understood the shielding warmth of heat they started migrating towards areas, which were unable to access earlier due to high cold. Six of earth’s seven continents are occupied by human beings now, Thanks to fire. Not only geographical expansion was the result but also increased the life span of man. The death rate due to intense cold was high, and burning fire set a limit to it. 

Fire as fence

Humans are the only species on earth that uses fire. Flame attracted humans but not animals. It helped humans from predators. The igniting fire remained as a protecting fence between man and the attacking animals. Smoke out of fire kept away harmful insects too. Fire thus saved our lives.

Fire, the taste enhancer

Our ancestors discovered that the food which once trapped in the fire tasted better. So, they continued to drop the raw materials in the fire before eating. Controlled use of fire results in them much tastier items.  The meat was then introduced into their diet. This taste caused a systematic increase in meat consumption and thus high-calorie intake. Fire breaks down carbohydrates, increased energy was the output. Cooking vegetables also provided increased anti-oxidants. Fire detoxified food materials; it killed bacteria like E-coli and salmonella and protected them from diseases. Another advantage offered by fire was the storage of food. Fire helped in drying meat and preserving it for a long time so that humans could use it at a time of scarcity. There is even a cooking hypothesis proposed by Friedrich Engels, which suggests that ability to cook allowed the formation of a large complex human brain size. So, in a nutshell, we can say that fire made their whole life tasted better! 

Fire- formed societies

The only things humans carried around the world are language and fire. According to Darwin, these are the two eminent discoveries made by mankind. Our ancestors carried fire from one place to another. At night, they could see one another, cook together, create fences for wild animals, all at the same time using fire. This allowed them to stay more active at the night. Darker and colder hours of the night started witnessing a new model. Through these processes, another phenomenon took place, yes, the social formation. They talked to each other, shared feelings and ideas, laughed together, and thus communication levels started to grow rapidly. Expanded activities and social interactions resulted in new bonded societies. 

Wildfire and settlement 

Wildfire – the only time when humans lost control over fire. But forest fires benefitted them in some other ways. During these fierce fires, a vast amount of forest vegetation was lost, a wide range of flora and fauna ended up in ashes. These lands later become the most fertile areas where agriculture flourished and slowly settlement of people took place, which marked the beginning of civilization. Forest fire left more clear lands that helped early humans to hunt and move from one place to another.

Fire- shaped weapons

When we talk about weapons it is not those sophisticated weapons that we are familiar with now. Weapons used by early humans were mainly stones, metals, woods, and bones of dead animals. When meat becomes an important item of early human’s diet, weapons were necessary to cut it into pieces or tear it. Using fire, they shaped tools and cut meat with more ease. Fire helped in reshaping weapons used for hunting. Rocks were heated into arrowheads. These reshaped weapons with fine sharp strong edges secured them daily food to ensure their survival.

Fire and art

There is a strange connection between man and art. But one cannot predict with exact precision the time when man started loving art. Fire played an important role in shaping their ideas physically. Humans created statues of women, animals, and even Gods. The materials used by early men for this were stones, metals, etc. Fire helped in shaping things and create beautiful masterpieces. Humans usually use statues while they worship, even today. 

Fire and the Brain

It may be hard for us to believe that fire has played a key role in shaping humans as we are now. How fire can influence a human being’s biological changes? As we discussed above cooking is a peculiar instinct only shown by a single species on this planet, Human Being. Before the invention of bright fire, early men continued long hours of the day chewing and trying to digest their food using large and long teeth and strong limbs. Fire saved man from all these. Fire made food softer, smoother, easy to digest, and easy to consume. This gradually caused biological changes due to adaptation like smaller teeth and weaker jaws. As we mentioned earlier, according to the cooking hypothesis, a larger complex brain of humans is the result of the ability to cook. So, fire is the base upon which all other factors rests. 

Final Words

The success of man lies not in the discovery but in the taming of fire. If our ancestors failed to control the most powerful igniting fire, there may be no human left now! Not even this earth! Their systematic use of fire was the first and foremost step towards modern civilization. When modern man handles fire in a very flexible way we should be aware of this ‘story’.  Now, the story has become history, but the fire is still our present and will be our future.