பண்டைத் தமிழரின் தீ பயன்பாடு

The Use of Fire by Ancient Tamils

Abstract

Ancient Tamils understood that fire is produced by the friction of bamboos rubbing against one another, and they generated fire by churning wood with a fire-drill (theekadaikol). They used this fire to cook food. They roasted meat and placed it in a cooking pot to prepare meat-rice (oon soru). When sharing meat with others rather than consuming it alone, they roasted it over fire before distribution. They used sandalwood logs and the wood chips of the Ya tree as firewood. Kings set fire to fertile lands to capture enemy territories. Farmers lit firewood to protect their heaps of harvested paddy and to guard themselves against wild animals. Herdsmen generated fire using a fire-drill wherever they went to ward off the harsh cold. They also used the fire-drill to bore holes into bamboo to create flutes and played the Palai melody (Palai Pann). They baked earthenware in fire and lit bonfires in lighthouses to serve as navigational beacons.