When bargain hunting at your Wisconsin fireworks store or fireworks tents, a traditional item to buy for the 4th of July fireworks celebration is the firecracker. A majority of people do not realize how these items came into existence. Its very interesting to ask "how did the firecracker come into existence?"
It all started with tubes of bamboo that was burned with fire, triggering the air surrounded inside to warm up with the sap of the bamboo. Bamboo plants are used because it matures so fast that pockets of sap and air get trapped inside the plant sections. As they caught fire, the green bamboo split and erputed with a loud popping noise (known as "gung pow"). In early China, approximately 200 B.C., individuals used "the firecracker" to ward away animals from communities for protection. Afterward, firecrackers were utilized to ward off evil spirits thought to be eating the husks of local rice fields. After many years of practicing this, the crops were deteriorating as villagers kept exploding additional firecrackers to the point that the town had barely any rice to harvest. The Chinese God of Good delivered a message to the village that the firecracker noises had been chasing away the Spirits of Good Fortune.
Another story behind the initial practice of using firecrackers to ward away the evil Chinese spirit called Nian, acting on the eve of the Lunar New Year. It was alleged that the firecracker noise made the evil Nian disappear and made sure the people of a prosperous new year. As of today, scaring away this spirit continues to initiate fireworks celebrations in China.
The Chinese innovation of gunpowder centuries later delivered more control of the bamboo explosion when filled with the black powder. During the Han dynasty, research was being done to discover medicine that would allow Chinese people to live forever. Alchemists mixed various combinations of sulfur, saltpeter and charcoal during their research and found when the combinations was ignited, an explosion resulted. This discovery resulted in burned faces and hands; even burned down houses. This material was later named "Hou Yao" or flaming medicine.
A majority of historians agree that the very first exploding mixture was accidentally exposed by Chinese alchemists, the precursor to gunpowder appeared between 600-900 A.D. Regardless of cautions, many alchemists were amazed by the combination and continued experiments with it attempting to discover methods to make it more potent. According to the "Origins of Things" from the Song Dynasty of 960-1279 A.D., Ma Jun of the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history initially used gunpowder in dried bamboo approximately 1,700 years ago. The huo yao, or gunpowder, when placed inside bamboo tubes and placed into fire, blasted apart with a more commanding and louder bang than was created by the empty green bamboo. Fireworks buyers in Wisconsin can thank this time in history for developing the idea of using these paper tubes.
Soon enough, the Chinese discovered that concoctions of potassium nitrate, carbon and sulfur created an even more remarkable explosive. During war time, they utilized this invention to impel arrows, and during peace time, it was an improvement for the customary burning of green bamboo. Throughout the ages, the firecracker holds its old name of "pao chuk" (burst bamboo).
Airborne fragments of bamboo grown into a health concern. After 1100 A.D., Chinese started packing black powder into firecrackers using twisted tubes made of paper and discovered the gases produced by the burning powder would blast the paper tube apart with much more forcpower and provided a bigger blast. Until the late part of the 20th century, all Chinese firecrackers contained a straight 75-15-10 mixture of black gun powder. As chemistry and competition developed, modern Chinese firecracker manufacturers started using other explosive formulas by combining powdered aluminum to create a flash effect, and titled these as "flash crackers".
The title "black cat" is a symbol of good fortune and luck in China, a brought the most highly prized trading company named Black Cat, the eldest and most recognized fireworks brand in the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment