I was doing some research and revisited an old book from my uni days.
The Silver Bough Vol 1 by F. Marian McNcNeill. It's the first book of 4 volumes documenting Scottish folklore, pagan cultural survivals, festivals and ancient religeous sites. It's pretty unique and well worth a look if you are into such things.
While reading the chapter on "magic" McNeill describes the "need fire" which was the ritualised creation of virgin flame during the fire festivals. She describes how on Skye, Mull and Tiree what we would recognise as a hand drill was used and on parts of mainland Scotland a green wood frame was used to hold the drill (spindle) and a species of "agaraic" was used as an extender.
Interestingly she quotes Sir James Frazer from his "Golden Bough" other methods used in Scotland;
"two poles were driven into the ground about a foot and a half from each other. Each pole had in the side a socket facing the other socket into which a smooth cross piece or roller was fitted. The sockets were stuffed with linen, and the two other ends of the roller were rammed tightly into the sockets. To make it more flammable the roller was often coated in tar. A rope was then wound round the roller, and the free ends at both sides were gripped by two or more persons, who by pulling the rope to and fro caused the roller to revolve rapidly till through by friction the linen in the socket took fire. The sparks were immediatly caught in tow or oakum and this was waved in a circle until it burst into a bright glow, when straw was apolied to it, and the blazing straw was used to to kindle the fuel that had been stacked to make the bonfire."
I must admit to finding this fascinating and in all my years of tramping across Scotland and meeting the older folk, some who had the "sight", I never heard of this. Amazing and I'm sure it's well worth trying out. As for the species of agaric, I wonder if that's wrong or could have an agaric been use dif it was dried?
Anyway i just thought I'd put our bushcract in some historical grounding BRM (before Ray Mears)
The Silver Bough Vol 1 by F. Marian McNcNeill. It's the first book of 4 volumes documenting Scottish folklore, pagan cultural survivals, festivals and ancient religeous sites. It's pretty unique and well worth a look if you are into such things.
While reading the chapter on "magic" McNeill describes the "need fire" which was the ritualised creation of virgin flame during the fire festivals. She describes how on Skye, Mull and Tiree what we would recognise as a hand drill was used and on parts of mainland Scotland a green wood frame was used to hold the drill (spindle) and a species of "agaraic" was used as an extender.
Interestingly she quotes Sir James Frazer from his "Golden Bough" other methods used in Scotland;
"two poles were driven into the ground about a foot and a half from each other. Each pole had in the side a socket facing the other socket into which a smooth cross piece or roller was fitted. The sockets were stuffed with linen, and the two other ends of the roller were rammed tightly into the sockets. To make it more flammable the roller was often coated in tar. A rope was then wound round the roller, and the free ends at both sides were gripped by two or more persons, who by pulling the rope to and fro caused the roller to revolve rapidly till through by friction the linen in the socket took fire. The sparks were immediatly caught in tow or oakum and this was waved in a circle until it burst into a bright glow, when straw was apolied to it, and the blazing straw was used to to kindle the fuel that had been stacked to make the bonfire."
I must admit to finding this fascinating and in all my years of tramping across Scotland and meeting the older folk, some who had the "sight", I never heard of this. Amazing and I'm sure it's well worth trying out. As for the species of agaric, I wonder if that's wrong or could have an agaric been use dif it was dried?
Anyway i just thought I'd put our bushcract in some historical grounding BRM (before Ray Mears)
Happy to share some.
