Remember, Remember: The Ancient History of Fireworks
404 years ago a group of Catholic rebels were caught trying to blow up Parliament. Their failure, subsequent torture and gruesome deaths, have become the focus for one of the year's highlights, when millions of Brits will venture outside to light bonfires, burn effigies and set off around 30,000 tons of gunpowder in firework displays great and small.
Yet while most of those marvelling at rockets, firecrackers and Catherine Wheels will know about Guy Fawkes and his ill-advised plotters, not many will know fireworks go back thousands of years before, in ancient China.
The Legends
Two main theories cover the invention of fireworks - dating either from the turn of the first century AD or the late 900s. The oldest legend dictates that the first firework was the result of a kitchen mishap, when an army chef mixed saltpeter, sulpher and charcoal. When cooked, the concoction burned with a bright flame, exciting the chef. He then put the mixture inside a bamboo shoot and threw it on a fire. This time it exploded with such force, the shoot was blown to pieces. The first firecracker was born, and would be used purely for fun at weddings, parties and other events. The Chinese called their new invention 'huo yao', the 'fire chemical', and would later use it during religious ceremonies to ward off evil.
Or...the firecracker was the brainchild of a mysterious Hunan monk called Li Tian. The story says Li lit a bamboo shoot filled with gunpowder to scare off the ghost of an evil dragon haunting Emperor Taizong, the second ruler of the Tang Dynasty (626 - 649 AD). To this day, Li Tiang's region of Liu Yang is still China's biggest producer of fireworks, and people celebrate his 'discovery' on April 18.
The History
As romantic as both the legends are, there are some hard facts suggesting the first firecracker was actually invented around the 10th-11th centuries AD, following the 9th century discovery of gunpowder, one of the 'four great inventions of ancient China' (alongside the compass, papermaking and printing). The result of centuries of searching for the 'elixir of life', alchemists soon found their new discovery could be used for military purposes. And 'fire pills', first documented in 1040, were used to scare off Mongol hoards. Some even made gunpowder-propelled 'rat-shooters' which fired hapless rodents into the paths of oncoming armies!
Gunpowder-propelled rat-shooters fired hapless rodents into the paths of oncoming armies
Venetian explorer Marco Polo is generally credited with bringing fireworks to the West during the 13th century (though some credit returning Crusaders), after which they took off - literally - across Europe. The Italians would lead the way until the 17th century, when English monarchs would lay on massive displays as part of their coronation ceremonies. And so to tonight, Britain will take to the cold in celebration of Fawkes and his team's hanging, drawing and quartering. When you're crouching down to light a rocket tonight, think about where that SuperBlast3000 really came from. Not for too long, mind...
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