Prometheus stole Fire from the Gods

Prometheus Brings Fire by Heinrich Friedrich Füger. Prometheus brings fire to mankind as told by Hesiod, with its having been hidden as revenge for the trick at Mecone.

Source: Wikipedia

In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole Fire from the Gods, and gave it to mankind. For this theft, he was severely punished.

Fire was considered to be among the most precious of gifts.

The ability to Work with Fire, to mold and control it, is therefore a high skill.

The Japanese term for fireworks, Hanabi, means “Flowers of Fire”. To create a Beautiful Flower from Fire, and to awe an audience with it - how the heck is that done?

Over 20 years ago, for some reason, that question came to my mind. “How do they do that? How do they make that ‘thing’ rise into the sky, and then burst forth into that Beautiful Flower?”

Ever since, I’ve been on a quest to discover how fireworks are made, and to become a fireworker. It’s not that I couldn’t do anything else; I just simply “couldn’t do anything else." For some reason, it was in my blood.

Fireworks - are they an Art Form, or an expression of Science, or a Technological feat? Fireworking - is it an Artistic expression, Scientific exploration, or the development of a Craft?

A Fireworker - an Artist, Scientist, or Craftsman?

I’d simply answer an emphatic “Yes” to all those ponderings.

We fireworkers entertain audiences, and ourselves, with a form of Performance Art. We explore nature with Scientific experiments. And we learn the dirty, sweaty, Technical skills necessary to do all of that.

Inside Fireworking.com, I’ll be relating bits and pieces of my story of fireworking during the past twenty years, what I do to make particular devices, and how they worked. Others will be sharing their tips in articles, and we’ll create a Forum in which everyone can share their stories and questions and answers.

And a note on my personal style. I won’t be telling you that any one of my techniques is “the only way” or “the best way” to do something, or to make a particular device. We fireworkers love to experiment, and to develop our own personal methods and effects. More power to us as we do so. We are the fireworking Hobbyists, and usually not professionals bent on turning out the same device, over and over.

Enjoy,

ned

Source: https://fireworking.com/content/making-point