The smoke signal is one of the oldest forms of long-distance communication. It is a form of visual communication used over a long distance. In general smoke signals are used to transmit news, signal danger, or to gather people to a common area.
In ancient China, soldiers along the Great Wall sent smoke signals on its beacon towers to warn one another of enemy invasion.[1][2] The colour of the smoke communicated the size of the invading party.[1] By placing the beacon towers at regular intervals, and situating a soldier in each tower, messages could be transmitted over the entire 7,300 kilometres of the Wall.[1] Smoke signals also warned the inner castles of the invasion, allowing them to coordinate a defense and garrison supporting troops.[2]
In ancient Sri Lanka, soldiers stationed on the mountain peaks would alert each other of impending enemy attack (from English, Dutch or Portuguese people) by signaling from peak to peak. In this way, they were able to transmit a message to the King in just a few hours.[3]
Misuse of the smoke signal is known to have contributed to the fall of the Western Zhou Dynasty in the 8th century BCE. King You of Zhou had a habit of fooling his warlords with false warning beacons in order to amuse Bao Si, his concubine.[4]
North American indigenous peoples also communicated via smoke signal. Each tribe had its own signaling system and understanding. A signaler started a fire on an elevation typically using damp grass, which would cause a column of smoke to rise. The grass would be taken off as it dried and another bundle would be placed on the fire. Reputedly the location of the smoke along the incline conveyed a meaning. If it came from halfway up the hill, this would signify all was well, but from the top of the hill it would signify danger.[5]
Smoke signals remain in use today. The College of Cardinals uses smoke signals to indicate the selection of a new Pope during a papal conclave. Eligible cardinals conduct a secret ballot until someone receives a vote of two-thirds plus one. The ballots are burned after each vote. Black smoke indicates a failed ballot, while white smoke means a new Pope has been elected.
Colored smoke grenades are commonly used by military forces to mark positions, especially during calls for artillery or air support.
Smoke signals may also refer to smoke-producing devices used to send distress signals.[6][7]
Examples
Native Americans
Lewis and Clark's journals cite several occasions when they adopted the Native American method of setting the plains on fire to communicate the presence of their party or their desire to meet with local tribes.[8]
Yámana
Yámanas of South America used fire to send messages by smoke signals, for instance if a whale drifted ashore.[9] The large amount of meat required notification of many people, so that it would not decay.[10] They might also have used smoke signals on other occasions, thus it is possible that Magellan saw such fires (which inspired him to name the landscape Tierra del Fuego) but he may have seen the smoke or lights of natural phenomena.[11][12]
Aboriginal Australians throughout Australia would send up smoke signals for various purposes.[13][14][15][16] Sometimes to notify others of their presence, particularly when entering lands which were not their own.[13] Sometimes used to describe visiting whites, smoke signals were the fastest way to send messages.[16] Smoke signals were sometimes to notify of incursions by hostile tribes, or to arrange meetings between hunting parties of the same tribe. This signal could be from a fixed lookout on a ridge or from a mobile band of tribesman.[15] "Putting up a smoke" would often result in nearby individuals or groups replying with their own signals.[14][15] To carry information, the colour of the smoke was varied, sometimes black, white or blue depending on whether the material being burnt was wet grass, dry grass, reeds or other, and the shape of the smoke could be a column, ball or smoke ring. This message could include the names of individual tribesmen.[15] Like other means of communication, signals could be misinterpreted. In one recorded instance, a smoke signal reply translated as "we are coming" was misinterpreted as joining a war party for protection of the tribe when it was actually hunting parties coming together after a successful hunt.[15]
^ abcIvan, Djordjevic (2010). Coding for Optical Channels. Springer US. p. 2. ISBN978-1-4419-5569-2. OCLC 699999686.
^ abDu, Yumin; Chen, Wenwu; Cui, Kai; Guo, Zhiqian; Wu, Guopeng; Ren, Xiaofeng (2021-02-16). "An exploration of the military defense system of the Ming Great Wall in Qinghai Province from the perspective of castle-based military settlements". Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. 13 (3). doi:10.1007/s12520-021-01283-7. ISSN 1866-9557. S2CID 231940516.
^Extracts from the following book. E. Lucas Bridges: Uttermost Part of the Earth. Indians of Tierra del Fuego. 1949, reprinted by Dover Publications, Inc (New York, 1988).
^ ab"Report on Patrol to Lake Mackay Area June/July 1957". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
^ abcdeIdriess, Ion L (1953). The Red Chief. ettimprint.
^ abIdriess, Ion L (1937). Over the Range. ettimprint.
References
Gusinde, Martin (1966). Nordwind—Südwind. Mythen und Märchen der Feuerlandindianer (in German). Kassel: E. Röth.
Itsz, Rudolf (1979). "A kihunyt tüzek földje". Napköve. Néprajzi elbeszélések (in Hungarian). Budapest: Móra Könyvkiadó. pp. 93–112. Translation of the original: Итс, Р.Ф. (1974). Камень солнца (in Russian). Ленинград: Detskaya Literatura. Title means: “Stone of sun”; chapter means: “The land of burnt-out fires”. (Leningrad: "Children's Literature" Publishing.)
Myers, Fred (1986). Pintupi Country, Pintupi Self. USA: Smithsonian Institution.
External links
Look up smoke signal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
February 08, 2023
smoke, signal, other, uses, disambiguation, smoke, signal, oldest, forms, long, distance, communication, form, visual, communication, used, over, long, distance, general, smoke, signals, used, transmit, news, signal, danger, gather, people, common, area, nativ. For other uses see Smoke signal disambiguation The smoke signal is one of the oldest forms of long distance communication It is a form of visual communication used over a long distance In general smoke signals are used to transmit news signal danger or to gather people to a common area Native Americans on a painting by Frederic Remington Contents 1 History and usage 2 Examples 2 1 Native Americans 2 1 1 Yamana 2 2 Noon Gun 2 3 Aboriginal Australians 2 4 Aviation 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksHistory and usage EditIn ancient China soldiers along the Great Wall sent smoke signals on its beacon towers to warn one another of enemy invasion 1 2 The colour of the smoke communicated the size of the invading party 1 By placing the beacon towers at regular intervals and situating a soldier in each tower messages could be transmitted over the entire 7 300 kilometres of the Wall 1 Smoke signals also warned the inner castles of the invasion allowing them to coordinate a defense and garrison supporting troops 2 In ancient Sri Lanka soldiers stationed on the mountain peaks would alert each other of impending enemy attack from English Dutch or Portuguese people by signaling from peak to peak In this way they were able to transmit a message to the King in just a few hours 3 Misuse of the smoke signal is known to have contributed to the fall of the Western Zhou Dynasty in the 8th century BCE King You of Zhou had a habit of fooling his warlords with false warning beacons in order to amuse Bao Si his concubine 4 North American indigenous peoples also communicated via smoke signal Each tribe had its own signaling system and understanding A signaler started a fire on an elevation typically using damp grass which would cause a column of smoke to rise The grass would be taken off as it dried and another bundle would be placed on the fire Reputedly the location of the smoke along the incline conveyed a meaning If it came from halfway up the hill this would signify all was well but from the top of the hill it would signify danger 5 Smoke signals remain in use today The College of Cardinals uses smoke signals to indicate the selection of a new Pope during a papal conclave Eligible cardinals conduct a secret ballot until someone receives a vote of two thirds plus one The ballots are burned after each vote Black smoke indicates a failed ballot while white smoke means a new Pope has been elected Colored smoke grenades are commonly used by military forces to mark positions especially during calls for artillery or air support Smoke signals may also refer to smoke producing devices used to send distress signals 6 7 Examples EditNative Americans Edit Lewis and Clark s journals cite several occasions when they adopted the Native American method of setting the plains on fire to communicate the presence of their party or their desire to meet with local tribes 8 Yamana Edit Yamanas of South America used fire to send messages by smoke signals for instance if a whale drifted ashore 9 The large amount of meat required notification of many people so that it would not decay 10 They might also have used smoke signals on other occasions thus it is possible that Magellan saw such fires which inspired him to name the landscape Tierra del Fuego but he may have seen the smoke or lights of natural phenomena 11 12 Noon Gun Edit The Cape Town Noon Gun specifically the smoke its firing generates was used to set marine chronometers in Table Bay Aboriginal Australians Edit Aboriginal Australians throughout Australia would send up smoke signals for various purposes 13 14 15 16 Sometimes to notify others of their presence particularly when entering lands which were not their own 13 Sometimes used to describe visiting whites smoke signals were the fastest way to send messages 16 Smoke signals were sometimes to notify of incursions by hostile tribes or to arrange meetings between hunting parties of the same tribe This signal could be from a fixed lookout on a ridge or from a mobile band of tribesman 15 Putting up a smoke would often result in nearby individuals or groups replying with their own signals 14 15 To carry information the colour of the smoke was varied sometimes black white or blue depending on whether the material being burnt was wet grass dry grass reeds or other and the shape of the smoke could be a column ball or smoke ring This message could include the names of individual tribesmen 15 Like other means of communication signals could be misinterpreted In one recorded instance a smoke signal reply translated as we are coming was misinterpreted as joining a war party for protection of the tribe when it was actually hunting parties coming together after a successful hunt 15 Aviation Edit Modern aviation has made skywriting possible See also EditPolybius squareNotes Edit a b c Ivan Djordjevic 2010 Coding for Optical Channels Springer US p 2 ISBN 978 1 4419 5569 2 OCLC 699999686 a b Du Yumin Chen Wenwu Cui Kai Guo Zhiqian Wu Guopeng Ren Xiaofeng 2021 02 16 An exploration of the military defense system of the Ming Great Wall in Qinghai Province from the perspective of castle based military settlements Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 13 3 doi 10 1007 s12520 021 01283 7 ISSN 1866 9557 S2CID 231940516 Knox Robert Historical Relation of Ceylon Sima Qian Records of the Grand Historian Vol 4 Smoke Signal addpmp slamjam com Retrieved 2022 09 13 Pyrotechnic device Feb 4 1964 retrieved 2017 02 01 Smoke signal Nov 28 1967 retrieved 2017 02 01 Lewis and Clark Journals July 20 1805 Gusinde 1966 137 139 186 Itsz 1979 109 The Patagonian Canoe Pages interlog com Retrieved 2013 02 19 Extracts from the following book E Lucas Bridges Uttermost Part of the Earth Indians of Tierra del Fuego 1949 reprinted by Dover Publications Inc New York 1988 a b Myers 1986 100 a b Report on Patrol to Lake Mackay Area June July 1957 National Archives of Australia Retrieved 2014 01 31 a b c d e Idriess Ion L 1953 The Red Chief ettimprint a b Idriess Ion L 1937 Over the Range ettimprint References EditGusinde Martin 1966 Nordwind Sudwind Mythen und Marchen der Feuerlandindianer in German Kassel E Roth Itsz Rudolf 1979 A kihunyt tuzek foldje Napkove Neprajzi elbeszelesek in Hungarian Budapest Mora Konyvkiado pp 93 112 Translation of the original Its R F 1974 Kamen solnca in Russian Leningrad Detskaya Literatura Title means Stone of sun chapter means The land of burnt out fires Leningrad Children s Literature Publishing Myers Fred 1986 Pintupi Country Pintupi Self USA Smithsonian Institution External links Edit Look up smoke signal in Wiktionary the free dictionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Smoke signal amp oldid 1135452643, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
