Fire
From Cunnan
Fire is one of the most useful things ever harnessed by man. It is quite literally one million years old (in terms of use by man).
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Fire at Home
Fires allow us to heat the house, light the rooms, and cook the food. Period forms of house lighting include fireplaces, open fires, torches, candles, and early lanterns. Fireplaces and open fires are useful for cooking.
Fire in Religion
Fire doesn't have too much of a role in the Semitic religions, but Norse mythology places a good importance on it as a symbol of Loki, the Trickster God.
Fire at War
There are a million uses for fire on the battlefield. It tends to stop troop movement, distract the enemy, and burn down their tents. Used in a siege, fire has the ability to burn thy "thatched-roofed cottages".
Despite many depictions in movies, it is interesting to note that in period the command to shoot projectile weapons was not fire!, but rather loose!. The order fire! was a direction to throw torches; the use of the command fire! as a direction to discharge a weapon dates from the Renaissance, when gunpowder weapons were much more common.
Creating Your Own Fire
Unless you have a fire-breathing dragon handy, you will need to use another method to create a flame. This can include the use of friction by rubbing a stick and some tinder together, percussion by beating two rocks or a rock and fire steel together, or using a piece of glass to magnify the light.
For more information on Viking-era fire production, see http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/fire.shtml
