“Fire is a capital article. To have no fire, or a bad fire to sit by, is a most dismal thing. In such a state man and wife must be something out of the common way to be in good humor with each other…”
— William Cobbett, Cottage Economy
In this coldest winter in many years, a good fire is perhaps just what we need. It might even save a marriage…
Please see my article at Aleteia, on Why We Need More Fires in Winter.
Here’s a sneak peek:
“Perhaps Cobbett exaggerates (he often did), but it seems to me he is on to something (he often was) — something general, about human life, and something specific, about fire.
The general point is this: physical contexts matter. Physical environment is a significant factor in the quality of human presence and interaction. It’s hard to have a real conversation on a roller coaster or in a room where a television is on.
And the specific point is this: we need more fires in our homes. The evidence from experience is beyond question: there is something about a fire. We want to be in a room with a fire; it lifts our spirits, making us more congenial, social. We simply feel good and are better disposed toward whomever or whatever else is in the room. One mother reports that on winter days, her young children at home often get restless or downright irascible by late afternoon. Then she lights a fire in the living room, and as if by magic the children stop bickering and find something to do together in front of the fire.
Though it might seem like magic, the effect of a fire is in fact quite a matter of nature — the nature of man and the nature of fire. Much might be said about the various aspects of fire: the heat, quality of light, delightful scent, and gentle sounds, and the corresponding ways that it affects the human body and psyche. I cannot think of anything else in common human experience that has this amazing fourfold effect on our senses. Each of these four — warmth, light, scent, crackling — adds to the power of a fire to transform a cavernous space into a hearth, a room into a refuge from the troubles and frenzy of the world…”
Related reading:
Husband, father, and professor of Philosophy. LifeCraft springs from one conviction: there is an ancient wisdom about how to live the good life in our homes, with our families; and it is worth our time to hearken to it. Let’s rediscover it together. Learn more.
Love it, John! Have had 2 fires going during this cold spell. When I was little I used to imagine that the fairy folk lived in the fire. It’s such a warm and enchanting looking place to live with the ever changing configuration of logs creating so many hidden places and different types and levels of possible dwellings. I still love to take time out just to watch the fire – still imagining all the goings on of the little folk as some embers burst into flame and others pulsate with just the warm glow. The fire lends itself so much to stories – telling them, imagining them, or reading them – which is probably Tolkien used fires so much when stories were being told. I am thinking especially of the Cottage of Lost Play. Thanks for your insightful posts – I am enjoying them all!
Thanks Laura for sharing your thoughts and recollections. Fire truly is an amazing gift, and I have resolved to take more time for my family to be able to enjoy it together.
A wood fire in a stove or fireplace is definitely one of the most relaxing things we have. The beauty of it is so satisfying and memorable that it makes the processing and stacking of wood in summer heat an enjoyable task. Since we have been using a wood insert for our main heat source, my wife and I have come to truly miss it when the weather is too warm to burn. Our 2 cats also seem to
miss it. The grandchildren love it and always make sure Grandpa keeps it roaring away to keep them warm. The fire is the heart of our home in winter.