Monday, November 19, 2007
What is the history of Kite Running?
kite running and flying is much more than a pastime in Afghanistan. Kite running is a national obsession. The streets of the capital, Kabul are filled with shops selling kite-flying equipment, and the skies above are decorated each day. The pastime was originated in Afghanistan. Banned by the Taliban because it is said to be un-Islamic, kite flying has now hit new heights of popularity in the country. Afghans have elevated kite flying or “ gudiparan bazi” to an art form, and id one of its chief attractions kite fighting. During the Taliban kite flying was not allowed. If you flew a kite, the Taliban would beat you up and tear the kite up. The fall of the Taliban in the capital one year ago mean that Afghans could fly kites without punishment. Many Afghans have returned to the pastime with a vengeance. Kite flying is a two person affair. One person the “char gir”, holds the wooden spool around which the wire or tar” is wound. The second person called the “gudiapran baz” or kite flyer actually controls the movement of the kite in the air. In Afghanistan where ever there are kites there is kite fighting. During the fight or “jang” two kites are flown close to one another, often at great heights. The object is to use the wire of your kite to cut the wire of your opponents kite and set it free. When the opponent's kite has been downed, then the real battle turns into a race, the kite run, to see who retrieves the fallen kite. This is symbolic to the 1992 event in Afghanistan when ethno-religious warlords looted and pillaged Kabul and other cities in a race to see who can amass the most booty. Interestingly enough, in 1994 the emerging Taliban regime banned kite flying and an assortment of other activities offering at best a graveyard peace to a conflict-ridden society. People have been flying kites in Afghanistan for more than 100 years. Kites cost from 2,000 afghanis just a few cents. For children no bigger then a magazine 100,00 afghanis less than $2. Large kites are handeled by the most experienced fighters. Afghan fighter kites are similar to the Indian Fighters in that they are made from tissue paper and bamboo. The biggest difference is that they are much larger than the typical Indian fighters. The wing span on an average Afghan fighter kite is 3.5 feet long, some even up to a 5 foot wing span, where most Indian kites run around 1.5 feet on the small kites to 2.5 feet on the large ones. The Afghan kites are always flown on glass coated "cutting" line called Tar in the Afghan language. Most of the flyers make their own Tar, each with his own secret recipe of glue and ground glass. Because of the kite’s size, the line is usually 9 lbs or more, and they think nothing of using all 1000 ft. when fighting, sometimes they even tie on more line while they are flying.
What is the cultural significance of Kite Running?
Among the dusty busy streets of Kabul, there are dozens of shops, these shops hold within many different forms of imported merchandise. However, the shops that are most prominent in these crowded streets are the ones who sell kite-running supplies. The art of Kite- running is one whose roots extend back to the ancient times. Kite running is an event that is practiced in Kabul by an array of all ages; it employs a series of procedures and techniques that can be used for optimum performance. The concept of kite running is aggressively flying your kite and using the glass-coated string to cut the strings of your opponent’s kites, the last kite in the air is the winner. However, there is more to this art than most realize.
Kite flying is more than a pastime in Afghanistan it is a cultural obsession. For most of the citizens, inhabiting the city of Kabul, kite running is a form of religious expression. It is a way for the Afghan population to express their country’s culture, and at the same time preserve a sense of honor in the household. The first-born son of a family, typically the oldest is the one who participates in the kite running competition. He is responsible for building and flying the kite of the family. If he wins the competition, he brings home not only the honor glorifying his name and household, he contributes to the preservation and cultural significance that is kite running.
Kite running was a form of culture in Afghanistan, until the merciless takeover of the Taliban. The Taliban belief shunned the ideals of kite running, thus banning all forms of the sport permanently. Local kite storeowners would still sell kites during the days of the Taliban, but that everywhere it was done in secret. “During the Taliban, if a scout from the Taliban government found an area where there was kite running of any kind, all of the kites, spools etc. would immediately be destroyed and the store owner thrown in Amribelmaroof (prison)." This quite frequently was the case during this time. After the fall of the Taliban Government in Afghanistan kite running almost immediately returned, this time even stronger than ever. The sport was now practiced by women and younger siblings rather that the traditional first-born son. For the first few years after kite running was brought back as an acceptable event, some Afghan groups participated for the sole purpose of revenge against the Taliban belief. Those who participated in kite running for pure cultural and religious gain however frowned upon this.
Still today, Kite Running is a past time in Afghanistan. The skies above Kabul are decorated each day with hundreds of colorful kites fluttering in the wind, shops selling kite running supplies flourish as the sport continues to grow.
Kite flying is more than a pastime in Afghanistan it is a cultural obsession. For most of the citizens, inhabiting the city of Kabul, kite running is a form of religious expression. It is a way for the Afghan population to express their country’s culture, and at the same time preserve a sense of honor in the household. The first-born son of a family, typically the oldest is the one who participates in the kite running competition. He is responsible for building and flying the kite of the family. If he wins the competition, he brings home not only the honor glorifying his name and household, he contributes to the preservation and cultural significance that is kite running.
Kite running was a form of culture in Afghanistan, until the merciless takeover of the Taliban. The Taliban belief shunned the ideals of kite running, thus banning all forms of the sport permanently. Local kite storeowners would still sell kites during the days of the Taliban, but that everywhere it was done in secret. “During the Taliban, if a scout from the Taliban government found an area where there was kite running of any kind, all of the kites, spools etc. would immediately be destroyed and the store owner thrown in Amribelmaroof (prison)." This quite frequently was the case during this time. After the fall of the Taliban Government in Afghanistan kite running almost immediately returned, this time even stronger than ever. The sport was now practiced by women and younger siblings rather that the traditional first-born son. For the first few years after kite running was brought back as an acceptable event, some Afghan groups participated for the sole purpose of revenge against the Taliban belief. Those who participated in kite running for pure cultural and religious gain however frowned upon this.
Still today, Kite Running is a past time in Afghanistan. The skies above Kabul are decorated each day with hundreds of colorful kites fluttering in the wind, shops selling kite running supplies flourish as the sport continues to grow.
How do people prepare for a Kite Running match?
Kite fighting, the major afghan tradition that has found its way to us through the art of literature. Though let us go deeper into kite fighting. How exactly does one kite fight, and how do you know the material to use to make it? To prepare for a kite-fighting match first you need to focus on creating a kite that will actually support the way you fight to do this you need several things. Obviously you need to be there yourself because you are the kite fighter and the leader of the entire thing but that’s not the most important part.
The first most important thing to have is a partner, without a partner your kite fighting dreams will be thrashed as it takes two people to operate the kite. The kite runner depicts Hassan as this partner. This, rather then the kite flyer is the most important part of the kite fighting experience. He is the controller, and must be paying attention at all times to release and retract the kite at the right times giving the kite fighter the tactical power over his fighting enemies.
The next thing would be the haft; this is the cloth or paper in which you make the shape, color, and size of the kite. In the novel the kite runner, Amir’s kite has a blue haft. The shape of a kite in Afghanistan is conserved through the family of kite runners which means that if your dads kite was a certain shape it is most likely that your kite will either be the exact same, or perhaps a slight alteration of your fathers kite. Size is not entirely important, a small kite can range from ten to twelve inches easy, while large kites can grow to a massive size, some even becoming as tall or taller then a human being. The kite’s skeleton is often made of bamboo because while it is malleable it is also a very strong wood.
The next important part in preparing for kite fighting is the wire or the tar. The success of the kite fighter was highly based on this crucial part of the kite. A good wire takes many hours to actually create. First you must make a mold to coat the wire. The wire was primarily made of crushed glass to create the sharpness so it could cut the other wire. It was then stuck together with mashed rice with has a similar texture to modern paste. The wire is coated with the mold and dried, where it is then wrapped around the drum. Many times the fighter and his drum holder would cut themselves on the wire due to the sharp glass that coats it, many times to the bone. To stop this cutting from happening now many children wrap a piece of leather around their index finger to stop the glass from cutting them. The drum is the final step to preparing for a fight. It needs to be very light so it can be easily wound and unwound.
The first most important thing to have is a partner, without a partner your kite fighting dreams will be thrashed as it takes two people to operate the kite. The kite runner depicts Hassan as this partner. This, rather then the kite flyer is the most important part of the kite fighting experience. He is the controller, and must be paying attention at all times to release and retract the kite at the right times giving the kite fighter the tactical power over his fighting enemies.
The next thing would be the haft; this is the cloth or paper in which you make the shape, color, and size of the kite. In the novel the kite runner, Amir’s kite has a blue haft. The shape of a kite in Afghanistan is conserved through the family of kite runners which means that if your dads kite was a certain shape it is most likely that your kite will either be the exact same, or perhaps a slight alteration of your fathers kite. Size is not entirely important, a small kite can range from ten to twelve inches easy, while large kites can grow to a massive size, some even becoming as tall or taller then a human being. The kite’s skeleton is often made of bamboo because while it is malleable it is also a very strong wood.
The next important part in preparing for kite fighting is the wire or the tar. The success of the kite fighter was highly based on this crucial part of the kite. A good wire takes many hours to actually create. First you must make a mold to coat the wire. The wire was primarily made of crushed glass to create the sharpness so it could cut the other wire. It was then stuck together with mashed rice with has a similar texture to modern paste. The wire is coated with the mold and dried, where it is then wrapped around the drum. Many times the fighter and his drum holder would cut themselves on the wire due to the sharp glass that coats it, many times to the bone. To stop this cutting from happening now many children wrap a piece of leather around their index finger to stop the glass from cutting them. The drum is the final step to preparing for a fight. It needs to be very light so it can be easily wound and unwound.
Why do people participate in Kite Running/Kite Fighting?
In Afghanistan, the art of flying a kite is made into a lively sport called kite fighting. There are three main reasons why people in Afghanistan participate in kite fighting matches. They are tradition, fame, and enjoyment. Kite fighting has been a traditional sport in Afghanistan for over 2000 years. Before the war boys had regular kite fighting matches. When the war came, the Taliban banned Kite fighting. However, shortly after the Taliban left, Kites were flying in the skies again. It has now become a tradition to fly kites.
People who fly Kites professionally and win are treated like heroes and celebrities. They may even be approached to do commercial advertisements. Similar to the novel The Kite Runner, Amir gains the respect of his father by winning a kite fighting match.
Kite fighting represents freedom for the people in Afghanistan. It reminds them of life before the Taliban came. In Afghanistan, wherever there are kites, there is kite fighting. Young boys and old men alike enjoy the sport. Kite fighting is to Afghanistan, as baseball is to the U.S. It is something they will enjoy for years to come.
People who fly Kites professionally and win are treated like heroes and celebrities. They may even be approached to do commercial advertisements. Similar to the novel The Kite Runner, Amir gains the respect of his father by winning a kite fighting match.
Kite fighting represents freedom for the people in Afghanistan. It reminds them of life before the Taliban came. In Afghanistan, wherever there are kites, there is kite fighting. Young boys and old men alike enjoy the sport. Kite fighting is to Afghanistan, as baseball is to the U.S. It is something they will enjoy for years to come.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
THE PROJECT
This project is about Kite Running. The questions we shall be answering are WHAT HOW AND WHY.
IAN - What: What is Kite Running?
MIKE - What Pt. II: What is the history behind Kite Running, where and when it originated, etc?
JASON - How: How do people prepare for a Kite Running match?
DANIELLE - Why: Why do people Kite Run/Kite Fight?
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