The Production of Methane Gas Described in the British Style of Finnish Epic Poetry
In a land, and in a season,
There was once a blacksmith sturdy.
Ana Jima, dark of feature,
Laboured long upon the anvil
Set the metals in the furnace
Learned the secrets of their changes
Studied all their transformations.
Yet she felt of knowledge lacking,
That there were more secrets waiting.
As she studied and she pondered,
Came to her to study carbon
In the many forms she knew it
Coal and charcoal, soot and tarpit.
Its importance to her metals.
Many questions did she ponder
And at length was her decision
To invoke the carbon spirit
To converse with elementals
Thus the secrets to unravel
So she called upon this spirit
In the very words which follow
‘Carbon spirit, mighty being!
Come attend to me thy daughter
Ignorant you have me living
Secrets are there for my learning
Come instruct thy eager daughter
I await thy intervention!’
And the carbon spirit summoned
Spoke these words to Ana Jima
‘You can understand my nature.
Know that I have many guises;
In the wood of mighty forest
In the marsh gas flaming brightly
Even in the diamond’s sparkle
Would you learn my transformations?’
Eagerly spoke Ana Jima
‘I would learn these transformations!
For the mystery has but deepened.
How can you be gas and diamond?
Coal and soot perplex me greatly
How does one become the other?’
Thus replied the carbon spirit
In the very words which follow
‘I will show you of my changes
I will change my very substance
I will show you transformation.
‘Listen well, O Ana Jima!
Hearken to my words, O blacksmith!
Gather tools and light thy furnace.
Make a tub of strongest metal
Not from copper, lead or silver
Cast it from the rusting metal
Cast it from the molten iron
Melt it in your furnace fires
In a crucible dissolve it.
‘Make a lid of large dimensions
Covering the tub completely
Clamp this firmly to the structure
In the side of your construction
Near the top of your construction
Make a hole to place a pipe in
Make a pipe of any metal
Not so fierce the heat in this place
Not so fierce to melt the copper
Not so fierce to burn the silver
Fix the pipe into the side wall
Fasten it with strong construction
That if water were to fill it
If the whole device held water
There would be no drops escaping
Leaking from this strongest structure
Now you need a pool of water – ‘
‘Wait!’ said Ana Jima, angry;
Ana Jima, sturdy blacksmith.
‘You would show me transformation
Show me how your nature changes?
Yet it seems that I have laboured
Worked for many days in labour
And there is no sign of changes
Nothing yet for understanding.
Now I need a pool of water!
Would that you had told me sooner!
My construction is no light one
And the reservoir is distant!’
‘Calm yourself, O Ana Jima’
Answered now the carbon spirit,
‘You would seek the inner secrets
Understand the transformations?
Great the dangers there inherent
Great the peril there attending
Careless work will bring destruction
Thoughtlessness will bring down ruin!
Many days of careful labour
Is the price of transformation
Is the value of these secrets.
‘And besides, O Ana Jima
Angry woman, dark of feature,
Not much depth of pool is needed.
Better that the pond be tranquil
And no ripples stir its surface.
Use your quenching trough for this work
Use the stone trough over yonder.
From the pipe in your construction
Bring a second pipe in this wise;
Clamp it firmly to the metal
Not too near the furnace body
From your metal tub an arm’s length
From the side the pipe of metal
Should protrude for a whole arm’s length.
At the end attach the second
This can be of lesser substance
Not of metal need it be formed
But material more fragile
Firm and watertight it must be
Long and flexible it should be.
Bring it to the trough directly
Do not cut this pipe too quickly
Measure to the trough and then more
Two whole arm’s lengths should you measure
More than from device to water.
Now with twine attach this end piece
Tie it to the trough all ready.
‘Now fetch you some good dry timber
Seasoned oak and seasoned pinewood
Cut in pieces quite substantial
Chopped as for the winter fires
Lift the lid of your construction
Take some charcoal from your smithy
Glowing charcoal from your furnace
Empty this into your vessel
Into your construction place it
Add the logs and set them burning.
Then replace the lid and clamp it
Tighten all the seals with vigour.’
Ana Jime, sturdy blacksmith,
Laboured long on this direction.
Many times she lit the fires
Many times they were extinguished
Finally the task was finished
Finally performed correctly.
Hot the metal tub construction
Scorched the grass beneath its framework
Scorched the hair of Ana Jima.
Spoke the carbon spirit to her
‘Cool your hands under the water
Cool your face in yonder water
Let us to the trough attend now.’
Ana Jima cooled her hands there
Soothed the burns under the water
Splashed the soot from her dark features
‘Now O carbon spirit’ said she,
‘Show me of your transformation
Show me how your nature changes’
And the carbon spirit answered
In these very words it answered,
‘Take the pipe that you have tethered
Take the pipe beside the water
Plunge it underneath the surface,
See the bubbles then escaping.
Take a stone and weigh the end down
Firmly pin it to the trough bed
Yet do not compress it fully
Let the bubbles still be rising,
Go and fetch a lighted lantern
Even though the the sun is shining
Fetch a lantern and a taper.
Then to you I’ll show my changes
Then you’ll see the transformation.’
Ana Jima brought the lantern
Lit the taper from the lantern
Held it near the water surface
Watched the bubbles burst in fire
Watched the blue flame on the water
Saw that air seemed somehow different
Saw a useful transformation.
‘Fetch a jar,’ the spirit told her
‘Fetch an empty jar from glass made
That the wonder you may look at
That you can collect these gases.’
Ana Jima, metal worker,
Brought a jar from out the smithy.
Plunged it in the trough completely
Full of water did she make it
Moved it over to the pipe end
Upside down and underwater
Gathering the bubbles coming
Till the water all had emptied.
Then the carbon spirit chuckled,
Mocking the dark metal worker,
In the very words which follow,
‘In your hands you hold great power
Many things can follow from it
Yet you know not how to use it
If you lift the jar from water
All the gas will fall out from it
If you upright turn the vessel
All the gas will rise up from it.
Yet you cannot see this happening!
How can you detect its presence?
There’s a puzzle, Ana Jima!
‘For the moment, contemplation
Stand aside and watch these bubbles –
You should breathe not of the vapour –
Comtemplate their inner nature.
How can they be made of carbon?
Like the charcoal and the tarpits
Contemplate, O Ana Jima!’
Ana Jima, glad to rest her,
Meditated on the gases
How their substance was unlike coal
Not resembling charcoal either
Nor the powdery soot from lanterns
though within it there was carbon.
‘Speak with me,’ called Ana Jima
‘Speak to me O carbon spirit!
Tell me why your nature changes
Tell me of your transformation.’
And the carbon spirit answered
In these very words it answered
‘In my house there are four gateways.
All these gateways stand unbolted
Open to the guests, unbolted
Pleasing to me is the welcome
Camping by the gate the strangers.
‘Now I welcome four fair maidens,
Delicate and full of beauty
Light their touch and free their movements.
In this gentle combination
Up we soar into the heavens
Light as air we join the heavens.
‘And if you compress us tightly,
Hold us in a jar of metal,
Clamp it with a lid of metal.
Angry we will seek releasing.
Tame us with the greatest caution.
Fiery we can be in anger,
Subtle to escape your cages.
Build them well, O Ana Jima!
‘Build them of the strongest metal
Or of fabric which holds water
Let there be no flame brought near them
Let us not be let loose quickly
Lest we steal the air inside you
Lest we find ourselves some fire
And we tear your cage asunder
Tear the rafter from the ceiling
Tear the walls from their support beams.
‘So be cunning, Ana Jima!
Bring us fire for our enjoyment
Make us come to it but slowly.
Build a pipe of firm construction
Build it from the things which burn not
Add to it a valve for closing
Add to it a tap releasing,
Let the vapour we inhabit
All controlled encounter fire
All in order to the furnace.
Let us heat what you direct us
Let us cook the food from harvest
Let us melt the ore from mining
Let us harden pots from earth made.
‘But if breaks the pipe of metal
If the firm construction falters –
Let the valve be quickly closèd
Let the tap be closed directly
Let the flames be ended swiftly!
Lest we tear your cage asunder
Tear the rafter from the ceiling
Tear the walls from their support beams.
‘Thus the place of our involvement
Must be far from habitation.
Must not be near to the homestead;
Must not share a wall with dwellings.
‘Thus I teach you, Ana Jima
Thus I share my inner secrets
Use them for your village welfare
For your people use them wisely.
There are many other mysteries
Hidden in this simple knowledge.
Some for you and some for others
Some for those who come hereafter
Those who know you but as legend.
‘Now I leave, O Ana Jima.
Heed you well to my instruction
Use my gift with circumspection
And with care avoid explosion.
Many things can you discover
With the power of transformation
Use it wisely, Ana Jima.’
And the carbon spirit left her
Left her contemplating mysteries
Contemplating dancing gases
Contemplating new devices.
Ana Jima is an entirely fictitious character. She is already a skilled metal worker. Fire, methane and molten metal are all very dangerous. Casting metal is not something you want to learn by trial and error. Why not challenge yourself to take a course as part of your Resilience Plan?