Editing Coracle (section)

==Similar craft==
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 | image1    = Kudru.jpg
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 | caption1  = The Ku-Dru or Kowa of Tibet is very similar to a coracle. [[Field Museum of Natural History]], Chicago, US
 | image2    = Bundesarchiv Bild 135-BB-082-12, Tibetexpedition, Floß bei Chagsam.jpg|
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 | caption2  = [[Yak]] skin coracle in [[Tibet]], 1938
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 | caption3  = [[Yak]] skin coracle in [[Tibet]], 2006
 | image4    = Tungabhadra River and Coracle Boats.JPG
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 | caption4  = An Indian coracle near the [[River Tungabhadra]], in Hampi India
 | image5    = Indian coracle.jpg
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 | caption5  = Indian coracles are frequently used on the [[Kabini River]], Karnataka, India
 | image6    = India-TamilNadu-Hogenakkal-falls-Coracle-Cafeteria.jpg
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 | caption6  = Coracle on the [[Kaveri river]]. Some like this are used by vendors
 | image7    = Two Coracles and Tungabhadra River.jpg
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 | caption7  = Two Indian coracles on the [[Tungabhadra River]]
 | image8    = Parisal-measures.JPG
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 | caption8  = Dimensions of Indian coracles
 | image9    = Kuphar.jpg
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 | caption9  = An Iraqi coracle, or {{Transliteration|ar|quffa}} ({{lang|ar|قفة}}), in [[Baghdad]] in 1914
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The oldest instructions yet found for construction of a coracle are contained in precise directions on a four-thousand-year-old [[cuneiform]] tablet supposedly dictated by the [[Mesopotamian myths|Mesopotamian god]] [[Enki]] to [[Atra-Hasis]] on how to build a round "ark". The tablet is about 2,250 years older than previously discovered accounts of [[flood myth]]s, none of which contain such details. These instructions depict a vessel that is today known as a {{Transliteration|ar|[[quffa]]}} ({{lang|ar|قفة}}), or Iraqi coracle.<ref>{{cite news|title=Noah's Ark Was Round, Based on 4,000-Year-Old Mesopotamian Instructions That Are 'Mathematically Accurate' |author=Gabrielle Jonas |url=http://www.isciencetimes.com/articles/6746/20140128/noahs-ark-round-mesopotamia-flood-cuneiform-instructions-mathematically-accurate.htm |newspaper=International Science Times |date=28 January 2014 |access-date=4 March 2014 |quote=Four thousand-year-old cuneiform instructions on how to build a round "Noah's ark" have turned out to be mathematically on-target, the British Museum curator who translated the text told the ''International Science Times'' Monday. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301160358/http://www.isciencetimes.com/articles/6746/20140128/noahs-ark-round-mesopotamia-flood-cuneiform-instructions-mathematically-accurate.htm |archive-date=1 March 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Many scholars believe that the basket that baby [[Moses]] was [[finding of Moses|cast adrift]] in on the Nile (in [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] 2:3) was in fact a coracle or quffa, based on the similarity of that passage to [[Neo-Assyria]]n legends depicting infants cast adrift on rivers in {{Transliteration|ar|quffas}}.<ref name=Potts>{{Cite book |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-4051-8988-0 |last=Potts |first=Daniel T. |title=A Companion to the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East |date=21 May 2012 }}{{page needed|date=January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Coracles: The surprising history of Britain's strangest boat |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/23Fbd5ybr2CFG9BWYYZ7MZh/coracles-the-surprising-history-of-britain-s-strangest-boat |access-date=14 June 2018 |publisher=[[BBC One]] }}</ref>

The Irish {{lang|ga|[[curach]]}} (also {{lang|ga|currach}} or {{lang|ga|curragh}}) is a similar, but larger, vessel still in use today. Curachs were also used in the west of Scotland:

{{blockquote|The {{lang|ga|curach}} or boat of leather and wicker may seem to moderns a very unsafe vehicle, to trust to tempestuous seas, yet our forefathers fearlessly committed themselves in these slight vehicles to the mercy of the most violent weather. They were once much in use in the [[Western Isles]] of Scotland, and are still found in Wales. The framework [in Gaelic] is called {{lang|gd|crannghail}}, a word now used in [[Uist]] to signify a frail boat.|''[[Edward Dwelly|Dwelly]]'s [Scottish] Gaelic Dictionary''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dwelly.info/index.aspx |title=Dwelly-d – Dwelly's Classic Scottish Gaelic Dictionary |first1=William |last1=Robertson |first2=Michael |last2=Bauer |first3=Edward |last3=Dwelly |website=dwelly.info }}</ref>}}

The [[currach#Currachs in the River Spey|currachs in the River Spey]] were particularly similar to Welsh coracles. Other related craft include:

* [[India]] – {{lang|ta-Latn|parisal}}
* [[Iraq]] – {{Transliteration|ar|[[quffa]]}} or {{Transliteration|ar|kuphar}}
* [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American societies]] – [[bull boat]]
* [[Tibet]] – ''ku-dru'' and ''kowas''
* [[Vietnam]] – {{lang|vi|thúng chai}} or {{lang|vi|thuyền thúng}}

=== Indian coracle ===
'''Indian coracles''' ({{langx|ta|பரிசல்}} {{lang|ta-Latn|parisal}}; {{langx|kn|ಹರಗೋಲು}}, {{lang|kn|ತೆಪ್ಪ}}, {{lang|kn-Latn|aragōlu}}, {{lang|kn-Latn|tep}}, 'crab') are commonly found on the rivers [[Kaveri]] and [[Tungabhadra]] in [[South India|Southern India]].<ref name=man>{{cite journal |last1=Hornell |first1=James |title=The Coracles of South India |journal=Man |date=October 1933 |volume=33 |pages=157–160 |doi=10.2307/2790095 |jstor=2790095 }}</ref> Coracles are light, bowl-shaped boats with a frame of woven grasses, reeds or saplings covered with hides.<ref name=origins>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9026226/coracle |title=Encyclopædia Britannica Coracle |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=31 January 2013}}</ref> Indian coracles are considered to have been in existence since prehistoric times,<ref name=origins/> and are a major tourist attraction at the [[Hogenakkal falls]] on the Kaveri river.<ref name=row /> Although these boats were originally designed for general transport, they have recently been used mostly for giving tourists rides.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://watch-deals.com/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609153437/http://www.tbeez.com/Attraction/hogenakkal|url-status=dead|title=Online Watch Deals – watches, parts, components, accessories|archivedate=9 June 2008}}</ref>

====Types====
The coracles found in the Hogenakkal are of two types, which differ mainly in size. The smaller ones are about 6.2 feet (1.9 metres) in diameter, and are used primarily for fishing. The larger ones, which measure up to 8.4 feet (2.6 metres) in diameter, are used for tourists.<ref name=Sean/>

====Design====
Indian coracles are either saucer or bowl shaped and circular, with the greatest diameter across the mouth. The circular coracles in Iraq are very similar, but they have convexly curved sides, and thus the mouth is not the widest part.<ref name=man/> Indian coracles are on average about 7.3 feet (2.24 metres) in diameter,<ref name=Sean>{{cite book |last1=McGrail |first1=Sean |last2=Blue |first2=Lucy |last3=Kentley |first3=Eric |last4=Palmer |first4=Colin |title=Boats of South Asia |date=2004 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-203-21689-7}}{{page needed|date=January 2021}}</ref> but can still hold eight people at a time.<ref name="row">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/05/12/stories/2007051251900500.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527173311/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/05/12/stories/2007051251900500.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 May 2007 |title=Row, row, row your boat |date=12 May 2007 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=31 January 2013}}</ref> Other kinds of coracles usually can only hold one person.<ref name=oneperson/> Indian coracles, and coracles in general, are made of [[bamboo]] and take about a day to build, given all the necessary materials.<ref name=Sean/> The bottoms of the boats are covered in [[Hide (skin)|hides]], sometimes with sheets of plastic, or sometimes the bottom is tarred in order to make them waterproof.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Palmer |first1=Colin |last2=Blue |first2=Lucy |last3=McGrail |first3=Sean |title=Hide Boats at Hogenakal on the River Kaveri, Tamil Nadu |journal=South Asian Studies |date=January 2001 |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=199–207 |id={{INIST|13550447}} |doi=10.1080/02666030.2001.9628601 |s2cid=192182900 }}</ref> In modern times, a sheet of [[LDPE]] plastic is often embedded between two layers of bamboo. Coracles are steered and propelled using a single paddle from the front of the boat in the direction of travel, making them unique.<ref name=Sean/>

====Construction====
The boats are made primarily from bamboo. The first step in construction is a basic framework woven from bamboo sticks. Then the bottom is further reinforced with the addition of more bamboo sticks, making the boat's base sturdy. Once the bottom is structurally sound, the lowest points of the sides are defined by a circumferential band of three flat strips of bamboo woven into the existing lattice. The sides of the boat are then made with 20 to 30 adjacent strips of bamboo. Finally this framework is again strengthened by lightweight bamboo, making sure that the sides are not heavier than the base.<ref name=Sean/>

The boats had earlier been waterproofed by using hides of animals, but these days plastic sheets are used for this purpose as they are cheaper as well as easily available.<ref name=Sean/> The waterproofing is further enhanced by a layer of tar,<ref name=Sean/> a feature which is common in most contemporary coracles.<ref name=oneperson>{{cite web |url=http://www.data-wales.co.uk/coracle1.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961102033420/http://www.data-wales.co.uk/coracle1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 November 1996 |title=The Coracle – a one person boat with an ancient lineage |publisher=Data-wales.co.uk |access-date=31 January 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dandelife.com/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609153444/http://dandelife.com/story/22097|url-status=dead|title=Dandelife – Business, Life, Tech, Travel, Education Blog|archivedate=9 June 2008|website=Dandelife}}</ref>

====Local names====
* {{Transliteration|ta|Parisal}}, sometimes spelt {{Transliteration|ta|parical}} – [[Tamil language|Tamil]]<ref name=Sean/>
* {{Transliteration|kn|Teppa}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecoindia.com/waterfalls/hogenakkal.html |title=Hogenakkal falls |publisher=Ecoindia.com |access-date=31 January 2013}}</ref> or {{Transliteration|kn|harigolu}}<ref name=Sean/> – [[Kannada language|Kannada]]
* {{Transliteration|te|Putti}} in Telugu
* {{Transliteration|ml|Kutta vanchi}} in Malayalam

===Iraqi coracle===
{{main|Quffa}}
'''Iraqi coracles''', called {{Transliteration|ar|quffa}} or {{Transliteration|ar|kuphar}} ({{langx|ar|قفة}}), have been used as [[ferries]], [[lighter (barge)|lighters]], fishing vessels, and [[water taxi]]s on the [[Tigris]] and [[Euphrates]] rivers since at least the 9th century BC.<ref name=Agius>{{Cite book| publisher = BRILL| isbn = 978-90-04-15863-4| last = Agius| first = Dionisius A.| title = Classic Ships of Islam: From Mesopotamia to the Indian Ocean| date = 2008|page=130|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RP2uHT06zYgC&pg=PA130}}</ref> They share details with the myriad types of coracle used across [[Eurasia]].<ref name=Hornell_1>{{cite journal |title=British Coracles and Irish Curraghs: with a Note on the Quffah of Iraq |journal=Nature |date=February 1939 |volume=143 |issue=3615 |pages=224 |doi=10.1038/143224c0 |bibcode=1939Natur.143R.224. |s2cid=4070546 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Modern {{Transliteration|ar|quffas}} can be up to 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter and carry four to five tons.<ref name=Badge>{{Cite book| edition = UK| publisher = Gwasg Carrech Gwalch| isbn = 978-1-84527-255-5| last = Badge| first = Peter| title = The Coracles of the World| date = 17 June 2009}}{{page needed|date=January 2021}}</ref> Modern {{Transliteration|ar|quffas}} are of similar size and construction as their ancient counterparts, with both being made from woven bundles of reeds or basketry waterproofed with [[bitumen]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

[[File:Vietnamese coracle, Vietnam in February, 2019.jpg|thumb|Vietnamese coracle, Vietnam in February, 2019]]

=== Vietnamese coracle ===
The Vietnamese battle coracle, called '''{{lang|vi|thúng chai}}''' or '''{{lang|vi|thuyền thúng}}''', dated back to the 10th century, is traditionally believed to have been created by a general named Tran Ung Long<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2021-11-12 |title=Nhị tướng quân Trần Ứng Long và Trần Công Mẫn, danh tướng triều Đinh, ông tổ nghề thuyền thúng |url=https://cdspvinhlong.edu.vn/nhi-tuong-quan-tran-ung-long-va-tran-cong-man-danh-tuong-trieu-dinh-ong-to-nghe-thuyen-thung/ |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=Vĩnh Long Online |language=vi}}</ref> to be used in battles. However, thuyen thung were probably strongly developed during the French colonial period when the colonialists imposed high taxes on seafaring, local fishermen built coracles to avoid the regulations on boats.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kha |first=Mạnh |date=2020-07-30 |title=Thuyền thúng: Giá trị văn hóa của nghề biển Việt Nam |url=https://tepbac.com/tin-tuc/full/thuyen-thung-gia-tri-van-hoa-cua-nghe-bien-viet-nam-30801.html |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=Tepbac.com |language=vi}}</ref>

===Pelota===
The pelota of South and Central America was a hide vessel similar to a coracle, but it often lacked an internal wooden framework, relying entirely on the stiffness of the hide to stay afloat.  Thus it could be carried about on horseback and deployed when there was a river to cross.
{{main|Pelota (boat)}}