History of KitesWith excerpts from Peter Batchelor's "Kites. A brief history." The History of Kites section that you are now reading is the largest compendium of Kite history online. Although no record could ever be complete on this vast subject, we have worked hard to put together one of the most wide and full versions known. We'd like to thank many authors to contributing to this page, but most of all to Peter Batchelor, who produced the lion's share. The Origins of the KiteKites have been objects of interest and fascination to people throughout the world for at least 2000 years. Some people think that kites may have been invented even earlier, suggesting that kites were being flown in China as long ago as 1000 BC. One legend suggests that when a Chinese farmer tied a string to his hat to keep it from blowing away in a strong wind, and voila, the first kite was born. One of my favorite proposals for the true origination is in Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia where leaf kites have been traditionally used to fish. A single fisherman paddles out in his boat and flies the kite high above the water. From the kite a line drops pulling a lure made of spider web through the surface of the water. The shadow of the kite resembles a large feeding bird and the lure resembles a small flying fish which attracts the tasty, small-mouthed needlefish which strikes the lure and becomes tangled in the web. The fisherman reels in the line, removes the fish and relaunches the kite. A good fisherman can catch many fish using one kite and lure. Unfortunately, the records kept by these cultures cannot pinpoint the century that this tactic was first used.
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