St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-12-13
SACRED FIRE.
A Former Interesting Custom OF
North American Indians.
Its Probable Origin "A Legend of the
Natchez-The Living Sacrifice of the
Sacred Fire"-Kept Perpetualy
Burning.

One of the most peculiar and interest
ing customs of the North American In
dams, which, with many others are now
preserved only in tradition, was that of
keeping alive the sacred eternal fire.
All the rites and duties connected with
it are probably remembered by some of
the veterans of the Western tribes, but
it is not known to have been observed
after the arrival of the French upon the
great lakes.
1t is a faVorite theme, however,
among the few survivors of the once
powerful nation of the Natchez. These
Indians were Of higher type of intelli-
gence, probably, than any other tribe.
The prevalence of custom similar to
this of our Indians among the natives
of the East, from very early period, is
well known to all who have traced the
history and progress of human super
stitions. From them it found its way
to Greece, and eventually to Rome.
It is not, perhaps, surprising that the
element of fire should be selected as the
object of worship by nations ignorant Of
the true religion, and seeking safety in
that system of polytheism which de-
clared the manners and the morals of
the most polished people of antiquity.
The affections and instinct seemed to
require something tangible and visible
for their support, and this mysterious
agent was sufficiently powerful in its
effect and striking in its operation to
appear as direct emanation from the
Deity. But there was uniformity of
the mode of worship and in the princi-
pies of its observance which leaves no
doubt of the common origin of this
belief.
The sacred flame was not only re-
garded as the object of veneration, but
its preservation was indissolubly con-
nected with the existence of the State.
It was the visible emblem of public
safety, guarded by chosen ministers,
secured by dreadful impreeations and
punishments and made holy by sol
emn and imposing ritual. The coinci-
dences which will be found between
these observanees and opinions and the
ceremonies and belief of the Indians in
dictate with sufficient certainty that
their notions upon this subject were
brought from the Eastern hemisphere,
and were derived from the fruitful Per-
sian stock. 1t is not known positively
that this custom existed among any
other tribes than the Iroquois, the Chip
pewas, the Natchez and the Shawnees.
1t is certain that the Natchez were fire.
worshipers, and without giving full cred
it to all the marvellous tales related of
this tribe by the early French settlers
and travellers, we may yet be satisfied
from the many concurring accounts
that they were believers in the efficacy
of an eternal fire. According to one
of the legends, this tribe should
have been of Asiatic origin, for
they were unanimous and sincere in
following the most poetical of all
the ido1atries of the East Another
curious fact is that they held woman in
the highest respect, and with a gallantry
quite uncommon to the Aborigines,
they ascribed the salvation of their race
to one of the sex usually degraded and
despised by them. The tradition in
substance is as follows: Many thousands
of winters ago all the inhabitants of the
earth, with the exception of single
family, were destroyed by floods and
darkness for want of food. This one
family managed to keep up large fire
of wood and so survived for . time.
But in consequence of the continued
darkness even this last remnant OF hui
man existence was about to perish. In
this emergency, q young girl of the
family, suddenly inspired by the idea
that she might save her race by an act
of self-sacrifce, threw herself upon the
fire which served the despairing suffer-
ers for light and heat. Her body was
speedily reduced to ashes, but the next
moment she arose perfect and appar-
emily unframed, in the eastern sky,
surrounded with halos of surprising