Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-05-07
OUR FIRE VORSHIPPRRS.
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s<0e~@-@1 s<e>t>'~ w.
Practices Of zunls and onondagas Il
Which the Fire God Was Appsase d---WIle
Dance Amid Flaming Brands.
The National Museum has just se
cured a remarkable collection illustrat
ing the pratice of fire worship on this
continent. 1t appears that most or the
American aboriginal tribes have had
more or less Of this sort Of religion In
the past, and to the present day they
have ceremonials associated with the
making of new fire at stated intervals
For this purpose they always employ
the most primitive method-that IL to
say, the rubbing Of two sticks together,
For example, the Zunis use an agave
stick with sand to help the friction.
The sand is wet because this renders
the nre-making more difficult, and
therefore more meritorious In the sight
of the gods. One of the objects In the
collection referred to Is a sO-called fire.
pump, utilized by the Onondagas at the
feast of the White Dog, at which n
white dog Is sacrificed. This tool util-
HES tut UiCCuunlSin vi thO pump - SO
for making the point Of stick revolve
rapidly in another piece of wood, thus
finally obtaining ignition. The Hin
docs, by the way, have similar sacred
fire-drill, by means Of which they make
fire nine times each day for nine days
at a periodical festival.
The Hupa Indians of California are
remarkably expert fire-makers. With
a couple of simple sticks Of soft mes
quite wood, which they keep very dry,
they can produce fire in ten seconds.
This method of fire-making requires
such expert manipulation that few
civilized men have ever been able to
acquire the art. Mr.. Walter Hougn,
one of the ethnologlsts of the National
Museum, knows how to do 1t. The
writer has seen him make fire in a
couple of minutes by revolving be-
tween the palms Of his hands stick,
the point of which was inserted in
hole in another piece Of wood. Pres
emily smoke would begin to come from
the hole, and soon a spark would catch
some finder of which pinch was sup
piled for the purpose. For such finder
American savages use some very ode
things. The Eskimos Of Point Barron
employ for that purpose willow cat
in some parts of Alaska shredded cedar
bark is made to serve. The aborigines
of Ecuador employ for finder the lin
ings from the nests Of certain species
of ants, while in Mexico a substitute Is
found in a kind of fungus which is
soaked in saltpeter, dried, cut in sheets
and sold in small packets. In Japan
the flowers Of a species Of artemisia arc
dried for finder.
The most remarkable ceremonial of
fire worship that survives in this coun-
try is practiced by the Navajos. They
believe in publication by fire, and to
this end they literally wash themselves
in it. The feats they perform with II
far exceed the most wonderful acts of
fire-eating and fire-handling accom-
plished by civilized jugglers. In pre-
pera tion for the festival gigantic heap
OF dry Wood Is gathered from the des-
ert. At the appointed moment the
great pile Of inflapmable brush is
lighted and In a few moments the
whole Of it is one blaze. A storm or
sparks fly 100 feet or more into the air,
and ashes fall about like light shower
of snow. The ceremony always takes
place at night, and the effect of it is
both weird and impressive.
Just when the fire is raging at its hot
test whistle is heard from the outer
darkness, and a dozen warriors, 1.-the
and moccasins and daub-
ed with Write earth so as to look like
so many living statutes, come bounding
the entrance of the corral that
encloses the flaming heap. Yelping like
wolves, they move slowly toward the
fire, bearing aloft slender wands tip
ped with balls of eagle down, running
around the fire, always to the left, they
begin thrusting their wands toward the
fire, trying to burn off the down from
heat, this is difficult to accomplish.
One warrior dashes wildly toward the
fire and retreats; another lies as close
to the ground as a frightened lizard,
endeavoring to wiggle himself up to the
fire; others seek to catch on their wands
the sparks that fly in the air. At last
one by one they all succeed in burning
the downy balls from the wands.
The test Of endurance is very severe,
the heat of the fire being so great Hav-
ing burned off the balls Of down, the
warriors next set about restoring them
again. On the end of each wand, one
after another, appears presently a
fresh ball of eagle down. 1t is sup
posed to be the one that was burned
recreated, but in fact, this Is only Jug
Cling trick. Each man holds in his
hand a ring that is covered with down.
When the proper time arrives he per-
mits this ring to slide along the wand
to its extremity. The performers in this
ceremony sometimes wear immense
false mustaches and hugh spectacles,
in imitation of the white men.
The remarkable feats, however, are
performed in connection with another
dance that follows. This is heralded
by a tremendous blowing of horns.
The noise grows louder and louder, un-
til suddenly ten or more men run into
the corral, each of them carrying two
thick bundles of shredded cedar bark.
Four times they run around the fire
waving the bundles, which are then
lighted. Now begins wild race around
the fire, the rapid running causing the
brands to throw out more streamers OF
flames over the hands and arms of tho