Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-26
Shinto Miracle of Fire Walking in a
Japanese Temple.
UNIQUE PROCESS OF PURIFICAYION
A Party Of Americans Witness a
Remarkable Spectacle.
NO CHANCE FOR DECEPTION
From the Springfield Republican.

" TIE temple There a crowd was gath
cred 1t was about o'clock, and at dark
the priests We're to begin to walk over the
fire-for that is what we were there to see
Twice year the gods are prevailed on to
| take the heat from the fire. so that the de-
vout may walk upon it unframed The
skeptics in our party outnumbered the be-
levers. but you shall see.
AT the steps we must take off our shoes
and contribute our one yen to the support
or the temple. Arrangements had been
carefully made beforehand, and for the
europeans a small veranda was reserved
directly opposite the whole length of the
IRE and so close that our faces grew hot
ter and hotter as it burned brighter Half
Toxic was there: Russians and French,
SWISS, Germans. English. Scotch Ameri-
cans. Some of us slipped away to see the
ceremony preceding the fire walking In
the temple crowd was collected and in
the chancel, as l may call 1t for want OF
anOtner word, two rows of priests sat fac
ing each other. Several were in robes of
white SILK, one in blue and in green.
The effect was brilliant and made still
more picturesque by the close-fitting horse
mar caps with long tails of the high priest
ana ms subordinates. After some muttered
invocationS the high priest turned To a c,,p-
board-like shrine in one corner of the chan
Gel, where he burned incense and performed
other acts of devotion, apparently Behind
MIN In two long lines like a flying wedge
in a foot ball game knelt the other priests
now Joined by two women of the temple
with reverent faces. The half-intone serv-
Ice was not unlike Gregorian chant and
was accompanied by a continuous response
from the congregation. Throughout the lat
ter part We stood in the doorway of one
of the temple apartments opening out Of
the chancel Here refreshments were pro-
Vided or guests, oranges, tea Gland for
courtesy, not for payment Later, in re-
Spouse to thanks. the high priest presented
IN a,,f i~tf
The Bed of Charcoal
AS the priests fled out of the temple we
took our places on the veranda proceed
ing less easy than it sounds, as we had to
find ourselves places on the already crowd
ed floor, and sit or kneel in them as grace
fully as might be. The bed of charcoal was
already lighted when we arrived, and was
now fully on fire. 1t was, we agreed, some six
teen feet long, four feet wide and perhaps a
loot deep. 1t was in a space fenced off
from the courtyard, and the side oppo-
site of us the crowd of men, women and
children pressed against the barrier. The
fire was at present covered with ashes but
soon attendants entered the open space and
with long-handled fans blew away the gray
covering and famed the charcoal until IL
was mass of blazing, glowing embers.
Little flames sprang up over it in all drec-
tions, and one lady among us put up her
umbrella to protect herself from the heat
Another of the party began to feel the
headache which the charcoal always caused
her. There was no doubt in any ones mind
That the fire was hot-blazing, burning hot,
ana something like sixteen feet of 1t, too.
80 les malheureux, les malheureuxr' eX-
claimed an excited French woman, as she
fancied walking over those embers.
When all the ash was famed away and
the fire had been beaten to fierce glow
with long poles. white-robed priests en-
tered, one of whom, taking salt from a
supply placed near us, attended the high
n 70 nnh Of he Co.,
ners Of the pile. At each he clapped his
hands. clasped them and raised them high.
as II in supplieation, bent his head in
prayer and ended by strewing handful of
salt about him. 1t was the motion of a
man sowing seed and but few grains can
have fallen in any one spot. At the mid
die of each side and end this was repeated.
1t was now growing dark and the blazing
embers threw glow the white dress
of the priests. The high priest was strik-
ing man His motions We're quick, decisive.
intelligent. as he rapidly passed from one
place to another. We could see his face
distinctly, we were SO close.
Unique and Picturesque Scene.
The darkness lent added effectiveness to
the next ceremony. Each corner and side
was now purified again, for publication it
meant this time. The attendants struck
a flint as the priest prayed. and the sparks.
flying off in the dark. made a shower OF
tiny. thin. yellow lights against the rich,
glowing, red mass of charcoal and the
darker crowd of figures beyond.
A drizZling rain was falling. but 1t af-
fected the fire little. 1t was beaten
with poles until it glowed again, the
high priest ended his invocations. And be-
fore l understood what he was doing lit
tie scream from our French lady startled
me into realizing that, making no break
pause, with of his swift motions he
had stepped out and along the fire path.
The glow of colors from below on his white
dress and dark skin was worthy of Rem
brandt He trDi the fire firmly though
quickly, and the other priest followed The
high priest walked nine times. He set each
foot down firmly, and only once appeared
to feel the smallest discomfort. Then he
stepped somewhat to one side by mistake
it seemed. and vsiby WINGED, carrying it
off by a series of affected steps, high in the
air, as if 1t We're all in his part.
Pain a Confession of Impurity.
After the priests came the crowd, women
carrying children, man with sick person
on his back, boys of all ages. Each stepped
over a wet mat, through a small pile Of
salt, on to the fire. The salt was ordinary
coarse salt 1--WE had it analyzed). At least
six steps We're necessary to cross the fire;
some walkers took more; nearly all were
fairly deliberate One two, l fancied, felt
the heat uncomfortably, If not painfully,
for coming off the fire they WFiggled
their feet about in the pile of salt at the
farther end as If 1t cooled them. Most of
them disregarded it altogether, often step
child was afraid to walk and threw up it's
arms before its face it stood by the fire,
as if to ward off the heat; it was finally
persuaded to venture, and, stepping bravely
on to the GOALS apparently felt no discom-
fort. AS pain would be a confession of i'm
purity, of course, there is premium upon
concealng it. But there was no conceal
ment in the old woman who tucked up her
kimono and trudged along the fire as pro-
saically as if she were going to market,
planting sturdy foot after the other
in the red charcoal.
We left them still walking, men, women
and children, as they CHANGED to leave the
crowd the high priest stepping forward
now and again and tramping across with
his spirited, quick, audacious tread, as IL
he defed the fire to harm him. We left
them walking and set out to ride miles and
miles to Szabu hour away, in kuru-
mas. The stars were out after the rain and
the city was very still. Behind the shogis
we could see the lights of the lamps and
the shadows of those within. but the streets
were. empty and dark Now and then
kuruma, gay with paper lanterns, passed,
but few walked. 1t was a long, tedious
ride. but the pleasant cosmopolitan high
tea which awaited repaid us for all. At
one hospitable table English, American,