Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-11-08
THE ORD EA d OF FIRE
MYsTlFYlNG RITES cELEeRArEo "
THE oH,EhTALs.


taR stones and Nnes9lag rreM the
Pit Unburnea-Dr. Hneken sew This
Done aaa Describse tire AIT,
Andrew Lang, who has written ex-
tensiyely on myths, rituals and strange
human practices, has made collection
Of stories that remind one Of the ex-
periences of Shadrach. Meshach and
sAbednego. In India, Japan and num-
Der of the south sen islands custom still
survives which is known as the ''fire
walk" Sometimes it: is prefaced with
lamentations, and 1t is usually followed
by a feast. The religious part Of the
ceremony is conducted BY priests. The
origin Of the custom. both in respect to
time and place, is apparently unknown,
but 1t is possible that the rite has now
lost some Of its earlier significance and
detail.
The essential feature Of the perform
ance, at least from the point Of view of
the uninitiated, is walking barefoot over
bed Of stones that have been rendered
red or white hot by fire. The stones are
laid at the bottom OF an excavation like
that prepared in New England for a
Rhode Island s,arnbakc. Logs are cut
into suitable lengths and piled over the
rocky foundation, and these are then ig-
nited. From four or I've hours to day
Is consumed in this part OF the prepara-
ton, which has been preceded, of course.
BY the work of digging the pit or oven
and arranging Its rocky foundation The
embers having been hastily raked off
and redhot or white hot surface having
been exposed, several men descend into
the oven and walk more or less leisure
" across the stones. In most cases they
suffer no apparent harm.
One of the narratives was presented to
the New Zealand institute in 1893 by Dr..
Il. NJ. Hocken and describes a scene
which he witnessed in one OF the Fiji
Islands Mbenga, 20 miles south Of Suva.
Through the cooperation of civil officers
and the steamship company the small
clan on Mbenga that still possess the
wonderful power was persuaded to give
an exhibition, and several whites accom-
panied the doctor. One OF them, a gov
eminent meteorologist, carried Their
mometer that would register up to 400
degrees 4. When these guests arrived
on the scene. they found hundreds of ma
lives assembled in characteristic Fiji COS
tune. The preparations had been UNDER
taken long enough in advance to avert
any delay. The oven was % or 30 feet
long and 8 feet broad and was shaped
like saucer. The deepest part of the
depression was Is feet long. The visitors
saw the stones yet covered with einbers,
which were removed in their presence by
means Of long poles bearing loops Of
green withes.
Walking beside the pit before this stage
of the proceedings. the man with tho
thermometer recorded a temperature OF
la degrees. After the stones were un-
covered he hung his instrument out over
the center OF the oven. six feet above the
stones, whereupon the mercury rose to
2S2. The solder was melting. and the
instrument was liable TO be ruined il left
in that position any longer. What the
Temperature was on the stones them-
selves can only be conjectured, but DIR.
Hocken declares that they were white
hot" and that low flames from small
GOALS between the stones could be seen
leaping up around them
Two OF the men who we're to walk
through the fire were examined by DIR.
Hocken before their daring act. They
wore garlands about the neck and waist.
Their feet and legs were entirely bare
The aoles were soft and flexible. showing
that they had not been rendered perma-
nently callous in any way. In order to
detect chemicals that might have been
applied for this occasion the doctor did
not hesitate to use touch. smell and taste.
clicked tue natives feet with truly sci
sentitc zeal. But no explanation of what
was TO follow could be discovered. Final
ly. at an appointed signal. the seven or
eight natives who took part in the per.
Torrance came down in single file to the
oven and then walked across the stones
from one end to the other OF the pit
1 They spent less than half minute there.
Immediately after they emerged DR..
Hocken again inspected their feet. but
could find no sign OF burning or blister
ing.
Another historian mentions FIRE walk
In which the passage was made no less
than five times. Miss Teura Henry re-
counts similar incidents in the Polynesian
Journal. and adds that her own sister aud
a niece also walked over the stones. Mr..
Lang picked mp stories Of the practice in
Japan. who're several women pretended
to hive done the same thing. although
corroborative evidence Is lacking
An Englishman who tried the expert
ment hin,sslF md w,s :,c..,r,raniea IN