The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1901-01-23
THE ORDEAL OF FIRE
MYsrlFYlNe RITES CELEBRATED BY
THE oRlENTALS.


Done md Describes the Act.
Andrew Lang, who has written eN'
tensivcly on myths, rituals and strange /
human practices, has made n collection 1
NJ stories that remind one Of the ex-
pcricnccs of Shadrach, McShach ana
Abelncco. In India. Japan and num-
bcr of the south sea islands a custom St'll
survives which is known os the "hre |
walk" Sometimes II is prcfaccd with |
ncantations. and II is usually followed
by n 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 it is possible that the rite has now
lost some Of its earlier significance and
detail.
The essential feature Of the perform
nncc nj least from the point OF view OF
the uninitiatcd, is walking barefoot over
he'd Of stones that have been rendered
rcd or white hot by fire. The stones are
laid M the bottom OF an excavation like
that prepared in New England for
Rhode Island clambakc. Logs are cut
into suitable lengths and piled over the
rocky foundation. and these are then iS-
nitcd From four or five hours 10 day
is consumed in this part OF the propara-
ton which has been preceded, OF course,
hy the work Of digging the pit or oven
and arranging its rocky foundation. The
cmhcrs having been hastily rOkcd off
and rcdhot or white hot SURFACE having
N.,a.sAthl fnfN
the oven and walk more or less leisure
" across the stoncs. In most eases they
suffer no apparent harm.
One OF the narratives was presented 70
the New Zealand institute in lSlS 10y Dr.
T. NJ. Hocken and describes scene
which he witnessed in one cf the Fiji
islands Mbenga, 20 miles south OF Suva.
Through the cooperation of civil officers
and the steamship company the small
clan ON Mbcnga that still possess the
wonderful power was persuaded 20 give
an exhibition. and several whites accom-
panied the doctor One of them, gov
crnmcnt metcorologiSt, carried thcr-
momcter that would register up 10 400
degrees +. When these guests arrived
on the scene they found hundreds OF ma
thes assembled In characteristic Fill cos
tune. The preparations had been under
taken long enough in advance to avert
any delay. The oven was - or 30 feet
long and s feet broad and was shaped
like a saucer The deepest part OF the
depression was IL feet long. The visitors
saw the stones vet covered With cmbers,
which were removed in their presence by
means OF long poles bearing loops OF
green withcs.
Walking beside the pit before this stage
OF the proceedings. the man with the
thermometer recorded temperature of
ia 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 10
2S2. The solder was melting, and the
instrument was liable 90 he ruined II left
In that position any longer What the
temperature was on the stones them
selves can only be- conjccturcd, but Dr.
Uockcn declares that they were white
hot" and that low flames from small
Goals between the stones could be seen
leaping mp around them.
Two OF the men who were TO walk
through the FIRE were examined by Dr.
Hocken before their daring act. They
wore garlands about the neck and waist.
Their feet and legs We're entirely bare.
The solcs were soft and flexible, showing
that they had not been rendered pcrma-
ncntly callous in any way. In order 10
detect chemicals that might have been
applied for this occasion the doctor did
not hesitate 20 use touch, smell and taste.
He licked the natives feet with truly sci
i .,y ft.ft ~ "A hnf
was to follow could be discovered Final
ly at an appointed signal the seven or
eight natives who took part in the per-
formancc came down in single file 20 the
oven and then walked across the stones
from one end To the other Of the pit.
/ They spent less than half a 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 n fire walR
| I'm which the passage was made no less
| than five times Miss Teuira Henry re-
| counts similar Incidents In the Polyncsian
Journal. and adds that her own sister and
niece also walked over the stones. Mr..
Lang picked up stories OF the practice in
Japan. where several women pretended
to have done the same thing. although
corroborative evidence is lacking.
An Englishman who tried the expert
mcnt himself. and was accompanied in
his undertaking by three of his fellow
countrymen, furnishes Mr. Lang with a
short account lie is Colonel GudceOn,
British resident on enc Of the Society is
lands. Raiatca. The glowing stones on
this occasion afforded path II feet long
The act Of walking over them preceded
the ceremony Of cooking the ii plant anC
was first performed by priest and his
attendant. They went down into th,
oven, bearing branches Of the ii tree. Or
leaving the pit the priest offered bifur
Gated branch to Colonel Gudgcon, saying
81 hand my power over 20 YOU The at
tcndant did the same 10 one Of the othe
whites The remaining two EnglishmcI
held no Ii branches, but merely walkcl
behind Colonel Gudgcon.
Three of them escaped without harm
The fourth. who, 10y ,hc way, locke,
backward. after starting, was somcwha
burned. Green branches Of ii were throw
on top OF the stones an hour later an,
took fire: this fact affords a hint of tn
heat. Yet Colonel Gudgcon says: II fcl
, something resembling slight clectri,
shocks, and the tingling sensations con
/ tinucd hours aftcrwarl. but that was all
The tender skin of my feet was not eyei
hardened 10y fire"
All such ventures do not result so hap
PLY. Several accidents are reported. \
Benarcs, for instance. the walkers wer
, burned enough on one occasion to b
sore for two days The Brahman mastc