The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-06-27

reaserches on the utilization of fire,
conducted by DR.: Walter Hough, Cur
ator of Ethnology, U. S., National
Museum, his attention was drawn to
the collection of aboriginal incense
burners in the museum, and eventu-
ally he undertook special study OF
this collection.
DR.. Hough has described the avail
able apparatus found principally in
Mexico and Central America in a pa
per recently published by the .. S.
National Museum. Proceedings No.
1887, in which he narrates on the
origin and history of the various i'm
plements and customs.
The development of the use OF
censers as suggested by the author,
is not only of interest, but very re-
markable. 1t began in the pre-his-
toric uses of fire and smoke, which
at a certain stage were employed in
many ways to express feelings and
reverence. It is not strange that ab-
original man experienced some awe
when he witnessed the mysterious
transformations brought about by
fire. which to him was obviously the
change of material things into spir-
itual; the transition Of the finite into
Infinite. So when the smoke of his
fire rose from the earth and disap-
peared into the air, it apparently as
cended to the heavens, carrying his
prayer or protestation to the Su-
preme Being above. In this way
smoke became symbolical of prayer.
With that signification it was intro
duced into the weird and often ter
rible rites of the natives of Mexico
and Central America and so remained
until their religion was suppressed by
the Spaniards.
In the great temple-compound OF
Mexico, it is said that there were six
hundred masonry braziers, both Of
round and square design, arranged
before shrines and other sacrificial
places where perpetual fires were
maintained and offerings consumed
These were not incense-burners IN
the strict sense, but victims were
sometimes scorched before the fires,
ashes from the portable censers were
thrown into them, braziers and such
paraphernalia and offerings as were
used in the ceremony were here I'm
ally consumed. The braziers were
the source from which live Goals were
taken for igniting the incense-burn-
ers and censers. They apparently
represented the perpetuation of the
primitive communal fire, the Nahuatl
name for which signifies ''fire navel, !"
indicating both birth and the under
world. The braziers were usually
shaped like an hour-glass, although
some had the form of stone basins
borne aloft by the figures of men and
animals, while others were merely
circular stones mounted on short
pediments or affairs of shrines N
temples. Nearly all represented the
human body in some way, either by
efigies, masks, or by an enclrcllng
band or sash. Several specimens OF
these various types, coming mostly
from Mexico and Costa Rica, are
found in the collection of the Ma
tional Museum.
Large pottery vases of hour-glass
shape, which form another class OF
stationary braziers, have been discov-
Sered in large numbers in and about
the City of Mexico and at many 9TH
er places. They are undoubtedly
characteristic of the Central Ameri-
can censer-brazier, and are remark
s able examples of pottery, both as re-
CARDS size and decorations. More
artistic and detailed work is found in
the class of pottery braziers, due no
doubt to the fact that the makers
were enabled to work easier in pot
terry than in hard stone.
The stationary braziers form the
main class of communal or general
censers, which is divided into three
sections, the first consists OF tribal,
society and family fire-places, fire.
boxes, and fire-altars. The second
division includes the great stone bra
ziers, stone basins with legs, circular
stones with pediments, and large Or
namented pottery vessels. The third
main division includes the special
forms, namely, portable, gesture, and
swinging censers. The portable bra
ziers comprise small braziers, tripod
censers, and bowl-censers. The Sec
ond group includes farjng bowls hav-
ing ladies' and feet; open work pot
terry with handles; spoons or ladies