The Ordeal by Fire
Fire and Shamanism
by Anna Luisa Cherenti
Venerated by all human cultures, Fire is still today part of a ritual practised in various parts of the world. From India to New Zealand, from the Balkans to Malesia, from Spain to the Fiji Islands, it takes on different forms, the most common of which consists in walking over a bed of hot coals.
In "Il mondo magico" (The Magic World) by ethnologist Ernesto De Martino, we read, "... R.U. Sayce certifies: walking over cinders seems to have little or no effect on the feet. I examined the feet of several persons one-half hour after the ceremony and I could find no trace of burns... At times, I am told, one or two little blisters can remain as the result of deficient faith and imperfect preparation..." Throughout the world, shamans are considered "Masters of Fire" and this type of ceremony is often prepared for numerous reasons such as purification through fire or to assure a good harvest.
"Lo sciamanismo e le tecniche dell'estasi" by Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade, Rumanian historian of religions, says that shamans, medicine-men, are not only "masters of fire," they can also incarnate the spirit of fire. In his book, Shamanism and Techniques of Ecstasy, he writes, " A large number of 'primitive' tribes conceive magical-religious power as something that burns and designate it with titles that mean 'heat,' 'burn,' 'very hot'... In the Russell Islands, 'heat' is an attribute of magicians... The witch-doctors and witches of Australia avoid consuming substances that burn: indeed they already possess a sufficient quantity of 'inner fire'..."
Bibliography:
"Il mondo magico" - Ernesto De Martino - Universale Scientifica Boringheri
- Torino 1986
"Lo sciamanismo e le tecniche dell'estasi" - Mircea Eliade - Edizioni Mediterranee
- Roma 1992
See also:
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