In some of the savage ceremonies of fire worship the degree of
heat endured by the participants is really remarkable, and even
if the rites are performed by skilful juggling, nevertheless, the
ability to endure intense heat is worthy of comment. A recent
report says:--
"The most remarkable ceremonial of fire worship that survives in
this country is practiced by the Navajos. They believe in
purification by fire, and to this end they literally wash
themselves in it. The feats they perform with it far exceed the
most wonderful acts of fire-eating and fire-handling accomplished
by civilized jugglers. In preparation for the festival a gigantic
heap of dry wood is gathered from the desert. At the appointed
moment the great pile of inflammable brush is lighted and in a
few moments the whole of it is ablaze. Storms of sparks fly 100
feet or more into the air, and ashes fall about like a shower of
snow. The ceremony always takes place at night and the effect of
it is both weird and impressive.
"Just when the fire is raging at its hottest a whistle is heard
from the outer darkness and a dozen warriors, lithe and lean,
dressed simply in narrow white breech-cloths and moccasins and
daubed with white earth so as to look like so many living
statues, come bounding through the entrance to the corral that
incloses the flaming heap.
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