The Magical and Ceremonial Uses of Fire (Folklore History Series)
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The Magical and Ceremonial Uses of Fire (Folklore History Series) - Winifred S. Blackman
THE MAGICAL AND CEREMONIAL USES OF FIRE.
BY WINIFRED S. BLACKMAN.
(Read at Meeting of May 17th, 1916.)
THERE are no existing races without a knowledge of fire. On the other hand, the Andamanese are the only people certainly known to be without the art of producing it. Recently, however, in a very interesting book dealing with some of the tribes on the Amazon, it has been stated that fire-making is unknown to the tribes on the south of the Japura;
though this knowledge is not lacking among the people north of that river.¹ Such statements have, indeed, been made by other travellers from time to time in the past; but these have since been found to be false. The cause of error was doubtless lack of knowledge of the more primitive methods employed in making fire. Also, since many of these methods are more or less laborious, the people concerned would refrain from making fire more frequently than could possibly be helped; and so, to avoid unnecessary work, care was taken not to let the fires go out.
How great is the care exercised to prevent the extinction of fires, even in a country where fire-making is well understood, is to be gathered from an example given by Dr. Haddon from the Torres Straits. A charm in the shape of a pregnant woman was placed near the fire whenever the people were obliged to leave their houses for a time. The spirit belonging to this figure attended to the fire and saw that it did not go out. Looking after the fire is woman’s work, and a woman in the condition represented by the image would not be so likely to be tempted to leave her home and neglect the duty of keeping the fire alight.¹ If, by some accident, the fire in one hut went out, a fresh supply was obtained from a neighbour. When travelling has to be done torches are often carried, these being sometimes made of resinous wood which will smoulder for days.
There is no direct evidence to show how man first arrived at the knowledge of making fire for himself. Possibly nature first supplied him with this very necessary commodity. The volcano, and the lightning flash, very probably gave man his first introduction to fire. Fire obtained from such sources might thereupon have been deliberately preserved by man for domestic purposes. Fire obtained from lightning is still highly valued among some primitive people. Thus the Kagoro of Nigeria think that fire originated in the world from lightning. Hence at the present day, if any tree