The famous fire dance of the Navajo Indians, often described as though
it involved some sort of genuine necromancy, is explained by a
matter-of-fact spectator. It is true, he says, that the naked
worshipers cavort round a big bonfire, with blazing faggots in their
hands, and dash the flames over their own and their fellows' bodies,
all in a most picturesque and maniacal fashion; but their skins are
first so thickly coated with a clay paint that they cannot easily be
burned.
An illustrated article entitled Rites of the Firewalking Fanatics of
Japan, by W. C. Jameson Reid, in the Chicago Sunday Inter-Ocean of
September 27th, 1903, reveals so splendid an example of the gullibility
of the well-informed when the most ordinary trick is cleverly presented
and surrounded with the atmosphere of the occult, that I am impelled to
place before my readers a few illuminating excerpts from Mr. Reid's
narrative. This man would, in all probability, scorn to spend a dime
to witness the performance of a fire-eater in a circus sideshow; but
after traveling half round the world he pays a dollar and spends an
hour's time watching the fanatical incantations of the solemn little
Japanese priests for the sake of seeing the "Hi-Wattarai"--which is
merely the stunt of walking over hot coals--and he then writes it down
as the "eighth wonder of the world," while if he had taken the trouble
to give the matter even the most superficial investigation, he could
have discovered that the secret of the trick had been made public
centuries before.
Mr. Reid is authority for the statement that the Shintoist priests'
fire-walking rites have "long been one of the puzzling mysteries of the
scientific world," and adds "If you ever are in Tokio, and can find a
few minutes to spare, by all means do not neglect witnessing at least
one performance of 'Hi-Wattarai' (fire walking, and that is really what
takes place), for, if you are of that incredulous nature which laughs
with scorn at so-called Eastern mysticism, you will come away, as has
many a visitor before you, with an impression sufficient to last
through an ordinary lifetime." Further on he says "If you do not come
away convinced that you have been witness of a spectacle which makes
you disbelieve the evidence of your own eyes and your most
matter-of-fact judgment, then you are a man of stone." All of which
proves nothing more than that Mr. Reid was inclined to make positive
statements about subjects in which he knew little or nothing.
He tells us further that formerly this rite was performed only in the
spring and fall, when, beside the gratuities of the foreigners, the
native worshipers brought "gifts of wine, large trays of fish, fruit,
rice cakes, loaves, vegetables, and candies." Evidently the
combination of box-office receipts with donation parties proved
extremely tempting to the thrifty priests, for they now give what might
be termed a "continuous performance."
Those who have read the foregoing pages will apply a liberal sprinkling
of salt to the solemn assurance of Mr. Reid, advanced on the authority
of Jinrikisha boys, that "for days beforehand the priests connected
with the temple devote themselves to fasting and prayer to prepare for
the ordeal. . . . The performance itself usually takes place in the
late afternoon during twilight in the temple court, the preceding three
hours being spent by the priests in final outbursts of prayer before
the unveiled altar in the inner sanctuary of the little matted temple,
and during these invocations no visitors are allowed to enter the
sacred precincts."
Mr. Reid's description of the fire walking itself may not be out of
place; it will show that the Japs had nothing new to offer aside from
the ritualistic ceremonials with which they camouflaged the hocus-pocus
of the performance, which is merely a survival of the ordeal by fire of
earlier religions.
"Shortly before 5 o'clock the priests filed from before the altar into
some interior apartments, where they were to change their beautiful
robes for the coarser dress worn during the fire walking. In the
meantime coolies had been set to work in the courtyard to ignite the
great bed of charcoal, which had already been laid. The dimensions of
this bed were about twelve feet by four, and, perhaps, a foot deep. On
the top was a quantity of straw and kindling wood, which was lighted,
and soon burst into a roaring blaze. The charcoal became more and more
thoroughly ignited until the whole mass glowed in the uncertain gloom,
like some gigantic and demoniacal eye of a modern Prometheus. As soon
as the mass of charcoal was thoroughly ignited from top to bottom, a
small gong in the temple gave notice that the wonderful spectacle of
'Hi-Wattarai' was about to begin.
"Soon two of the priests came out, said prayers of almost interminable
length at a tiny shrine in the corner of the enclosure, and turned
their attention to the fire. Taking long poles and fans from the
coolies, they poked and encouraged the blaze till it could plainly be
seen that the coal was ignited throughout. The whole bed was a glowing
mass, and the heat which rose from it was so intense that we found it
uncomfortable to sit fifteen feet away from it without screening our
faces with fans. Then they began to pound it down more solidly along
the middle; as far as possible inequalities in its surface were beaten
down, and the coals which protruded were brushed aside."
There follows a long and detailed description of further ceremonies,
the receiving of gifts, etc., which need not be repeated here. Now for
the trick itself.
"One of the priests held a pile of white powder on a small wooden
stand. This was said to be salt--which in Japan is credited with great
cleansing properties--but as far as could be ascertained by superficial
examination it was a mixture of alum and salt. He stood at one end of
the fire-bed and poised the wooden tray over his head, and then
sprinkled a handful of it on the ground before the glowing bed of
coals. At the same time another priest who stood by him chanted a
weird recitative of invocation and struck sparks from flint and steel
which he held in his hands. This same process was repeated by both the
priests at the other end, at the two sides, and at the corners.
"Ten minutes, more or less, was spent in various movements and
incantations about the bed of coals. At the end of that time two small
pieces of wet matting were brought out and placed at either end and a
quantity of the white mixture was placed upon them. At a signal from
the head priest, who acted as master of ceremonies during the curious
succeeding function, the ascetics who were to perform the first
exhibition of fire-walking gathered at one end of the bed of coals,
which by this time was a fierce and glowing furnace.
"Having raised both his hands and prostrated himself to render thanks
to the god who had taken out the 'soul' of the fire, the priest about
to undergo the ordeal stood upon the wet matting, wiped his feet
lightly in the white mixture, and while we held our breaths, and our
eyes almost leaped from their sockets in awe-struck astonishment, he
walked over the glowing mass as unconcernedly as if treading on a
carpet in a drawing-room, his feet coming in contact with the white hot
coals at every step. He did not hurry or take long steps, but
sauntered along with almost incredible sang-froid, and before he
reached the opposite side he turned around and sauntered as carelessly
back to the mat from which he had started."
The story goes on to tell how the performance was repeated by the other
priests, and then by many of the native audience; but none of the
Europeans tried it, although invited to do so. Mr. Reid's closing
statement is that "no solution of the mystery can be gleaned, even from
high scientific authorities who have witnessed and closely studied the
physical features of these remarkable Shinto fire-walking rites." Many
who are confronted with something that they cannot explain take refuge
in the claim that it puzzles the scientists too. As a matter of fact,
at the time Mr. Reid wrote, such scientists as had given the subject
serious study were pretty well posted on the methods involved.
An article under the title The Fiery Ordeal of Fiji, by Maurice
Delcasse, appeared in the Wide World Magazine for May, 1898. From Mr.
Delcasse's account it appears that the Fijian ordeal is practically the
same as that of the Japanese, as described by Mr. Reid, except that
there is very little ceremony surrounding it. The people of Fiji until
a comparatively recent date were cannibals; but their islands are now
British possessions, most of the natives are Christians, and most of
their ancient customs have become obsolete, from which I deduce that
the fire-walking rites described in this article must have been
performed by natives who had retained their old religious beliefs.
The ordeal takes place on the Island of Benga, which is near Suva, the
capital of Fiji, and which, Mr. Delcasse says, "was the supposed
residence of some of the old gods of Fiji, and was, therefore,
considered a sacred land." Instead of walking on the live coals, as the
Japanese priests do, the Fijians walk on stones that have been brought
to a white heat in a great fire of logs.
The familiar claim is made that the performance puzzles scientists, and
that no satisfactory solution has yet been discovered. We are about to
see that for two or three hundred years the same claims have been made
by a long line of more or less clever public performers in Europe and
America.