Indian Antiquary Vol 24

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 24

20
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JANUARY, 1895.
spirit: the belief now is that it is out of kindness to the dead, who feels cold.63 The Austra. lians, who believe that the evil spirit Cienga prowls about at night, will not leave their fires.
In Madagascar, at the beginning of the new year, small bundles of dry grass are stened to the ends of bamboos, and then lighted and carried about the town.56 In Madagascar, on first leaving the house, the child is carried over a fire at the door.66 Fire doctors are famous in North Africa. The doctor generally keeps with him a little charcoal fire, bellows and irons. When a patient, thinking himself bewitched, comes to the doctor, he makes the patient lie down, and draws aside the clothes from his back, and heating his rod of iron red-hot he draws it with a hissing sound across the back and loins of the sick person in the name of God.57 In Morocco fire is applied to the temples, the neck and the part behind the ears to cure eye-disease. Ia Basutoland fires are burnt round the crops to keep off spirits, and if a child walks on a grave the mother lights a fire at its feet. When the Hottentot is away hunting, the wife kindles a fire. She watches it and does nothing else. If the fire goes out the husband has no luck.co The Abyssinian Christians, according to Barbosa (1500-1514), had a baptism of fire, marking themselves on the temples and forehead with fire.61
The South American Indians carry brands at night to keep off demons.62 In Mexico, on the fifth of the unlucky days that come every fourth year, people made their children pass through fire. The King of Mexico was enthroned before the divine hearth. Among the Greenlanders an old woman followed the corpse with a firebrand, saying, “there is nothing more to be got here."65
Greek children were carried round fire. The Romans had a strong faith in the spiritscaring power of fire. Nothing is so good in a pestilence as to kindle fires :67 fire is the best cure for convulsions. In eclipses they threw fire-brands into the air to frighten the spirit which was cating the sun or the moon. They made their flocks and herds pass through fire, and the people leaped over fire.70 Roman mourners stepped across a fire. The unfading Vestal lamp was to keep off spirits.71 So when a candle went out, the smell of its snuff caused untimely travail.72 The torch was the symbol both of marriage and of death.73 Fire was placed at the door and touched by the newly married pair.74
At Constantinople lamps continually burn round the sacred tomb of Eyüb.76 In Sardinis in early spring the children leap through fires.76 Formerly in Skandinavia sacred fire was kept burning night and day.77 In Skandinavia, till a child is baptized the lamp must never go out, leet the trolls should steal the child. A live coal is thrown after a woman who is going to be churched, to prevent her being bewitched, and a live coal is also thrown after a witch when she leaves a house, that her familiar may not stay behind.78 In Sweden it is believed that no one should take a child in his hands without first touching fire. The Russian bishop waves candles over his congregations in the form of a cross.80 The main duty of the Russian reader, the lowest rank of Russian clergy, is to hold a candle.1 In consecrating a Russian church each of the priests, dencons, and readers, and every member of the congregation holds a candle.82 In
55 Jour. Anthrop. Inst. Vol. VII. p. 289.
6+ Op. cit., loc. cit. 5 Sibree's Marlagáscar, p. 316.
66 Tylor's Primitive Culture, Vol. II. p. 431. 3T Rohlf's Morocco, p. 82.
58 Op. cit. p. 88. Tylor's Primitive Culture, Vol. II. p. 434. 6° Hahn's Touni Goan, p. 77. 1 Stanley's Ed. p. 20. 63 Tylor's Primitive Culture, Vol. II. p. 195. 63 Bancroft, Vol. III. p. 376. 64 Jones' Crowns, p. 534.
65 Tylor's Primitive Culture, Vol. II. p. 27. « Op. cit. Vol. II. p. 439.
67 Pliny's Natural History, Vol. XXXVI. p. 27. 68 Op. cit., loc. cit.
69 Tylor's Primitive Culture, Vol. I. p. 383. 70 Ovid's Fasti, Vol. IV. p. 728.
11 Eur. Rat. Vol. I. p. 25. T2 Pliny's Natural History, Vol. VII. p. 7.
13 Smith's Dict. of Ant., . V., Fax. ** Riley's Ovid's Fasti, Vol. IV. p. 792, +.
5 Jones' Crownu, p. 424. 76 Leslie's Early Races of Scotland, Vol. I. p. 60. 77 Mallet's Northern Antiquities,' p. 113. T8 Tylor's Primitive Culture, Vol. II. p. 195.
79 Henderson's Folk-Lore, p. 22. 40 Mrs. Romanoft's Rites and Customs of the Greco-Russian Church, p. 425. * Op. cit. p. 54.
82 Op. cit. p. 90.