126 BULLETIN 139, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



In 1830 " Prometlieans " were invented in London. This consisted 

 of a spill of waxed paper, the end dipped in a mass of potassium 

 chlorate and sugar, and within the tube was inclosed a minute glass 

 globule of sulphuric acid. On breaking the globule the acid lighted 

 the match. 



FIRE GODS 



In taking up the subject of fire in its religious aspect it is realized 

 there is opened an extensive, complicated, and difficult field. It is 

 only possible to present the leading features and in general to note 

 the extraneous form, without attempting the impossibility of reach- 

 ing the inner spirit. The cult features may be apparent, but the 

 creed is hidden. 



According to Dr. Edward B. Tylor, "the real and absolute worship 

 of fire falls into two great divisions; the first belonging rather to 

 fetishism, the second to polytheism proper, and the two apparently 

 representing an earlier and later stage of theological ideas. The first 

 is the rude, barbarous adoration of the actual flame which he watches 

 writhing, devouring, roaring like a wild animal; the second l)elongs 

 to an advanced generalization that any individual fire is a manifes- 

 tation of one general elemental being, the fire god." ^* 



There is an extensive pantheon of fire gods. Of the ancient gods 

 who were powerful in the religions of antiquity mention may be made 

 of Amen of Egypt, affiUated with the sun; Baal, the Chaldean and 

 Phoenician fire god; Gibil, the Assyrian fii-e god; Agni, of the Aryan 

 Hindus; and so forth. Little has survived as to the ceremonials per- 

 formed in favor of these ancient gods of fire. In Mexico, however, 

 when the first Europeans reached that country a fire cult complete 

 in all its elaborate details was flourishing. Sahagun, who busied 

 himself with gathering up the threads of the fast-disappearing old 

 order, preserves valuable data on this cult. He says that the fire god 

 Xiuhtecutli, "lord of comets," was also called Lxcocauhqui, "yel- 

 low face," Cuecaltzin, "flame," and Ueue teotl, "the ancient god," 

 whom everyone claimed as a father. The images of this god represented 

 a naked man with the base of the figure painted with "ulli," a black 

 resin (caoutchouc) , and a red stone thrust through his lowc lip. He 

 had on the head a crown of paper painted with various designs in colors, 

 surmounted with sprays of green plumes in form of a flame, and he 

 was crowned with balls of feathers that hung at the sides of the head 

 toward (vers) the ears. The ears bore rings incrusted with tm-quoise 

 mosaic. On the back was a tunic of yellow feathers representing a 

 dragon's head, accompanied with small sea shells. Rattles were 

 attached to the ankles. In the left hand he held a buckler surmounted 

 with five large green stones, called Chalchiuitl, placed in the form of a 



«» Primitive Culture, vol. 2, 1871, p. 277. 



