riKIi AS AN AGENT IN HUMAN CULTURE 141 



noted the emplo\'meiit of the new fire for the benefit of crops, animals, 

 and for prevention of disease. These instances are most interest- 

 ingly incorporated in Mr. Frazor's Golden Bough, to which scholars 

 must refer. Need lire, as new fire is termed in European countries, 

 appears to be derived from Anglo-Saxon "gnidan," to rub, evidently 

 referring to the requirement of securing pure fire from wood friction. 

 Apparently the sacred fire of the Druids was a perpetual fire from 

 which, when all house fires were extinguished, they were rekindled 

 on a certain day. 



In Japan the fire festival of Kyoto has some of the elements of the 

 new fire, but particularly is concerned with the perpetuation of a 

 sacred fire which is thought to have been kept burning for 2,500 years. 

 All ceremonials touched with the genius of the Japanese are much 

 elaborated, and become difficult of comparison with those of other 

 countries. 



Among the Taiyals of Formosa new fire is made l)y the chief, who 

 shuts himself in a house to perform the ceremony. This takes place 

 on New Year, which comes at the beginning of harvest." 



In Africa, while there are fewer observations, the new fire custom 

 is prevalent. The M'Bamba Tribe of Angola in time of pestilence 

 at the fu'st rains put out their fires in the village and the chief goes 

 out into the bush to start new fires by rubbing two sticks. In catch- 

 ing the fire he uses tinder. The people clear out all ashes and take 

 them to the cross trails and scatter them, together with one grain of 

 aU the plants that they grow. Then they go out into the bush where 

 the fire is being made, and the medicine man gets green shoots from 

 the ends of branches and puts them in an earthen vessel with water, 

 and all the people come and wash themselves in it. He then selects 

 a certain tree, peels off the bark, pounds it in a mortar, and aU the 

 people smear themselves with it in purification. Everyone then takes 

 part of the fire made there and goes home.^ 



In central Africa it is a custom after the birth of a child that the 

 fire is put out in the house and rekindled.^ 



On a death the Thonga of South Africa, ''without delay the fire 

 which was burning in the funeral hut is removed and carried onto the 

 square. It must be carefully kept alight. This is a taboo. Should 

 there be rain it must be protected. All the inhabitants must use 

 this fire during the next five days. It will be put out by the doctor 

 with sand or water on the day of the dispersion of the mourners. 

 He will then light a new one and ever^^one will take from its embers 

 to kindle his own fire in the different huts. It is one of the condi- 

 tions of the purification of the village."* 



' Information by S. Ishii. March, 1919. 



information by Rev. Heli Chatelain. 



'Stohlman. Mit Emin Pascha in Hertz von Afrika. 



* Henry A. Junod. The Life of a South African Tribe, vol. 1, 1913, p. 135. 



