FIRE AS AN AGENT IN HUMAN CULTUBE 171 



are recorded. Zoroaster, Abraham, Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego 

 coming triumphantly through the fiery bath are instances of Old 

 World ordeals. The Zuni twin sons of the sun were tried by fire to 

 determine their parentage, though this episode may be accultural 

 and it is probable that this type of ordeal does not belong to Ameri- 

 can indigenous lore. 



In the classical fire ordeal of the Hindus the procedure was as 

 follows : 



"1. Eight concentric circles of equal breadth are marked on a piece 

 of ground. 



"2. An iron ball is heated repeatedly by a blacksmith. 



"3. The hands of the defendant are examined, and all existing 

 sores or scars covered with dots. 



"4. His hands are wrapped up in leaves, in order to protect them 

 against the hot iron.*' 



"5. A prayer addressed to Agni, god of fire, shall be recited and 

 written on a leaf which is fastened on the head of the defendant. 



"6. The iron ball is placed in his hands, and he is made to walk 

 slowly through all the circles successively, taking one circle with each 

 step. On reaching the last circle he may throw the ball on the 

 ground. 



"7. His hands are examined once more. If they are found to con- 

 tain any fresh sores or wounds he is guilty; if not he is innocent. 



"8. If he lets the ball drop from fear before having reached the 

 last circle, or if the examination of liis hands has yielded no definite 

 results, the whole proceeding has to be repeated.*- 



"It is, however, to be remembered that an accidental burn on any 

 other part of the body does not count. To make quite sure that 

 there has been no fresh sore or wound on the hand from the handling 

 of the red-hot iron, the accused is given some unhusked rice, which 

 he has to rub vigorously between .his hands seven times to separate 

 the grain from the husks. "*^ 



"In the trial by fire the accused in India walks barefoot into a 

 heap of pipul leaves (Ficus religiosa) ; in Siam over a pit filled with 

 burning charcoal. In the ordeal by boiling oil the accused has to 

 thrust his hand into the scalding fluid. 



"The hot-iron ordeal is practiced. Nine circles are drawn, each 

 16 fingers in diameter and each the same distance of 16 fingers apart. 

 The hands of the accused rubbed with unhusked rice (paddy) and aU 

 marks are carefully noted. Seven pipul leaves are then bound with 

 seven threads on each hand and the priest gives him a red-hot ball 

 to carry as he steps from circle to circle, keeping his feet within each 



•> A. K. Forbes says in his Ras Mala that the leaves are those of the burr tree, as he had himself once 

 seen this ordeal employed. The leaves usually protect the person from injury. 

 " Narada I, pp. 285-303. Quotations from Narada VI, pp. 36-49. 

 " Journ. Anthrop. Soc. Bombay, vol. 6, 1902, pp. 24-26. 



