FIEE AS AN AGENT IN HUMAN CULTURE 175 



proctection from disease. This is well shown by the fire superstitions 

 of the Yarchans of northern Siberia: 



"A wood fire, that is, a fire that has been kindled by rubbing two 

 sticks together, plays an important part as a prophylactic against 

 infections and all kinds of diseases. When an epidemic breaks out 

 the use of matches is forbidden, all fires are extinguished, and a new 

 wood fire is kindled in the street, all the household fires must be 

 replenished. If while this is going on any fire is lit by means of 

 matches or flints, the procedure is vitiated and has to be gone over 

 again from the beginning.""* This opens up the great subject of 

 new fire, considered separately. 



The formulistic name for fire among the Cherokees of North Caro- 

 lina is the Ancient White. "The name refers to its antiquity and 

 light-giving properties, and perhaps to the fact that when dead it is 

 covered with a coat of white ashes. In those formulas in which the 

 hunter draws omens from the live coals it is frequently addressed as 

 the Ancient Red. Four chips taken from the hearth fire and gener- 

 ally placed in an earthen vessel by the side of the patient furnish the 

 fire used by the doctor for the treatment of neuralgia. A decoction 

 is sometimes heated by putting into it seven live coals taken from 

 the hearth fire." ^ 



The eflScacy of medicines is promoted by treatment by fire. It is 

 the custom of the Eskimo of St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, to effect 

 the healing by their various fetishes through the application of the 

 fetish previously to fire, or to burn a small bit of the fetish and give 

 it to the patient. ^ 



One has heard of the burning of the paper on which formulas are 

 written among the orientals and the drinking of the ashes mixed with 

 water. The Pennsylvania Germans have a treatment for erysipelas 

 by smoking yarns which have been measured over the patient. Ery- 

 sipelas is called "cold fire" and is cured by passing fire around three 

 times, saying each time, "Tame fire, take away wild fire. " 



Burns are also cured by blowing. The healer strokes the burn 

 slowly three times with the right hand over it, bending down one, 

 two, three times ; and blow three times, each time three times. ^ 



The Hakanyi or fire shamans of the Tewa Indians were members of 

 the fire cult. Fire cures were practiced by them, and the custom 

 was still in vogue among the Queres not very long ago. Bandelier 

 has reconstructed their ceremony. In heahng they sang their ritual 

 song, waved flaming bunches of grass to the six regions, bit off pieces, 

 chewed them, and spat in the patient's face.* 



•♦ Popular Science Monthly, August, 1884, p. 573. 

 ' James Mooncy. 7th Ann. Kept., Bur. Amer. Ethnol., 1885, p. 359. 

 ' Information by Dr. Riley D. Moore. 



*Emma G. White. Folk Medicine of the Pennsylvania Germans, Journ. Amer. Folk- Lore, vol. 10, 

 January-March, 1897, p. 78. 

 «A. r. Bandelier. The Delight Makers, New York, 1916, pp. 40-41. 



