goes to the best point of view. Then the wildest Nistinare
seizes the icon, turns it to the crowd, and with naked feet climbs the
pyre of glowing embers. The music plays, and the Nistinare dances to the
tune in the fire. If he is so disposed he utters prophecies. He dances
till his face resumes its ordinary expression; then he begins to feel the
burning; he leaves the pyre, and places his feet in the mud made by the
libations of water already described. The second Nistinare then dances
in the fire, and so on. The predictions apply to villages and persons;
sometimes sinners are denounced, or repairs of the church are demanded in
this queer parish council. All through the month of May the Nistinares
call out for fire when they hear the Nistinare music playing. They are
very temperate men and women. Except in May they do not clamour for
fire, and cannot dance in it.

In this remarkable case the alleged gift is hereditary, is of saintly
origin, and is only exercised when the Nistinare is excited, and
(apparently) entranced by music and the dance, as is the manner also of
medicine-men among savages. The rite, with its sacrifices of sheep and
oxen, is manifestly of heathen origin. They 'pass through the fire' to
St. Constantine, but the observance must be far older than Bulgarian
Christianity. The report says nothing as to the state of the feet of the
Nistinares after the fire-dance. Medical inspection is desirable, and
the photographic camera should be used to catch a picture of the wild
scene. My account is abridged from the French version of the Bulgarian
report sent by Dr. Schischmanof.

Indian Fire-walk

Since these lines were written the kindness of Mr. Tawney, librarian at
the India Office, has added to my stock of examples. Thus, Mr. Stokes
printed in the Indian Antiquary (ii. p. 190) notes of evidence taken at
an inquest on a boy of fourteen, who fell during the fire-walk, was
burned, and died on that day. The rite had been forbidden, but was
secretly practised in the village of Periyangridi. The fire-pit was 27
feet long by 7.5 feet broad and a span in depth. Thirteen persons walked
through the hot wood embers, which, in Mr. Stokes's opinion (who did not
see the performance), 'would hardly injure the tough skin of the sole of
a labourer's foot,' yet killed a boy. The treading was usually done by
men under vows, perhaps vows made during illness. One, at least, walked
'because it is my duty