some of the savage ceremonies of fire worship the degree of heat
endured by the participants is really remarkable, and even if the rites
are performed by skilful juggling, nevertheless, the ability to endure
intense heat is worthy of comment. A recent report says:--

"The most remarkable ceremonial of fire worship that survives in this
country is practiced by the Navajos. They believe in purification by
fire, and to this end they literally wash themselves in it. The feats
they perform with it far exceed the most wonderful acts of fire-eating
and fire-handling accomplished by civilized jugglers. In preparation
for the festival a gigantic heap of dry wood is gathered from the
desert. At the appointed moment the great pile of inflammable brush is
lighted and in a few moments the whole of it is ablaze. Storms of
sparks fly 100 feet or more into the air, and ashes fall about like a
shower of snow. The ceremony always takes place at night and the effect
of it is both weird and impressive.

"Just when the fire is raging at its hottest a whistle is heard from
the outer darkness and a dozen warriors, lithe and lean, dressed simply
in narrow white breech-cloths and moccasins and daubed with white earth
so as to look like so many living statues, come bounding through the
entrance to the corral that incloses the flaming heap. Yelping like
wolves, they move slowly toward the fire, bearing aloft slender wands
tipped with balls of eagle-down. Rushing around the fire, always to the
left, they begin thrusting their wands toward the fire, trying to burn
off the down from the tips. Owing to the intensity of the heat this is
difficult to accomplish. One warrior dashes wildly toward the fire and
retreats; another lies as close to the ground as a frightened lizard,
endeavoring to wriggle himself up to the fire; others seek to catch on
their wands the sparks that fly in the air. At last one by one they all
succeed in burning the downy balls from the wands. The test of
endurance is very severe, the heat of the fire being so great.

"The remarkable feats, however, are performed in connection with
another dance that follows. This is heralded by a tremendous blowing of
horns. The noise grows louder and louder until suddenly ten or more men
run into the corral, each of them carrying two thick bundles of
shredded cedar bark.

"Four times they run around the fire waving the bundles, which are then
lighted. Now begins a wild race around the fire,