"The heat devours, and we go, strong by faith,
Through fire and traces we leave on the embers! "
Virgil of the Aeneid

Two tired friends took a rest in a hotel in the Fiji island of Viti Levu. They just watched with pleasure the fascinating performance, during which local Indians walked along the hot coals, and it would be strange if they did not discuss what they saw. "But the fire was really real, the paper thrown on the coals immediately broke out ... And yet, walking around the fire should be prohibited, because it contradicts modern science!" - the first conversation began. The second objected: "But those who walk on fire, you could borrow something useful ..." After these words, the first, seeing a misunderstanding in the eyes of a friend, was enraged, and the "scientific discussion" only miraculously almost turned into an ordinary scuffle ...
In this case, taken from Sandwit's famous book "The Hunters for Miracles", one could not even mention the names of the disputants (the first is a bank employee, the second is a topographer and a writer in combination). Here, as in a drop of water, the state of affairs with the scientific explanation of many wonders of Nature was fully reflected. Enthusiasts urge the world to solve some important problems, arrange a "brainstorm", in a word - start working. Skeptics, like a hundred and two hundred years ago, stubbornly believe that everything not included in the school textbooks of the last issue, can not exist in Nature. And the fact that in the case described, the banker admitted the fact of the miracle (the fire was underfoot!), Refers rather to an exception. More often, "scientific" opponents do not even bother to get out of the office in order to be convinced of the existence of unexplored secrets. Close their eyes or declare them unscientific - this is a traditional scheme, tested for years, it works faultlessly and delays the victory of "insane ideas" for 20-30 years. It is no longer necessary, when new ideas become common, their "scientific" opponents will already go to the world better (Paradise) or, for starters, a better world (nomenklatura "paradise" on sinful earth) ... But - less emotion, as described below is intended for other people, for those who first think, then draw conclusions, and not vice versa.

Probably, it would be worthwhile to go around the world to make sure that people can walk on fire on all continents. Yes, that to walk, some continue to barefoot to dance, even being embraced by a flame! This is the case, for example, of the North American Indians of the Vawaho tribe, Sri Lankan peasants, Muslims in India, the mass of representatives of other tribes. The villagers of Landagas (Greece) still twice a year, on the Christian holidays of St. Constantine and St. Helena, dance on burning coals, clinging to themselves the icons depicting these saints. In China, Professor Mircea Eliade described the ritual of the shamans of the Lolo tribe, during which they walk around the heated plowshares.
There is no need to go far for examples, and in Europe in Bulgaria they make a strange ritual at first glance, during which people called "nestinars", with a large crowd of people, walk around the burning coals. In Russia such a custom has not been preserved, but ancient legends (and the famous filmized fairy tale "Snow Maiden") tell us about the celebration of the coming of Spring, during which young peasants jumped through the high flame of a large fire ... At the end of the twentieth century, newfangled enthusiasms of eastern secret teachings and the transition to The market was affected in Moscow by the appearance of several groups that trained money for walking around the fire. Of the most famous - the group of parapsychologist Larisa VILENSKAYA, who lives in the USA since 1979, calls herself Laura FAITH and about six months comes to teach Russians the art of walking around the fire.
Nobody knows where and when the ritual of "fiery dances" first appeared (there were written mentions made in the I century BC). It is only known that once a man became the first animal to overcome the fear of fire. Gunpowder weapons, internal combustion engines, power plants, spacecraft and other fruits of civilization, will come thanks to His Majesty the Fire much later. And then before people there was only a new element in the form of a flame of a hot fire and a desire to make friends with this element. By the same scheme, by the way, then our ancestors managed to make friends with the elements of water, i.e. learned to swim.
Such a simple scheme justifies itself and explains why fire worship is ubiquitous. Yes, it's just that we humans are very curious (maybe that's why we went around all the other animals in the course of evolution), and everywhere on Earth we are drawn to the mysterious tongues of flame. For many centuries, firefighters are urging: "Do not let the children play with fire!" - and all in vain. Because they play, they are our children.
One can also explain how people managed to learn to subdue the elements of fire. Just as they learned to swim - accidentally fell into the water and started to fight for life. Who was lucky, he taught others. Lucky, however, not all.
In 155 BC. to the burning at the stake were sentenced to St.Polikarp of the SMIRNSKY. As you know, this simple "procedure" was reliably "worked out" for centuries, and therefore the executors were very surprised when the flame suddenly, under the influence of Polikarp's gaze, began to bend without causing any harm to him. All the efforts of the executioners to give the fire a "correct" form were not crowned with success until one of the soldiers pierced the saint with a spear. Immediately after this, the flame straightened and in a few moments absorbed the lifeless body.
At the beginning of the XVIII century in France to the exact same penalty was sentenced by the leader of the clerical clary. However, this time the flame of the fire did not touch the executioner. According to the testimony of General Jean Cavalier and other eyewitnesses, when at last the hot fire went out, "not only on him, but on his dress, there was no damage"!

foto Luiz Leitao