Among the
Serbians the need-fire is sometimes kindled by a boy and girl
between eleven and fourteen years of age, who work stark naked in a
dark room; sometimes it is made by an old man and an old woman also
in the dark. In Bulgaria, too, the makers of need-fire strip
themselves of their clothes; in Caithness they divested themselves
of all kinds of metal. If after long rubbing of the wood no fire was
elicited they concluded that some fire must still be burning in the
village; so a strict search was made from house to house, any fire
that might be found was put out, and the negligent householder
punished or upbraided; indeed a heavy fine might be inflicted on
him.
When the need-fire was at last kindled, the bonfire was lit from it,
and as soon as the blaze had somewhat died down, the sick animals
were driven over the glowing embers, sometimes in a regular order of
precedence, first the pigs, next the cows, and last of all the
horses. Sometimes they were driven twice or thrice through the smoke
and flames, so that occasionally some of them were scorched to
death.
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