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Firewalking is the act of walking barefoot over a bed of hot embers or stones. Firewalking has been practiced by many people and cultures in all parts of the world, with the earliest known reference dating back to Iron Age India – c. 1200 BCE. It is often used as a rite of passage, as a test of an individual's strength and courage, or in religion as a test of one's faith. Modern physics has explained the phenomenon, concluding that the amount of time the foot is in contact with the ground is not enough to induce a burn, combined with the fact that embers are not good conductors of heat. ==History== Walking on fire has existed for several thousand years, with records dating back to 1200 B.C.〔 (livescience.com)〕 Cultures across the globe, from Greece to China, used firewalking for rites of healing, initiation, and faith.〔 Firewalking is also practiced by: * Indians in South Asia and their diaspora in Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Réunion, South Africa, Malaysia and Singapore who celebrate the Thimithi festival. * The Sawau clan in the Fijian Islands〔Pigliasco, Guido Carlo, 2007. The Custodians of the Gift: Intangible Cultural Property and Commodification of the Fijian Firewalking Ceremony. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Hawai‘i.〕〔Pigliasco, Guido Carlo, 2010. "We Branded Ourselves Long Ago: Intangible Cultural Property and Commodification of Fijian Firewalking", Oceania 80 (2): 237–257.〕 * Eastern Orthodox Christians in parts of Greece (see Anastenaria) and Bulgaria (see nestinarstvo), during some popular religious feasts.〔Xygalatas, Dimitris, 2012. (''The Burning Saints. Cognition and Culture in the Fire-walking Rituals of the Anastenaria'' ) London: Equinox. ISBN 9781845539764.〕〔Xygalatas, Dimitris, 2011. "(Ethnography, Historiography, and the Making of History in the Tradition of the Anastenaria )", ''History and Anthropology'' 22 (1): 57–74〕 * Fakirs and similar persons. * !Kung Bushmen of the African Kalahari desert. (The !Kung use fire in their healing ceremonies.) * Little girls in Bali in a ceremony called Sanghyang dedari, in which the girls are said to be possessed by beneficent spirits. * Japanese Taoists and Buddhists. * Some tribes in Pakistan as a justice system, wherein the accused is asked to firewalk. If he does firewalk and is unharmed, he is deemed innocent; otherwise, he is considered guilty. * Tribes throughout Polynesia and documented in scientific journals (with pictures and chants) between 1893 and 1953. * People of San Pedro Manrique in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain, as part of Saint John's Eve celebrations. Walkers generally carry someone on their shoulders, since the extra weight helps avoid combustion. * People from South India especially Mangalore, Bhootaradhane,Ottekola worship of demi-gods is one of the distinct cultures of the coastal region. Though rituals vary from region to region, the people’s dedication coupled with fear is omnipresent 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Firewalking」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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