Press enter after choosing selection

Modern Fire Worship In Scotland

Modern Fire Worship In Scotland image
Parent Issue
Day
6
Month
November
Year
1896
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Burghead, in Morayshire, is nnique in oue respect. It has "the burning of the clavie. " This cereinony is gone through every Kew Year's eve, old styJe. It is supposed to be a relie of flrè worship. There is now only one other community, it is said, in Britain where the praotioe is carried on. The clavie consista of half an Archangel tar barrel fixed on the top of a fir prop about four feet long. The second half of the tar barrel is broken np, put inside and mixed with tar. A stone must be used to knock in the nail ■which connects the pole and the barrel. The broken bits in the barrel are then lighted by means of burning peat, no such thing as a lucifer match beiug allowed. ITor over 50 years the clavie has been made by the same man, and one particular towasman has provided the "live" peat for 40 years. In the dark winter night the blazing thing is borne up one street and down another at high speed then carried to the Doorie hill in the middle of the village. Here the pole is fixed on a short, stroug column, and the clavie burns out. The women rush in, and, piek ing bits of the now dying clavie to "keep thewitches away,"

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News