FIRE, CULT OF. — The importance of fire for human life explains the formation and development, among many ancient and modern peoples, of a rich mythology that extols its mysterious destructive and at the same time purifying force, tracing its origin to the realm of the sacred and the divine. From the sentiment of admiration, fear, and veneration that arose around the sacredness of this element came the religious need to honor its nature and solemnize its function through the practice of kindling it with special cultic ceremonies.
The ancient Mesopotamians venerated certain deities of fire and light: among the Babylonians, Gibil and Ishun are recalled, and among the Arameans, Nusku.
In the ancient Indian religion, Agni (pronounced Aghni) was the greatest of the earthly gods, invoked in two hundred ways in the Ṛg-Veda. Indifferent to fire in its triple nature—celestial (the sun), terrestrial (the flame kindled by two pieces of wood rubbed together and blazing in the hearth), and aqueous (the lightning that flashes from the cloud)—Agni was omnipresent. In sacrifices, as attested by Vedic texts, fire held great importance. Beside a kind of altar, three fires were placed at the three cardinal points: to the west, the fire of the "pater familias," kindled by rubbing two pieces of wood together and kept perpetually alight, which served for cooking food; to the east, the fire lit from a domestic hearth, intended to receive offerings, so that the oblations might volatilize and thus reach the gods; to the south, the third fire, also lit from a domestic hearth, which served to ward off evil spirits and to receive offerings directed to the manes; it was therefore also the fire of funeral ceremonies. The domestic rites of the Indians were likewise performed before the fire of the hearth, the center of intimacy and family worship, perhaps from the earliest Indo-European community; the flame was to be kept constantly alight by the "pater familias." If it went out, the fault was atoned for by special expiatory rituals.
In the flourishing Persian religion, the cult of fire is attested by Achaemenid sculptures. Though a creature of Ahura-Mazdāh, a day of every month was consecrated to it, in addition to the ninth month of the year that bore its name. It was worshipped in all its terrestrial and celestial manifestations, and even in the symbolic manifestation of the so-called "light of glory" (xvarenah), which, according to ancient tradition, rested upon the person of kings and princes as a sign of protection. The cult of fire was the principal duty of the Athravans, the priests who held the highest offices. Cremation was considered a horrid crime because contact with the corpse contaminated fire; indeed, for this reason, people even went so far as to remove fire from a house where someone had died. The ritual minutely indicated the sacred acts of profanation of fire and prescribed (and still prescribes) their expiation by the descendants of the ancient Mazdeans; the rites for obtaining its purification were thus established.
In the Greco-Roman world, fire was venerated in domestic, industrial, and meteorological functions (cf. VESTA, VESTALS).
Among the Germans, the god Loki seems comparable to Vulcan. Among the Slavs, Lithuanians, and Letts, there are accounts of sacred fires, but not of particular cults.
Myths about the origin of fire and the methods of producing it are found among the most primitive peoples, such as the Pygmies and Tasmanians. According to the Pygmies of Gabon (French Congo), it was the Creator who taught man how the red thing—that is, fire—springs from stones. In a Tasmanian myth, it is recounted that they did not know fire and learned the method of producing it and its use from two black men. Many peoples believe that the acquisition of the art of kindling fire is due to the teachings of a culture hero, or of a mythical bird, or to theft, chance, and so forth.
The custom of ritually preserving fire and the elaborate ceremonies for kindling a new one are probably related to the difficulty of kindling II. According to Crawley, the ritual of perpetual fire cannot be considered a true cult of fire. Moreover, sacrifice by means of fire is varied; ceremonies in which this element is used show that it is a means, not an end.
The idea of fire as a purifier is universal. Fire also has the power to expel evil or prevent it from approaching. Among many peoples, the smith plays the role of a civilizing hero. He, the man who possesses the secret of fire and also that of metalworking, is often a sorcerer and magician.
Although deities of fire are attested among various primitive communities, it can be said that for the most part they are figures of a demonic character.
Deities and fire cults were found among the ancient Mexicans, the Maya, and the Peruvians.