782. "One of these prayers, which has been preserved to us in the collection of Orphic Hymns, runs thus: “Render us always prosperous, always happy, O fire; thou who art eternal, beautiful, ever young; thou who nourishes”, thou who art rich, receive favorably these our offerings, and in return give us happiness and sweet health.” Thus the Indo-Europeans saw in the fire a beneficent god, who maintained the life of man; a rich god, who nourished him with gifts; a powerful god, who protected his house and family. In presence of danger they sought refuge near this fire. When the palace of Priam is destroyed, Hecuba draws the old man near the hearth. “Thy arms cannot protect thee,” she says; “but this altar will protect us all.” Aeschylus represents Agamemnon returning from Troy, happy, and covered with glory. His first act is not to thank Jupiter; he does not go to a temple to pour out his joy and gratitude, but makes a sacrifice of thank-offerings to the fire in his own house. A man never went out of his dwelling without addressing a prayer to the fire; on his return, before seeing his wife or embracing his children, he must fall before the fire, and invoke it. The sacred fire was the Providence of the family. The worship was very simple. The first rule was, that there should always be upon the altar a few live coals; for if this fire was extinguished a god ceased to exist. At certain moments of the day they placed upon the fire dry herbs and wood; then the god manifested himself in a bright flame, They offered sacrifices to him; and the essence of every sacrifice was to sustain and reanimate the sacred fire, to nourish and develop the body of the god. This was the reason why they gave him wood before everything else; for the same reason they afterwards poured out wine upon the altar, — the inflammable wine of Greece, — oil, incense, and the fat of victims. The god received these offerings, and devoured them; radiant with satisfaction, he rose above the altar, and lighted up the worshipper with his brightness. Then was the moment to invoke him; and the hymn of prayer went out from the heart of man. The Rig-Veda contains a great number of hymns addressed to this god. In one it is said, “O Agni, thou art the life, thou art the protector of man.... In return for our praises, bestow upon the father of the family who implores thee glory and riches.... Agni, thou art a prudent defender and a father; to thee we owe life; we are thy family.” Thus the fire of the hearth is, as in Greece, a tutelary power. Man asks abundance of it: “Make the earth ever liberal towards us.” He asked health of it: “Grant that I may enjoy long life, and that I may arrive at old age, like the sun at his setting.” He even asks wisdom of it: “O Agni, thou placest upon the good way the man who has wandered into the bad.... If we have committed a fault, if we have gone far from thee, pardon us.” This fire of the hearth was, as in Greece, essentially pure: the Brahmin was forbidden to throw anything filthy into it, or even to warm his feet by it." [Coulanges, Ancient City]
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:50:13 +0000
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