अग्नि पूजा क मांगळ
(Garhwali Wedding Folk Songs (Mangal), Himalayan Wedding Traditional Songs, Indian Folk Song)
Fire and Human Civilization
Fire, Agni, Igni has been worshipped in all civilization at all eras.
It is not known that when human being learnt about fire and its uses for human benefits. But it is sure that Paleolithic men were using fire for cooking hunted animals, food preservation, smoke for various uses, warming the body at winter season. It is also known to us that before 7,90,000 years back , the human being started to control fire. In Stone Age and before that age the human being learnt to make tools with the help of fire. The metal age came only because of uses of fire for making metallic appliances and weapons. The history of agriculture specially using cereals as food is the history of uses of fire by man. It is said that the history of uses of fire is the history of development of human civilization. Even in this current era those use the latest technology for heating called modern man.
The history is witness that in old age , the tribes fought for fire . This author is witness that people of Garhwal used to keep fire live by covering live coal and when the flame fire was needed the coal were made live.
The water and fire have been or will be life lines of the human beings. Therefore, there are instances that there was custom of fire worshiping in each old religion.
Fire Worshipping in Fedorovo Culture
The archeologists found the earliest fire worship by Indo-Iranian culture Fedorovo culture around 1500 B C . there is evidence that Fedorovo people used to cremate the dead bodies.
Fire as divinity Zoroastrian Religion
In Zoroastrian religion fire means purity. Their temple s are called fire Temple. In Great Iran era, people used to celebrate two festivals –Sadeh and Chaharshanbe Suri related to fire.
Fire worship in Ancient Iraq
Apart from Zoroastrians, Azerbaijanis worshipped fire in the area till islam religion took over.
Fire Worshiping in Vedic Literature
Agni or fire is one of the major deity among all deities described in Vedas. Agni or Fire has second importance after Indra deity in Vedas , In Hindu religion , Hindus worship Agni (fire) all ceremonial occasions.
Fire Worship in Graeco Roman Culture
The Graeco Roman had two gods for fire worship –Fire of Forge and Fire of Hearth
Fire Worshiping in old Greek Culture
Greeks had fire goddess – Hestian and gods-Hephaestus and roman equivalent Vulcan.
Fire Worshiping in Norse Mythology
Surtr is the fire god in Norse Mythology
Fire God in Ceiltic folklore
Belenus is fire god in Ceiltic mythological stories.
Fire god Slavic legendary stories
Svarog is fire god or spirit of fire in Slavik mythology .
Fire worshiping in Bible
There are many instances in Bible where fire is worshipped or respected as deities.
Worshiping Fire means Worshiping Sun
In many culture, the meaning of worshiping fire is equivalent to worshiping the sun
Fire Worship by Pactiyans , Pakhtiwals or Khost (Afghanistan)
Before Islamic era, Pactyan’s main worship was worshiping fire.
Fire Worshipping in China)
Axi (Mile county, Yunnan province of China) people celebrate fire festival to worship fire god- Medang on 3rd day of 2nd month of Chinese Lunar calendar.
The lantern festival of China is one of the oldest festival of China (end of Chinese new year).
Zhu Rong is Chinese Fire God who punishes the those who break the laws of heaven.
The Mongolian ethnic groups worship fire in China.
God of fire in Japan
The following gods are gods of fire in Japan
1- Ho-Masubi
2-Kangu-Zuchi
Fire worship by Jews
It is believed that Abraham taught Fire Worshiping to Jews
Fire God of Ancient Egypt
Ami , Aseb were gods of fire who rules over fire in ancient Egypt
Fire worship in Armenian Mythology
Maarten Elout provides the readers atranslation of Fire song from Armenian mythology which states that Vahgan is the god of fire . The song is as
The Heavens and the Earth travailed,
“There travailed also the purple sea,
‘The travail held’
‘The red reed stalk in the sea.’
‘Through the hollow of the reed stalk a smoke rose,’
‘Through the hollow of the reed stalk a flame rose’
‘And out of the flame ran forth a youth.’
‘He had hair of fire,’
‘He had a beard of flame,’
And his eyes were suns.”
‘( Maarten Elout ,2006, History of Fire in Rituals in Asia in Titled “Teaching of Master, )
Fire Worship in Ancient Ireland
Fire worship was common religious practice in Ireland before Christianity took over the the region. There are records in Dublin that even in the time of Chritianity, the people used to worship fire .
The following song of the time of Henry VIII is the wirness to speak that Irish used to worship fire
The bright lamp that shone in Kildare's holy fane,
And burned through long ages of darkness and stain."
Fire worship in Maya Civilization
Mayan people used to worship fire. They used to perceive that fire is itself god.
The above examples are enough that the earlier civilizations used to worship fire .
Fire Worship in Garhwali Wedding
The reverence for fire in Garhwal (India) is as there is respect for fire among all Hindus . In Garhwali culture, spitting, urinating, jumping, keeping feet wearing shoes on the fire is sin.
The following Garhwali wedding folk song indicates the sin about spitting over fire.
In the song, it is indicated that first the fire is invited to grace the occasion and bless the marriage ceremony . The fire says that since, people spit one fire she is not coming to the earth from another Lok . (another galaxy). The singer request repeatedly to fire god to grace the occasion and singers of the folk song explain to Fire god how they will perform the fire worship – inviting fire, worshiping fire, burning sandal wood, offering sacrifice (Ahuti) by caw Ghee etc :
अग्नि पूजा क मांगळ
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