Utah County Democrat | 1908-11-24 | Page 3 | Fire Worship

Fire Worship. Prof. Arthur O. Lovejoy, as the result re-sult of an Inquiry Into tho origin and meaning of "flr'o cults," so cqmmon among ancient nations and among mortem savuges nnd barbarous trlbos, suggests that many races conceived the "sacred fire," not us a practical conrenlenco or an ancient custom or us a means of frightening demons, but as a vehicle or life, or magical energy, the prosperity of the household qr tribe depending In part on tho pS. potulty, vitality and purity of the fire. It was thought ot as subject lo a tendency to grow old and weak, like all natural forces honee the ciiWoifo ; of periodically renewing Ii. This conclusion con-clusion Is bused partly upon the statements state-ments made by thu Iroquois Indians nnd tho Maoris.