Firewalking History
For thousands of years humankind from all cultures have walked across hot coals to honour the element of fire and bring healing to their communities. Firewalking, next to prayer is one of the oldest transformational tools the world has ever known. In native cultures, the shamans and medicine men were called upon to walk on hot coals, rocks or lava to purify the community. Surprisingly, firewalking made its way into every single culture on the planet. Even middle ages Christianity embraced the mysteries of firewalking. Most often used as ritual purification, healing and worship, firewalking is still being used today as a local custom in such varied places as India, Spain, Bulgaria and Fiji.
Firewalking in Africa, especially among the !Kung tribe of the Kalahari Desert, has been used in powerful healing ceremonies since their tribal beginnings. The !Kung are master firewalkers and part of their ceremonies include rolling on the fire.
The Kahunas of the Hawaiian Islands are also famous for their affinity with fire. These island medicine men walk over molten lava.
Several North American Indian tribes were known to have great fire handling capabilities. In India, Tibet, Sri Lanka, China, Japan and Argentina people walk across fire as part of their cultural heritage. In Sumatra, spirit mediums fill their mouths with burning coals. Dervishes in Egypt and Algeria reportedly swallow hot coals.
Firewalking is not a "hot new sport" but rather a tradition as rich in ritual and culture as the history of the world. The opportunity to firewalk in modern times, especially in western culture, is a relatively new phenomenon. Firewalking was brought to a western audience as recently as 1977, when Tolly Burkan first firewalked and later with Peggy Dylan began instructing firewalking based on the Tibetan Buddhist model. Tolly Burkan is the founder of "The Global Firewalking Movement".