Fire eating
Fire eating is a performance art, often performed by a street artist or as part of a sideshow. The performer places flaming objects into their mouth and extinguishes them. They also practice controlling and transferring the flame.
History and hazards
Fire eating was a common part of Hindu, Saddhu, and Fakir performances to show spiritual attainment. It became a part of the standard sideshow acts in the late 1880s and is often seen as one of the entry-level skills for sideshow performers.
Other than sound fire safety precautions and some practical advice regarding the laws of physics (i.e. "hot air rises"), there are few secrets to eating fire. There is no such thing as "cold flame" nor is there any special substance in the performer's mouth other than saliva. According to Daniel Mannix's 1951 sideshow memoir Step right up!, the real "secret" to fire eating is enduring pain; he mentions that tolerating constant blisters on your tongue, lips and throat is also necessary. It is a very dangerous act and should not be attempted without professional training.
Fire eating tricks
These are arranged in alphabetical order. The acts should not be attempted without professional training.
Vapor tricks
Vapor tricks utilize the fuel vapors held in the mouth during or before an extinguish.
- Cigarette light - light a cigarette with a Human Candle
- Human candle - slowly feed a candle sized flame with vapors you hold
- Vapor transfer - ignite one torch with the vapor from another
- Volcano - shoot vapors straight up
Transfers
Transfers are methods of moving a flame from one area to another, by using the body, or another surface or medium.
- Body transfers - transfer the flame from one torch to the other with other parts of your body, e.g. arm, leg, chest, buttocks, etc.
- Finger transfer - transfer the flame from one torch to the other with your finger
- Fire floor transfer - transfer the flame from one torch to the other on the floor
- Palm transfer - transfer the flame from one torch to the other with your palm
- Spit transfer - spit the fire from one torch to the other during an eat
- Tongue transfer - transfer the flame from one torch to the other with your tongue
- Toss transfer extinguish - puts out one torch, while making the flame "jump" to the other torch
- Torch in teeth hold - hold a lit torch in your teeth
Extinguishes
Extinguishes are methods of extinguishing torches, and are the traditional hallmark of fire eating.
- Double fire eat - basic fire eat with 2 torches at once
- Extinguish fire on palm
- Flaming cotton ball extinguish - put out a cotton ball as you would a torch
- Hand snuff of torch - put the torch out by snuffing it with your hand
- In-mouth extinguish - basic fire eat with 1 torch
- Triple fire eat - three torches at once
- Toss extinguish - pull the torch down out of the flame to extinguish it
See also
External links
- North American Fire Arts Association
- Fire Eating World-wide fire eating trainers & performers.
- Fire Eating Safety Guideline
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