How to Juggle Fire.
During- the Middle Ages ordeal by tire was one of the methods employed for ascertaining whether a person accused of a grave crime was innocent or guilty. If such a person was able to walk unscathed over hot ploughshares or through a blazing fire he was adjudged innocent; if the heat left any marks on his flesh he was considered guilty. In performing this trick the person who is holding the coals feels no
pain, simply because he has covered his hands with a mixture of gum, starch and the yolk of an egg. His hands are encased in impenetrable armour, and, consequently, he can toy with the hot coals as safely as he could with marbles.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZGRAP19020920.2.6
Bibliographic details
New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue XII, 20 September 1902, Page 708
Word Count
121How to Juggle Fire. New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue XII, 20 September 1902, Page 708
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Acknowledgements
This material was digitised in partnership with Auckland Libraries. You can find high resolution images on Kura Heritage Collections Online.