glimpses ancient firewalking ritual greece

The ritual begins when the “firewalkers” gather and go to a place called konaki. Quite often in the past some “brave” spectators took off their shoes and walked barefoot on the ember, thus suffering from severe burns. It is not this that makes this tradition so important.”, insists Gkaintatzis. “The essence of the tradition is not the ability to walk on ember. Love, faith, respect, humility, devotion and modesty are traits that could bring people closer to this ritual”, Sotirios Gkaintantzis also explains.įor a member of the community to become Anastenaris – firewalker, he must in the first place participate to all the meetings of the Anastenaris’.

“There is no secret or certain technique to be learned in order to walk on ember. At the end of the fire-walking, anastenaris, the active participant to the ritual “experiences a sentiment of joy, peace, calm and spiritual accomplishment”, says Sotirios Gkaintantzis, president of the Anastenaria Association in Langkadas and leader of the “firewalkers”. This ritual symbolizes, as those practicing it say, a physical and spiritual katharsis. This tradition is kept in several regions in Northern Greece and in some remote villages in Bulgaria. There were periods in hard times when Anasteria could not be continued, but the old, who always kept it in their mind and soul, revived it. They could not carry many belongings, but they certainly brought part of their ancient traditions, their saint icons that they called “papoudes” (“grandparents”) or “chares” (“joys”), as well as the red scarves – “amanetia”- used during the ritual of walking on ember. The ritual is performed mainly around the celebration of Saint Emperors Constantine and Helen by a group of people keen on preserving this tradition.ĭuring the migration wave in the 20s, many Greeks were forced to leave Eastern Rumelia, a region now in Bulgaria. A small community in the village of Lagkadas near Thessaloniki, Greece, perpetuates a tradition whose origins lie back in the ancient times of this region in the Balkans.Īnastenaria, known also as “Pyrovasia”, meaning walking on fire, is a profound ritual, with religious influences, both fascinating and difficult for those outside the community to understand.

Glimpses ancient firewalking ritual greece