Two days ago I walked across Johnson field and it looked normal, you know… um, grassy. But tomorrow, there will be a shape burned into the grass. Not a shape that anyone would understand, but the shape a fire makes on the world when the wind throws her to the ground and takes her from behind like a dirty wench. She flails about, fighting against her would be master, throwing up sparks and smoldering ashes. But try as she might she cannot defeat the mighty wind, he who ripped her into such a short life, takes from her what she doesn’t have to give until it’s all gone. She lies alone, too low for the wind to touch her, everyone screaming her name has turned back to the darkness and left her behind. Slowly she smothers and dies.
So, UNM apparently has this ritual where before our, I think, first game with State, we burn an effigy of their mascot. It is a kind of ritual sacrifice meant to bring us strength and unity through fire. What it did was bring together thousands of students to watch something that resembled a lynching.
The effigy was basically human shaped, I’m not sure what the actual mascot of New Mexico State University is, something called an agie or an agy, but it looked human, and we burned it.
The progression of the burning could basically be followed by the head. Before burning, obviously the head was at the top, then almost immediately the paper burned away from it and skull like carapace was left behind. This lasted for a few minutes, but slowly the wooden pile the body was propped up against began to weaken and crumble and the head started its decent. It tilted to the side and slid downwards with the fire until finally all that was left were glowing coals.
This has been our tradition, I don’t actually know how many years, I just know that we did it last year. But it was ours. State has now decided that they need a new tradition to bring themselves together for this upcoming game. They are burning a giant paper wolf. Yeah, thanks for the compliment guys.
Tonight is September 25th, four days after the 21st, also known as the autumnal equinox, or Mabon to wiccans. Thousands of years ago Druids would build a man made of branches to symbolize the vegetative spirit, and they would burn him as a prayer for good luck, and to signify the first day of autumn. Julius Caesar saw them doing this and claimed that druids sacrificed humans, but all he saw was a bit of burning wood. Today neopagans build a “wicker man” to honor the old days.
I spent maybe only fifteen or twenty minutes watching this wicker man die, but it made my evening. I watched the fire and it warmed me, and inspired me. I looked into and felt a deep connection with the world, and felt again that I have a purpose. That purpose might not be good, it might not even be bad, because I have no idea what it is.
“The girls in line for the bathroom
The girls in line for the bathroom
The girls in line for the bathroom”
Repeat unto infinity
-unknown rap artist at the burning
3 comments:
When that fire hit your ass, it will sober your ass up quick! I saw something, I went, "Well, that's a pretty blue. You know what? That looks like fire!" Fire is inspirational. They should use it in the Olympics, because I ran the 100 in 4.3. - Richard Pryor on setting himself alight while freebasing.
pyro <3
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