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Neid Fires Burned Across the UK!!

6/8/2025

 
Oh my goodness! I feel like I’ve struck gold. I’ve been struggling to find accounts of Neid Fires in England and this week I stumbled upon this blog post (which is puzzling why I hadn’t seen that before ) “Need-fire – a Celtic tradition that lasted till the 1840s - Cumbrian Characters” (https://crimesofthecenturies.com/index.php/2018/03/14/need-fire/) 
 

Picture
Anyways that led me to the British Newspaper Archive (following thier cited references) which I then found article after article in newspapers across the UK (mostly in the early to mid 19th c) reporting accounts of Neid Fires !
 
I only got 2 free articles and need to pay for access but this is what I’ve been looking for ! Evidence that this practice was widespread and not just isolated incidents!
 
I had to stop as other things to do but came across at least 49 articles from across the UK - some looked like same article and there may be some red herrings but this just proves the Neid Fires was a thing!
one day I will pay for access and spend time going through and documenting. 
 
The main reason for the Neid Fires in the 19th c was the belief that the smoke from the new pure fires started through the friction of wood would cure cattle from the  murrain. 
 
Oh this is a fantastical find 😀
Here are some .....
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

 
Westmorland Gazette 
Saturday 19 July 1834 – 1
Saturday 20 February 1841 – letter to the editor
Saturday 27 February 1841 – letter to the editor
Saturday 21 November 1840 – 2
Saturday 13 March 1841
Saturday 14 November 1846 – letter to editor
Saturday 17 March 1866
Saturday 05 May 1877
 
Kendal Mercury
Saturday 14 November 1840
Saturday 28 November 1840
Saturday 05 December 1840
Saturday 13 February 1841
Saturday 27 February 1841
Saturday 20 February 1841
Saturday 04 November 1843
Saturday 24 November 1855
Saturday 31 May 1856
Saturday 04 March 1865
Saturday 25 December 1869
Saturday 07 July 1877

Tuesday 08 September 1812 – Limerick Gazette
Wednesday 06 May 1812 - Belfast Commercial Chronicle
Monday 27 November 1815 - Leeds Intelligencer
Saturday 16 February 1822 -  Sheffield Independent
Tuesday 26 October 1824 Manchester Mercury
Thursday 24 June 1830 - Dublin Evening Post
Saturday 13 August 1831 - Staffordshire Advertiser
Friday 25 May 1832 - Stockport Advertiser and Guardian
Saturday 26 July 1834 - Carlisle Patriot
Saturday 28 November 1840 - Berwick Advertiser – Northumberland
Thursday 03 December 1840 - Bradford Observer
Saturday 05 December 1840 - Carlisle Journal
Saturday 02 January 1841 -Saturday 02 January 1841
Wednesday 25 March 1846 - Derry Journal
Saturday 14 November 1846 – Hereford Times
Wednesday 10 January 1849 - Morning Advertiser - London
Saturday 10 March 1866 - East Somerset Telegraph and General Advertiser
Saturday 10 March 1866 - Brett's St. Leonards and Hastings Gazette and Visitors' Vade Mecum Sussex
 
Surrey, Suffolk
 and more!

Holy Smoke - Horizontal Fire Churn!

9/2/2018

 
A video of my attempt at a rather peculiar friction fire method - the horizontal fire churn! Not efficient, not effective, best to be avoided unless of course it's for ritual! 
And also see the video from India which inspired me to give it a go!

Welcoming the New Year

2/1/2018

 
Picture
This New Years Day we ritually welcomed in the New Year as a family, welcoming in a new fire through friction, to burn away the old and ignite the new! 

I used Oak which apparently was traditionally used for ritually welcoing fire by the Celts and Slavs.
Picture

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  • Home
  • Offerings
    • Events
    • Welcoming Fire Introduction
  • Sacred Fire
    • Sacred Fire Overview
    • Neid Fire >
      • Neid Fire
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      • Neid Fire Research
    • Ritual Welcoming of Fire
    • Stories and Myths >
      • Stories
      • SHFF Story
      • Myths - China - Sui
      • Myths - Aztec - New Fire Ceremony
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