Neid Fire - Fire Churn - Fire Gate
Last Updated 8-Aug-25
Neid Fire Pages
- An overview of the Neid Fire rituals can be found here : Neid Fire Overview
- References and more information on my research can be found here: Neid Fire Research.
The Neid Fire Ritual Apparatus - Fire Churns \ Fire Gates
According to many descriptions, the traditional Neid Fire ritual used a friction fire apparatus that I have called a fire churn and called a fire gate in the Slavs. It's basically a super sized strap drill!
As picture below the apparatus consists of a large wooden frame to support a large heavy cross bar (bearing log) of heavy dense wood which would have a hole made in the centre (I suggest forcing a thick piece of leather into the hole to help reduce friction at the top.)
A large hearth log would be placed at the base with a shallow hole carved and with a notch (similar to bow drill hearths but on a larger scale.)
A straight log about 6 feet tall, and up to about a foot in diameter sometimes referred to as the auger ( spindle) would be carved at each end with a narrow point at the top and a more shallower point at the bottom.
The spindle would be placed vertically between the cross bar and hearth. The spindle would need to be carved as straight as possible and would need to be placed as vertical as possible.
A long heavy rope would be tightly wrapped several times around the middle of the spindle with an end of the rope on opposite sides and this would be pulled in rhythm.
It is using the same principles as bow drill/strap drill but on a larger scale.
I have used Ash and Hazel for the Spindles and Hazel and Poplar for the hearth log, I have a Holly Bearing Log.
The type of wood for the frame doesn't really matter as long as it is strong and sturdy but this is down to personal preference of how you build the frame.
According to many descriptions, the traditional Neid Fire ritual used a friction fire apparatus that I have called a fire churn and called a fire gate in the Slavs. It's basically a super sized strap drill!
As picture below the apparatus consists of a large wooden frame to support a large heavy cross bar (bearing log) of heavy dense wood which would have a hole made in the centre (I suggest forcing a thick piece of leather into the hole to help reduce friction at the top.)
A large hearth log would be placed at the base with a shallow hole carved and with a notch (similar to bow drill hearths but on a larger scale.)
A straight log about 6 feet tall, and up to about a foot in diameter sometimes referred to as the auger ( spindle) would be carved at each end with a narrow point at the top and a more shallower point at the bottom.
The spindle would be placed vertically between the cross bar and hearth. The spindle would need to be carved as straight as possible and would need to be placed as vertical as possible.
A long heavy rope would be tightly wrapped several times around the middle of the spindle with an end of the rope on opposite sides and this would be pulled in rhythm.
It is using the same principles as bow drill/strap drill but on a larger scale.
I have used Ash and Hazel for the Spindles and Hazel and Poplar for the hearth log, I have a Holly Bearing Log.
The type of wood for the frame doesn't really matter as long as it is strong and sturdy but this is down to personal preference of how you build the frame.
A Neid Fire ritual apparatus in my back garden made in 2023
|
The sourcing and preparing of the materials needed to build the Neid Fire ritual apparatus can take time - I spent many months scouring the woods looking for suitable wind fallen branches and then months to season them and then time to carve them - all done with awareness and intention.
They may take time to setup and tweak so they are working smoothly - you need to ensure the frame is secure and the bearing log doesn't fall off! I tie a horizontal piece of wood to the bearing log and use as a pivot point by tying to the frame - the other end of the bearing log is allowed to move downwards as the spindle wears away and gets shorter. You may also need to add extra weight to the bearing log (and maybe a counter weight on the other end) It can take a bit of experimentation to get it to work! And this is the whole point - to work together to build something ridiculously over engineered to ritually welcome the fire! It's not meant to be effective or quick! A huge part of ritual is The Attempt! |
|
These devices aren't meant to be quick or effective but are meant to take time to prepare and time to use and they need to be used comunally with everyone working in harmony.
Songs or chants may have been used and a call-response definitely helps keep rhythm.
These can work beautifully when everyone is in sync - it is not a tug of war and it is to be used with awareness and intention.
Songs or chants may have been used and a call-response definitely helps keep rhythm.
These can work beautifully when everyone is in sync - it is not a tug of war and it is to be used with awareness and intention.
According to some folklore, nine nines of first begotten son’s were required to pull the rope to “churn” the auger into the hearth log!
Some other references suggest the lcoation was important e.g. it had to be located on an island within a stream/river
Much can be incorporated into the ritual depending on where you are drawing from the land and local traditions ; time of year and in response to an event.
Apparently according to the various accounts, Oak was commonly used due to it's perceived sacredness by both the Celts and Slavs (and Oak does indeed work with the bow drill but is difficult to find suitable wind fallen Oak and I do not endorse cutting live Oak.)
I have also read descriptions of slightly different apparatus including spinning wheels, cart wheels, and augers being horizontally driven into wood - though I'm unsure how that would work and am suspicious of some written accounts about the horizontal churn (they were passed word of mouth before written down.)
I have tried a horizontal churn and due to the nature of friction, it is very difficult to achieve the necessary pressure and friction horizontally, but is possible.
I'm also intrigued by the use of wheels and will have to try them one day!
Some other references suggest the lcoation was important e.g. it had to be located on an island within a stream/river
Much can be incorporated into the ritual depending on where you are drawing from the land and local traditions ; time of year and in response to an event.
Apparently according to the various accounts, Oak was commonly used due to it's perceived sacredness by both the Celts and Slavs (and Oak does indeed work with the bow drill but is difficult to find suitable wind fallen Oak and I do not endorse cutting live Oak.)
I have also read descriptions of slightly different apparatus including spinning wheels, cart wheels, and augers being horizontally driven into wood - though I'm unsure how that would work and am suspicious of some written accounts about the horizontal churn (they were passed word of mouth before written down.)
I have tried a horizontal churn and due to the nature of friction, it is very difficult to achieve the necessary pressure and friction horizontally, but is possible.
I'm also intrigued by the use of wheels and will have to try them one day!
A few re-interpretations of The Fire Gate
I have come across various reconstructions, though only one other in the UK I am aware of is the one by the artist Tim Knowles as part of the 2015 Helmsdale Highland Games,
There have been numerous ones within Eastern Europe; Baltics and Russia.
I would love to see more and more Fire Gates being used as part of ritual!
There have been numerous ones within Eastern Europe; Baltics and Russia.
I would love to see more and more Fire Gates being used as part of ritual!
This is my favourite Fire Gate so far! Rune from Nordic Animism visited me in Sep 2023 to learn about the Neid Fire and Fire Gates which inspired this fire gate to be built by Lars Nørholm and thier friend HP from Denmark in 2024. It was used as part of Julebukkeløbet (YuleGoat) event in Copenhagen, as well as in education and ceremony. The Spindle is Ash and the Hearth is Poplar. It makes be very happy that I have inspired others! I want to see more Fire Gates!
|
My reconstruction of a Fire Gate used at the Erti Suli Gatering 2018-2021 and worked beautifully. This is the first one I made and the frame was made from recycled timber . I hope to make a new frame over the Winter of 2025 to be used at events.
|
Force Fire an art installation used to start the Helmsdale Highland Games in 2015 by the artist Tim Knowles. (The perspective makes it look a lot larger that it actually was! See video further below.) Click photo to go to Tim Knowles Force Fire web page.
|
A Fire Churn reconstruction in Belarus, at the celebration of Prince Bryachislav's 945th birthday. Guests from Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia and Tajikistan came to the holiday "Braslavskie Lapidary". Braslav regional executive committee, Braslav museum association, with the participation of Nansan commercial enterprise, organized a small festival of medieval culture "The Sword of Bryachislav", in which knights, artisans, musicians, dancers, historians and archaeologists participated. The festival began with the ritual of the Living Fire archaic method, the secret of which lies not only in the friction of the tree. the fire obtained in this way was considered sacred, and the attitude to it was especially tremulous (google translated from http://www.tio.by/info/novosti/1883/
|
A Slavic Fire Churn reconstruction at an Ivan Kupala festival. Click photo to be taken to an interesting article.
|
A "Force Fire" churn being used as part of a ceremony by a Viking re-enactment group in Poland in 2013. Photo by www.fotoforge.eu.
Click photo for more photos of this ceremony by FotoForge.
|
A few Videos I have come across including my own
|
|
|
|
|
IMG_0867 (1) from Timespan on Vimeo. |
Neid Fire Pages
- An overview of the Neid Fire rituals can be found here : Neid Fire Overview
- References and more information on my research can be found here: Neid Fire Research.