Fire eater
Encyclopedia
Street artist
A street artist is someone who creates and/or sells their art or craft in public for the pleasure of passers-by.Some people use the term 'street artist' more broadly and also refer to people involved in busking, such as musicians who sing and/or play instruments, acrobats, jugglers, living statues,...
or part of a sideshow
Sideshow
In America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair or other such attraction.- Types of attractions :There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions:...
. The performer places flaming objects into their mouth and extinguishes them by cutting off oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
. They also practice controlling and transferring the flame.
History and hazards
Fire eating was a common part of HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, Sadhu
Sadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
, and Fakir
Fakir
The fakir or faqir ; ) Derived from faqr is a Muslim Sufi ascetic in Middle East and South Asia. The Faqirs were wandering Dervishes teaching Islam and living on alms....
performances to show spiritual attainment. It became a part of the standard sideshow acts in the late 1880s and is often seen as one of the entry-level skills for sideshow performers, although skilled fire performers, such as those who can utilise the difficult and dangerous vapour transfers and produce large breaths of fire are regarded as equals in the circus community for their skill and devotion to their art. Such performers include record holder Preacher Muad'dib, Lucifre, Heavy Metal Pete, Murrigan Mystic Tom Black and Chris Riley all of whom are known as exceptionally skilled performers within the circus and sideshow industry.
Other than sound fire safety precautions and some practical advice regarding the laws of physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
(i.e. "hot air rises"), there are few secrets to eating fire. Torches do not burn with "cold flames" nor is there any special substance in the performer's mouth other than saliva
Saliva
Saliva , referred to in various contexts as spit, spittle, drivel, drool, or slobber, is the watery substance produced in the mouths of humans and most other animals. Saliva is a component of oral fluid. In mammals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the three pairs of major salivary glands,...
. According to Daniel Mannix's 1951 sideshow memoir Step right up!, the real "secret" to fire eating is enduring pain; he mentions that tolerating constant blisters on your tongue, lips and throat is also necessary. Many other fire eaters dismiss this, claiming that a skilled fire eater should not burn themselves, but since the art of fire eating is kept quite secret it is hard to ascertain exactly how it is done. Fire eating and fire breathing (and all variants) is a skill usually passed on for a skilled master to an appropriate student and almost all teachings include instructions on first aid, fire safety, chemistry and other appropriate skills.
Famous fire eaters
The most famous fire eater in history is Robert Powell who not only swallowed fire but also red-hot coals, melted sealing waxSealing wax
Sealing wax is a wax material of a seal which, after melting, quickly hardens forming a bond that is difficult to separate without noticeable tampering. Wax is used to verify something such as a document is unopened, to verify the sender's identity, for example with a signet ring, and as decoration...
and even brimstone
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
. He performed, often in front of British and other European royalty and nobility, for nearly sixty years and was awarded in 1751 a purse of gold and a large silver medal.
Although not the earliest, the first to attract the attention of the upper classes was an Englishman
Englishman
Englishman may refer to:*English people*Grey Partridge*Jason Englishman, Canadian rock music singer and guitarist*Jenny-Bea Englishman, real name of the Canadien singer Esthero*Erald Briscoe, reggae musician who records under the name Englishman...
named Richardson, who first performed in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1667. His methods were subsequently made public by his servant.
Guinness World Records
The most torches extinguished in one minute with the mouth by using only two torches is 83 and was achieved by Preacher Muad'dib on Nov 18 2010 at Potter's FieldPotter's field
A potter's field was an American term for a place for the burial of unknown or indigent people. The expression derives from the Bible, referring to a field used for the extraction of potter's clay, which was useless for agriculture but could be used as a burial site.-Origin:The term comes from...
, UK.
The most torches extinguished in 30 seconds with the mouth by using only two torches is 53 and was achieved by Preacher Muad'dib on stage at the "Bizarre Ball" in London, UK on 27th MAy 2011. This has earned him the nickname "The fasted fire-eater on earth". Mr. Muad'dib also holds the record for "Most fire breaths blown in one minute" and is also nicknamed "The fastest fire-breather on earth".
The most torches extinguished in one minute with the mouth (using multiple rods) is 89 and was achieved by Pascal Ackermann (Switzerland) on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy, on 1 April 2010.
The most torches extinguished in 30 seconds with the mouth (using multiple Rods) is 39 and was achieved by Hubertus Wawra alias Master of Hellfire, Germany.
World records
New York City-based fire performer Flambeaux (Chris Reilly) holds the world record for keeping a lit torch in his mouth for 55.53 seconds. This is not a Guinness world record.Vapor tricks
Vapor tricks utilize the fuel vapors held in the mouth during or before an extinguish.- Cigarette light - light a cigarette with a Human Candle
- Human candle - slowly feed a candle sized flame with vapors you hold
- Vapor transfer - ignite one torch with the vapor from another
- Moonshot - shoot vapors straight up
Transfers
Transfers are methods of moving a flame from one area to another, by using the body, or another surface or medium.- Body transfers - transfer the flame from one torch to the other with parts of your body, e.g. arm, leg, chest, buttocks, etc.
- Finger transfer - transfer the flame from one torch to the other with your fingers (most common form of transfer)
- Fire floor transfer - transfer the flame from one torch to the other on the floor
- Tongue transfer - transfer the flame from one torch to the other with your tongue
Extinguishes
Extinguishes are methods of extinguishing torches, and are the traditional hallmark of fire eating.- The Blow Out - Utilizing breath control to extinguish
- The Extinguisher - Utilizing a class:B fire extinguisher to extinguish aforementioned flame
- Multiple fire eat - basic fire eat with several torches at once
- Flaming cotton ball extinguish - put out a cotton ball as you would a torch
- Hand snuff - put the torch out by snuffing it with your hand
- Whip extinguish - pull the torch down out of the flame to extinguish it
Others
- Teething - hold a lit torch by the wick in your teeth
- Immolation - passing any part of the body through the flame
- Retention - Holding a lit fire torch by your hand with the lit wick within your mouth for an extended period of time
- Straight snuff - Fire eating whilst keeping your head level
- Tongue rest - Letting the lit wick of a fire torch rest on the tongue
- Shotgun - lighting a trail of fuel on the body to light and unlit fire torch.
- Slow burn - Very slowly dragging a lit fire torch on the skin