Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

Perpetual sacred fire

perpetual_sacred_fire

A motif of the Sacred Fire and Divine Light family. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

3 occurrences

2 traditions

roman (2) · germanic (1)


roman

  • Fasti LIBER V. / NOTES: / LIBER VI. / NOTES:; lines 12024-12117 confidence: high

    “Ignea Vesta,” glossed as “templum Vestae in quo ignis alitur perpetuus.”

    Ignea Vesta is glossed as Vesta's temple in which fire is maintained perpetually.

    read in the book
  • The Mysteries of Mithra THE MITHRAIC LITURGY / I6O THE MYSTERIES OF MITHRA / THE MITHRAIC LITURGY / THE MITHRAIC LITURGY 165; lines 6504-6576 confidence: medium

    The priest maintained a perpetual fire on the altars and prayed to the Sun three times daily: east at dawn, south at noon, and west at dusk.

    The priest is said to ensure that a perpetual fire burns on the altars.

    read in the book

germanic

  • Teutonic Mythology, Volume 4 ELEMENTS. / WATER. FIRE. 1461 / FIRE. 1463 / FIRE. 14G5; lines 9291-9383 confidence: high

    Perpetual fires are listed for Israelites, Parsees and Guebers, ancient Persians, Athena Polias, Pan, Delphi, Delos, Hestia/Vesta, and colonies that take sacred fire from the mother-city.

    The passage repeatedly lists ever-burning or perpetual fires in religious, oracle, temple, communal, and Marian lamp contexts.

    read in the book