Their heads shake constantly, their eyes have rolled up into their heads. Sweat pours over their bodies, leaving dark tattoos gleaming in the firelight. They are half naked, wearing only loose white pants rolled up to the knees, as well as a ceremonial apron. The mah song grunt and howl wildly. Then they cross the coals, proudly marching across with ease. Amazingly, none of them are injured.
Fire walking is just one of the things the mah song do over the course of the Vegetarian Festival. They also participate in many processions, during which they pierce their bodies with anything sharp enough to cut flesh. Honestly, although I’ve been searching for the words to describe this for quite a few days, nothing is coming to me. It is horrible, disgusting, and strange. The wrongness of it really hit home for me. There are so many things I will never understand about this world and those who inhabit it. That people would willingly destroy their bodies for religious purposes is among them. It simply does not make sense to me. Since I can’t describe it in a compelling enough way, I think the best way to give you a sense of the festival is to show you.