Fire walking - Umu Ti

For more than 60 years, the ancestral ceremony of umu ti (fire walking) has marked the start of the Heiva i Tahiti festivities in a fiery way. This ancestral ceremony led by the tahua Raymond Teriirooiterai GRAFFE takes place in Mahana Park under the amazed gaze of several hundred spectators.

The preparation of the "umu ti" is the subject of a long and precise ritual. Indeed, the date is established according to the Polynesian lunar calendar and the volcanic stones are carefully chosen. A large pit is then dug and are assembled inside the wood, coconut palms and said stones. The fire comes to life and it takes about one to two days for the optimum temperature to be reached.

On the evening of the ceremony, the priest performs incantations and leads the way. The public is then invited to participate in this powerful moment in order to purify their soul and their body.

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