The tradition of dancing with flames in the darkness, protection-by-fire festival at Odawara /Kanagawa December 7, 2011

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1112070010/

Caption: A mountain priest draws a Sanskrit character with two torches.

The annual festival to exorcise misfortune and bring in a prosperous new year by imploring the power of fire took place on the night of December 6^th, held by the Ryōgaku Temple on Mount Akiba, Itabashi, Odawara city. Approximately 30 mountain priests gather from around the country, the traditional ceremony being strictly performed during the night in the final month of the year.

Around 6:30 PM, with the area surrounded by darkness, kindling is piled and lit inside the temple grounds. After a dialogue between the mountain priests, bows and swords are cleansed according to etiquette, and Sanskrit characters are drawn with two torches. As a pilgrim places more fire onto the ground, the mountain priests continue to cross the ground barefoot, while praying for protection and health.

The protection-by-fire festival started thirteen hundred years ago, and has continued as a traditional event, conducted every year on December 6^th.

Original Text:

闇に舞う伝統の炎、小田原で「火防祭」/神奈川

2011年12月7日

山伏が２本のたいまつで梵字を描く

ことし一年の厄をはらい新年の繁栄を願う火防（ひぶせ）祭が６日夜、小田原市板橋の秋葉山量覚院で催された。全国から集まった山伏約30人が、伝統の儀式で師走の夜を厳かにともした。

辺りが闇に包まれた午後６時半ごろ、境内に積み上げられたまきに火がたかれた。山伏は問答を交わした後、弓や剣による作法で場を清め、２本のたいまつで梵字（ぼんじ）を描いた。山伏による「火渡り」に続いて、参拝者もおき火の上を素足で渡り、無病息災を祈願した。

火防祭は約１３００年前から続く伝統行事で、毎年12月６日に行われている。