fireworks at Burning Man

The Best of Burning Man Series: Conclusion… Things That Burn

/ Curt Mekemson / 29 Comments
The Man goes to his fiery demise. Like the Phoenix, he will be back next year.

The Man goes to his fiery demise. Like the Phoenix, he will rise again.

At an event called Burning Man, you would expect to see the Man burn. And he does— in a spectacular fashion. It is almost worth the price of a ticket itself. But the Man is only one of many things that burn, including the Temple.

As to why they are burned, my understanding is that the burns represent the impermanence of life; don’t get attached to worldly goods. The Man goes beyond this, however, and behaves like the Phoenix. He goes up in flames at the end of Burning Man and is born again the next year. Hmmm.

Burning the Temple also has an extended meaning. The thousands of messages left for loved ones who have passed on go up in flames and are released to the heavens.

Beyond these reasons, there is a certain beauty and danger to fire that draws us to it like moths to flame. Great drama accompanies burns. Small fires grow to conflagrations. Mini-tornadoes whirl off like dancing dervishes. Burners hold their breath waiting for structures to crash to the ground. Shiva is at work.

Fireworks often accompany the burns and a whole show (including hundreds of fire dancers and drummers) accompanies the burning of the Man.

The Man, with arms raised, welcomes Burners to the night of his burn.

The Man, with arms raised, welcomes Burners to the night of his burn.

A fireworks show always precedes and often accompanies the burning of the Man. You'd think you were at a Fourth of July show.

A fireworks show always precedes and often accompanies the burning of the Man. You’d think it was Fourth of July.

Yoohoo!

Yoo-hoo!

Sometimes the Man burns quickly. Other times he may take an hour or longer.

Sometimes the Man burns quickly. Other times he may take an hour or longer.

As the end approaches, Burners wait expectantly and raise their arms in salute. The mutant vehicle, El Pulpo Mechanico looks on.

As the end approaches, Burners wait expectantly and raise their arms in salute. The mutant vehicle, El Pulpo Mechanico, looks on.

Many things burn at Burning Man. Here it was Kokopelli. He seemed to be playing his flute to the fire.

Many things burn at Burning Man. In 2012 the New Mexico regional Burning Man group brought Kokopelli to the Playa. He seemed to be celebrating the flames with his flute. Thoughts of Nero fiddling while Rome burned come to mind.

The New Orleans regional group brought an effigy of the Baby King that shows up in cakes at Mardi Gras time.

The New Orleans regional group brought an effigy of the Baby King that shows up in cakes at Mardi Gras time.

And Lithuanian Burners added a bird sculpture.

And Lithuanian Burners added a bird sculpture.

Fires start small.

Fires start small.

Turn into conflagrations.

Turn into conflagrations. (A pair of firemen get a close up view.)

And send dust devils whirling off.

And send dust devils whirling off.

The Temple burns on Sunday Night. Unlike the Burning of the Man which is a bit on the rowdy side, Burners watch silently and respectfully as the Temple Burns.

The Temple burns on Sunday night. Unlike the Burning of the Man, which can be a bit on the rowdy side, Burners watch silently and respectfully as the Temple burns. NEXT BLOG: I am off to Portland this weekend for the Press-Publish conference of Word Press. I will report on the event next week.

The Burning of the Man: Part 2… A Flaming Ritual

/ Curt Mekemson / 20 Comments
The burning of the Man is Burning Man's signature event and is surrounded by ritual. (Photo taken by Kenneth Axen, a New Yorker who joined our California/Oregon group this year.)

The burning of the Man is Burning Man’s signature event and is surrounded by ritual. (Photo taken by Kenneth Axen, a New Yorker who joined our California/Oregon group this year.)

Rituals have grown up around the burning of the Man that date back to the day when he was first burned in San Francisco on Baker Beach in 1986. He was probably soaked in kerosene and lit by a match, although I don’t know that. I do know that white gas, which I occasionally use to start campfires with when the wood is wet, has a little too much poof, like BOOM.

The days of lighting the Man with a match have long since passed, however. Now it is much more akin to preparation for the Olympics where eleven Greek women representing Vestal Virgins focus the suns rays using a parabolic mirror to create the fire that is then transferred to the Olympic Torch. The tradition dates all of the way back to classical Greece and Rome, although I doubt virginity is still a requirement.

A parabolic mirror is used to light the flame that will eventually light the Man. (Photo by Tom Lovering.)

A parabolic mirror is used to light the flame that will eventually light the Man. (Photo by Tom Lovering.)

A parabolic mirror is also used to light the fire for Burning Man. The fire is started on Monday and then maintained throughout the week in front of Center Camp until Saturday night. We watched this year as four women wearing white, carrying torches, and perching on stilts led a solemn parade that carried the flame out to the Man.

Parade carrying fire out to burn the Man at Burning Man 2013.

Women dressed in white and walking on stilts, lead the fire parade out to the Man.

Once the parade has arrived, the fire dance starts as hundreds of dancers arrayed around the Man twirl fire in every possible way. Musicians ranging from bongo drummers to marching bands provide the rhythm. Next comes a very impressive fireworks display, and finally, the Man burns. 

The Man at Burning Man raises his arms just prior to the burn.

The Man’s arms are up; let the party begin.

Flying saucer seems to prepare for takeoff at Burning Man 2013.

White flames shooting out and down from the flying saucer provide an illusion that it is about to launch.

Fireworks above the Man on burn night at Burning Man 2013.

Fireworks suddenly light up the sky.

Fireworks at Burning Man 2013

Fireworks at Burning Man 2013

And go on, and on…

The Man Burns at Burning Man 2013.

The legs of the Man are set on fire, which then works its way upward…

The Man burning at Burning Man 2013.

The Man engulfed in intense flames at Burning Man 2103.

Soon, the whole Man is engulfed in bright flames as tens of thousands watch. The flying saucer has started to burn as well.

The flames quickly eat away at the Man and saucer. One year, the man was built on huge timbers that took over an hour to burn through. Not so this year.

The flames quickly eat away at the Man and saucer. One year, the man was built on huge timbers that took over an hour to burn. Not so this year.

The burn of the Man at Burning Man is photographed thousands of times in any given year.

Another photographer shoots the same photo I do.

A few remaining timbers hold up the Man at Burning Man 2013 before he crashes into his fiery grave.

The Man is on his last legs, prepared to crash downward to his fiery death as the 2013 burn draws to a close.

NEXT POST: Burning Man 2013 wrap up.