General discussions

Hi folks,

I was just reviewing my notes thus far, and had some questions on the "Altar of Fire" video that we watched. 1). What is the significance of constructing the altar in the shape of a bird? Can it be any bird, or a specific type? 2). What are your thoughts on the "reality" of this event since it was staged? What about the authenticity of the ritual itself? This seemed like it was produced for academic use. Was it tailored to fit that purpose, or was the original ritual preserved in its exact form?

http://www.der.org/films/altar-of-fire.html (documentary page) and http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=217022 (N.Y. times review) Thoughts? Ideas? --Stella 21:06, 29 January 2006 (MST)