Sweat lodge
From Academic Kids
The sweat lodge is a ceremonial sauna used by North American First Nations or Native American peoples. There are several styles of sweat lodge including a domed or oblong hut similar to a wickiup, a teepee, or even a simple hole dug into the ground and covered with planks or tree trunks. Stones are heated in an exterior fire and then placed in a hole in the middle of the floor.
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Traditions
Rituals and traditions vary from region to region but often include prayers, drumming and offerings to the spirit world. Some common practises associated with sweat lodges include:
- Placement - The lodge is placed in a location that will facilitate communication with the spirit world.
- Orientation - The location of the door may be based on the purpose of the sweat lodge.
- Construction - The lodge is generally built with great care and with respect to the environment and to the materials being used.
- Offerings - Tobacco and other plants are often used as an offering. They can be smoked in a traditional pipe, sprinkled on the hot stones or offered to the fire.
- Dog soldiers - Sometimes one or more persons, called 'dog soldiers', will remain outside the sweat lodge to tend the fire, place the hot stones, protect the ceremony and assist the participants.
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External link
History of the Sweat Lodge (http://www.crystalinks.com/sweatlodge.html)
