Eternal flame
An eternal flame is a flame or torch that burns constantly. The flame that burned constantly at Delphi,[1] was an archaic feature, "alien to the ordinary Greek temple".[2]
The eternal fire was originally a religious aspect of Persian Zoroastrianism that later assimilated into Abrahamic religions, specifically Judaism. An eternal flame constantly tended by a dedicated priest was a feature of Zoroastrian religious culture that involved the Amesha Spenta Atar (Old Persian âdar, Middle Persian âtaxš). According to Greek and Persian accounts, three "Great Fires" existed in the Achaemenid era of Persian history, which are collectively the earliest evidence of the eternal flame.[3]
In ancient times eternal flames were fuelled by wood or olive oil; modern examples by a measured supply of propane or natural gas. Eternal flames are most often used as a symbol to acknowledge and remember a person or event of national significance, or a group of brave and noble people connected to some event, or even a laudable goal such as international peace.
The eternal flame commemorating U.S. President John F. Kennedy following his assassination in 1963 was the first time that an individual known person was given such an honor (as opposed to an Unknown Soldier). Henceforward, eternal flames would be designated more frequently around the world to honor the loss of persons of great significance, in addition to major tragic and momentous events.
Eternal flames exist in nature as well, as byproducts of natural gas deposits leaking through the ground.
Around the world
Extinguished
- The Sacred fire of Vesta in ancient Rome, which burned within the Temple of Vesta on the Roman forum
- The Bible commands that "The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out", regarding the altar of the Tabernacle. (Leviticus 6:13, KJV) Many churches (especially Catholic and Lutheran), along with Jewish synagogues, feature an eternal flame on or hung above their altars. When a church is founded, the flame is passed from another church and the candles are regularly replaced to keep the original flame burning.
- The Olympic Flame is a kind of eternal flame which is kept lit throughout the Olympic Games
- The eternal flame that was kept burning in the inner hearth of the Temple of Delphic Apollo at Delphi in Greece
- The eternal flame near the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn in Estonia was extinguished after the country gained independence from the USSR
Current
Europe
- Paris, France, under the archway at the Arc de Triomphe, which has burned continuously since 1921, in memory of all who died in World War I
- Moscow, Russia, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden to honor the dead of the Great Patriotic War
- Saint Petersburg, Russia, has two eternal flames. The first is at the Field of Mars in memory of those who died during the Bolshevik Revolution. The second is at Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery in memory of those who perished in World War II during the Siege of Leningrad
- Budapest, Hungary, in Kossuth Square commemorating the revolutionaries of the 1956 uprising against control by the Soviet Union
- Amsterdam, the Netherlands, at the Hollandsche Schouwburg, in memorial of the Dutch Jewish people who were killed in WW2
- Sofia, Bulgaria, at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier
- The Hague, Netherlands, at the Peace Palace
- Liverpool, England, at the Anfield stadium, in memorial to those who died in the Hillsborough disaster
- Madonna del Ghisallo, Italy, near Lake Como, for all cyclists who have died
- Rome, Italy, on the Altare della Patria, for the Unknown Soldier
- Riga, Latvia, at Brothers' Cemetery
- Warsaw, Poland, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- Berlin, Germany, at the Theodor-Heuss-Platz
- Munich, Germany, on the Square Of The Victims Of The National Socialism
- Kaunas, Lithuania, at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier, in the Square of Unity
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, lit after World War II
- Yerevan, Armenia, in the center of the Armenian Genocide Memorial
- Oslo, Norway, inaugurated on June 9 2001 at The Pier of Honour, Port of Oslo by Sri Chinmoy and installed permanently at the Aker Brygge complex in 2002.
- Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, at the Fossar de les Moreres (adjacent to the Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar), honouring the Catalans buried there, who died defending Barcelona on the siege of 1714. The torch with the eternal flame was inaugurated in 2001.
- Madrid, Spain, at the Plaza de la Lealtad, honouring all those who have died fighting for Spain.
North America
Canada
- The Flame of Hope in London, Ontario, at 442 Adelaide Street, where Sir Frederick Banting did theoretical work leading to the discovery of human insulin
- The Centennial Flame in Ottawa, Ontario, first lit in 1967, is in the spirit of an eternal flame; however, it is annually extinguished for cleaning and then relit. It commemorates the first hundred years of Canadian confederation as a Commonwealth realm.
- The Centennial Flame on the grounds of the provincial legislature in Edmonton, Alberta commemorates the same milestone as its counterpart in Ottawa
- The Eternal Flame in the Peace Garden of Toronto, Ontario's city hall, lit by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in September 1984, symbolizes the hope and regeneration of mankind.
United States
- John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, lit by Jacqueline Kennedy on November 25, 1963 during the assassinated president's state funeral
- Honolulu, Hawaii, USA to honor victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks
- Gettysburg Battlefield, Pennsylvania, in memory of the dead of the American Civil War, first lit by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938
- Decatur, Georgia at the square downtown, for the Korean War, World War II, and the Vietnam War
- Atlanta, Georgia at the King Center, for assassinated civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Washington, D.C., at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, first lit in 1993 by President Bill Clinton and noted Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel
- New York City, New York, at Ground Zero, lit by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks upon the financial district of the city. It is currently temporarily located at Battery Park on the southern tip of Manhattan under The Sphere, which is a sculpture that had been recovered from the World Trade Center site. The eternal flame will be relocated to the World Trade Center location when the memorial there is completed.
- Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to honor the crew and passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on 9/11 in their efforts to thwart the hijacking
- Chicago, Illinois to honor those who perished in World War II
- Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, atop the Prayer Tower, which represents the baptism of the Holy Spirit
- Newport News Victory Arch in Virginia, commemorating American servicemen and women
- Memphis, Tennessee at the grave of Elvis Presley at his home "Graceland"
- University of California, Santa Barbara houses an eternal flame on its campus.
- Bowman, South Carolina, lit in 1987 in honor and memory of the community's residents who died in World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War
- Huntsville, Alabama, Big Springs Park in honor of John F. Kennedy
- Washington Square (Philadelphia), site of the city's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- Lynchburg, Virginia, gravesite of Jerry Falwell at Liberty University
México
- The Column of Independence, México City in memory of the heroes of the Mexican Independence War
South America
Argentina
- In the Flag Memorial in Rosario, Santa Fe
Colombia
- In the Battle of Boyacá Memorial in Boyacá.
- In the Lost Soldiers Memorial (Monumento a los Caidos)in Bogotá D.C.
Australia
- In the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Victoria
- In the Shrine of Remembrance in ANZAC Square in Brisbane, Queensland
- At the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
- At the state War Memorial in Kings Park, Western Australia
Asia
- Eternal Flame of Freedom, Corregidor, Philippines
- Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the Victory (Pobedy) Monument
- Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, the Monument to the Unknown Soldier (from Soviet times)
India
- New Delhi, India, at the Raj Ghat, in memory of Mahatma Gandhi at the site of his cremation. The date that this flame was first lit is not known at present.
- New Delhi, India, at the India Gate, first lit in 1971 to honor 90,000 soldiers, including an Unknown Warrior, who died in World War I and later conflicts
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, to remember the victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, unveiled in 2005
- Shirdi, India, at the Dwarka Mai Mosque, lit by Sai Baba of Shirdi in the late 1800s
Israel
- Tel Aviv, at Rabin Square, for assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
- In Jerusalem at Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust-Memorial of Israel
- Near Jerusalem at Yad Kennedy, Israel's memorial to U.S. President John F. Kennedy
Japan
- At the Buddhist temple Daishō-in, at Mt. Misen, Itsukushima, where the flame is said to have been burning since AD 806, for more than 1200 years[4]
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, to remain lit until all nuclear weapons in the world are abolished[5]
Africa
Spontaneous natural flames
- The Eternal Flame Falls can be found in the Shale Creek Preserve in New York, United States.
- There is an area producing natural spontaneous flames in Olympos National Park, Turkey.
- There is an eternal flame in Guanziling, Taiwan, as a result of methane gas.
- Flaming Geyser State Park in Washington, United States.
- An eternal flame in Australia, fueled by a coal seam instead of natural gas. Called "Burning Mountain", it is claimed to be the world's longest burning fire, at 6,000 years old.[6]
See also
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eternal flame.
- ^ Noted by Pausanias (10.24.5) in the second century CE and earlier mentioned by Herodotus (7.141) and Euripides (Iphigeneia in Tauris)
- ^ Walter Burkert, Homo Necans (1982) translated by Peter Bing (University of California Press) 1983, p. 122 and notes 31, 32.
- ^ Takht-e Sulaiman - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- ^ Nihonsankei. "Miyajima". The three most scenic spots in Japan. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
- ^ Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (2000). "Guided Tours to Peace Memorial Park and Vicinity". Hiroshima Peace Site. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
- ^ Krajick, Kevin (2005). "Fire in the hole". Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Institution: 54ff. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
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