Sword swallowing

History of the Art

Having originated in India prior to 2000 B.C.E, the deadly art of sword swallowing has a lengthy and varied history. Its age alone can account for the many transformations through which it has gone, being perhaps one of the oldest forms of still extant performance art, predating by 1500 years the beginning itself of Western scientific thought.

During its early period of development in India, it was used primarily as a demonstration of divine union and power. It can still be found in modern India being performed by Indian fakirs, alongside such noted demonstrations as the eating of burning coals, stopping of the pulse, raising of the body temperature, and snake swallowing and regurgitation. These and many other demonstrations, some genuine, others mere feats of conjuring trickery, have served to enlist millions into the worship and service of many an Indian guru, even clear into the 21st century.

The migration of the art to other lands, most notably China in the 8th century, saw its transformation from divine demonstration to theatrical production. It quickly took a small leap across the water to Japan, where it became a central part of the Japanese acrobatic theatre, Sangaku. This form of theatre featured an array of performance delights, including fire eating, tight rope walking, juggling and early illusion.

Simultaneous to the arts' eastern migration was a migration and spread north, all the way to Greece and Rome. In Europe it developed into yet a third distinct type of performance associated with the medieval jongleurs, that of the street performance.
Sword swallowing was performed during the Middle Ages as part of street theatre and was popular at festivals and other large gatherings. However, from the founding of the Holy Inquisition in 1231, it and other forms of religious persecution slowly spread in their influence throughout Europe. Sword swallowers along with jugglers, magicians, prophets and other performers, found themselves increasingly the target of religious persecution, being condemned and executed as heretics, witches and practitioners of the dark arts.

Though performers reemerged after the downfall of the Inquisition and enjoyed a resurgence in activity and reception, this was to be short lived. Sword swallowing once again began to die out in the mid 1800's. This was due to a declining interest in street and festival theatre and a growing interest on the part of audiences in more "organized" and "proper" theatre.

However, in 1893 the art of sword swallowing was featured at the Chicago World's Fair. This marked the beginning of the American practice of the art, with its many permutations.

Circuses and sideshows quickly became the dominant venue for sword swallowers. Traveling all throughout North America and presenting their skills to the show-going public, any connection with religion or divine power was immediately lost. Sword swallowing became a stunt, and as such, it became competitive. Whereas the European practice of the art certainly saw performers attempting to swallow larger numbers of swords, there seemed to be an undue focus on the novel and bizarre in the American practice. This is certainly understandable, as there were a large number of sword swallowers at this time, and innovation was the only recourse performers had in the effort to make money, for themselves and for their employers.

It is during this time that we see a growing popularity with swallowing multiple swords, longer swords, hot swords, bayonets recoiled down the throat, glowing neon tubes and so forth. It seems that the interest in the art had never been so great, and the variations upon it never so clever. In fact, one could often find sword swallowers on the same bill as the magic greats such as Houdini, clearly indicating their appeal.

Western Europe and England also saw during this period an upsurge in sword swallowing interest, and you can find many cross-Atlantic influences.

It was during the late 19th and early 20th centuries that traveling magic shows from the Orient toured Europe and America, bringing some unique twists on standard effects, some entirely new effects (the secrets of which were lusted after by American magicians), and of course sword swallowing, along with their traditional fire eating, juggling and acrobatic feats.

At around the middle of the 20th century, circuses, and sideshows in particular, began to fall by the wayside. Today there remains only one full-time sideshow in the world, the Coney Island Sideshows by the Seashore, in New York City. Some attribute the decline of the sideshow to the increased interest in and decreased cost of mechanical circus and carnival rides. Whatever the reason, it is the case that sword swallowing is today almost a lost art.

Dangers

Warning: Sword swallowing is a life threatening activity. Many deaths and serious medical complications have arisen from attempting this most dangerous of performance arts. Sword swallowing should only be undertaken by a skilled, trained professional.

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