Fackel

...These fire festivals are meant to eliminate evil spirits that harm people's lives through the purifying power of fire, and are sometimes accompanied by a ritual of burning large dolls that symbolize evil spirits, and the custom of burning witches and cats and foxes, which were believed to be their incarnations, is said to be related to this. In eastern France, a festival is held on the feast day of St. John in which a tall tower called Fackel is erected and burned, and evil things are thrown into the fire. In the Celtic culture of Britain, bonfires are lit during the Samhain festival, which marks the arrival of winter, and prayers are made for the return of the sun.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "Fackel" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…これらの火祭は，人々の生活に害をなす悪霊を火の浄化力によって滅却するという意味が込められており，悪霊を象徴する大きな人形を燃やす儀式が随伴する例，魔女およびその化身と信じられた猫やキツネを焚殺する風習もこれに関連するといわれる。　フランス東部ではファッケルFackelと呼ぶ高い櫓を立て，これを燃やす祭りが聖ヨハネの祝日に行われ，邪悪とされるものを火に投じる。イギリスのケルト文化圏では冬の到来を表すサムハインSamhain祭に焚火がたかれ，太陽の復活を祈った。…

※「Fackel」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報