There is one explanation to...
Illustration
Object:
There is one explanation to this rather bizarre notion of heaping burning coals on your
enemy's head. Although some scholars have relegated the story to the urban legend pile,
for what it's worth, here it is: In the ancient world, every home needed fire. Generally,
families kept the embers of the previous day's fire alive, so in the morning they could
rekindle the embers and make a fire. For those who had the misfortune of having their
embers die, a boy from the village would carry a pottery shard full of burning embers
balanced on his head around the village. Those who needed fire would take some coals
from the boy and start their fire.
