The act of setting strands of human or animal keratin on hearth can stem from numerous origins. This motion, noticed all through historical past and throughout cultures, generally has non secular or ritualistic significance. In different situations, it could come up from easy curiosity or harmful tendencies, notably amongst youthful people experimenting with hearth.
All through historical past, totally different cultures have related significance with incinerating parts of the physique. Some traditions embody this in mourning rituals, believing the destruction of the bodily remnant aids in transitioning to the afterlife. Equally, particular spiritual practices could use burning as a method to purify or symbolically destroy undesirable facets. A sensible consideration in sure communities has been the disposal of undesirable keratin matter the place sanitation infrastructure is proscribed.