The act of setting strands of human or animal keratin on fireplace can stem from various 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 fireplace.
All through historical past, completely 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 non secular practices might use burning as a method to purify or symbolically destroy undesirable features. A sensible consideration in sure communities has been the disposal of undesirable keratin matter the place sanitation infrastructure is restricted.