Who started sword swallowing? Whats the history?
The art of sword swallowing comes from a long and colorful history. Sword swallowing originated about 4000 years ago in India around 2000BC by fakirs and shaman priests who developed the art along with fire-walking on hot coals, snake handling, and other ascetic religious practices, as demonstration of their invulnerability, power, and connection with their gods. There is still a tribe in the state of Andhra Pradesh in central India where the ancient art of sword swallowing is passed down from father to son. From India, sword swallowing spread to China, Greece, Rome, Europe, and the rest of the world. Sword swallowing was often seen at festivals throughout the ancient Roman empire. Capuleius, in his Metamorphoseon, tells of seeing the feat in Athens, performed by a juggler on horseback, and sword swallowers were mentioned in 410 AD during the Teutonic fight for Rome.
