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The Northumbrian Baal fire. Bringing in the faggots, Athough there are now very few, if any, superstitious beliefs connected with Midsummer fires on St. John 's Eve, they appear to be survivals of the pagan rite in honour of the god Baal. Some of the practices which used to be carried out in England were certainly very similiar to those of the worshippers of Baal and Moloch. As, for instance, those idolators passed their childern through the fire which burnt at the feet of their god, so our villagers used to jump over and through the flames. But such observances are now extinct; and if the Midsummer fires are of pagan origin, they are at present lit with no other design than that of continuing an old custom. Till comparatively recent times a bonfire was lit on St. John 's Eve in several Northumbrian villages, and is still at Whalton, which, remote from rail and tramway, retains most of its old customs. There the fire has never been omitted within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. It has been postponed owing to heavy rain, but never left out of the year 's round of observances. As Midsummer approaches much wood is marked out for the bonfire, sometimes with the consent of local farmers. When this has been cut, it is brought into the village with a certain amount of formality. On the evening of the 4th of July a cart is borrowed and loaded with branches and faggots, some of the men get into the shafts, more are hooked on by means of long ropes, and then, with a good deal of shouting and horn blowing, the lumbersome vehicle is run down into the village, Whalton, Northumberland. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)