The concept of fakir derives from the classical Arabic faqīr . The first meaning of the term mentioned by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary refers to a Muslim individual who performs penance and develops an austere way of life .
The most common use of the notion is linked to an ascetic who carries out different practices of mortification . The fakir, however, can also be a circus artist who performs these kinds of exercises as a show .
Mental and physical endurance constitutes the main quality of a fakir. These men can lie on nails, put a sword down their throat and walk through flames, to mention some of the actions they usually carry out in public as a display.
Beyond the circus or art, in ancient times being a fakir meant adopting a mystical lifestyle . Generally, people considered these individuals as saints who, thanks to supernatural forces of divine origin and meditation, could perform superhuman actions and exercise absolute control over their bodies.
These fakirs used to wear only a loincloth and go around the villages demonstrating their skills . For this reason, the idea of fakir linked to entertainment came to the Western world; In fact, in India there is also this "version" of the fakir, but it is not the one they respect, but rather one that takes advantage of the flow of tourism to get money.
It is important to establish a difference between the stereotype of the fakir and the true characteristics of this figure originally from India. While popular perception leads us to think of an unusual ability to endure physical pain , which they cause themselves by sticking themselves with needles or cutting themselves with pieces of glass, or even the fact that they do not bleed as a result of these actions, These people must carry out arduous preparation on a physical and mental level that cannot at all be represented through this one-dimensional vision.
As mentioned at the beginning of the definition, the etymological origin of the term fakir takes us to classical Arabic, despite the fact that we associate the fakir lifestyle with Indian culture. The meaning of this word is " poor ", and this relates to the path they must follow to achieve enlightenment, which is characterized by extreme austerity and penitence; The ascetic monks who live this way in India are called sadhus .
For Hindus, the fakir is part of the so-called fourth phase of life , the first three being studying, having children and pilgrimage . To become a fakir it is necessary to get rid of material goods and begin to pursue the values that, according to them, are the authentic values of life. It should be noted that, unlike hermits, fakirs do not distance themselves from society, but rather resist pleasures and manage to ignore common pains.
The fakir seeks to resemble the chief ascetic, the god called Shiva . Despite not being attached to material goods, many carry a trident . The color of the loincloth, the only article of clothing of the fakirs, is saffron, and this symbolizes the blessing they receive from Parvati , the wife of Shiva, who offers them her blood, synonymous with fertility.
Among the miracles attributed to the fakirs are the fact of unfolding (being in two places simultaneously), the ability to levitate and even contact with the spirits of the deceased. These people are considered holy and prodigious , capable of supernatural feats that arise as a result of their intense meditation . These events, of course, have not been able to be proven through the scientific method.