#2 Cold Fever and the four axioms

Afton Reed

In Cold Fever,Hirata, a japanese business man, is forced to go to Iceland instead of a vacation to Hawaii. His is obligated to perform rituals at the place where his parents died 7 years ago. Along the way he encounters many strange things.He never would have suspected that he was trekking across a sacred place. However, Iceland's sacredness is revealed throughout the film. Let's see if it fits into Lane's view of sacred place by applying the 4 axioms, shall we? "Sacred place chooses, it is not chosen." Hirata obviously did not choose the place to be sacred. It is sacred because of circumstance. The place where his parents died evokes strong emotions. It is a place where he feels connected to them, as this was the last place they were, while on earth. Secondly, "sacred place is an ordinary place made ritually extraordinary." The river where Hirata's parents died is seemingly ordinary, but because of the events that happened there, rituals must take place there,making it is sacred. Hirata performs many rituals at the river. He lights candles and sends them down the river, he pours wine into the river and he prays at the river. All of these things are done because the place has meaning to Hirata, and because of that, the place is sacred. Thirdly, "sacred place can be tread upon but not entered." Hirata doesn't know anything about the sacredness of Iceland. This is evident when he rides by the fairy stones, that Icelandic people believe to be the home of fairies, and has no idea that they are something out of the ordinary. It is not until he is told about them that he can know of the sacredness, and truly enter the place. And lastly, "Sacred place is both local and universal." The rituals Hirata performs at the river are recognizable rituals. It is local, but it is also universal because someone else has a place that they hold sacred, where they perform similar rituals.They recognize his place as being sacred to him, because of their sacred place, and therefore it is universal.