MULTI-STRIKE BRANDING THE "ME" PETROGLYPH

We started with the lowest figure in the grouping, the "Me" glyph. This figure was twelve strikes altogether. Each of the little parts was its own metal piece, and for the circle in the middle of the head, Fakir burnt a dot with a nail. When it spreads, it should form the circle.

I took deep breaths as Fakir began to line himself up for the first strike. He took a few practices movements for each strike, finding the exact angle and placement of each strike before calling for the torch to heat the iron. Here you can see Neo holding the torch to heat the first piece of the brand. Fakir lines himself up in perfect position, then raises his arms away from the strike site. Neo then brings the flame to the branding iron to heat it, so that Fakir can maintain his perfect hand and wrist alignment.

When the piece glows red-hot, and when Fakir is ready, he signals Neo, then lowers the hot iron straight down to the pattern and makes the strike. Above left is just as the first strike is about to be struck. Below right is the glyph after the first two strikes, forming the circle of the head. The lines will spread and join as they heal, hence the tiny spaces between strikes. If you strike the lines over each other, you get extra bumpy bits where two scars form.

Fakir would realign himself for each strike, then the heating ritual would begin again. Neo moved from side to side of the table, to faciliate Fakir's position.

After branding the crotch piece and the dot in the head, the first glyph was done. It seemed like the watching audience had stopped breathing. Everyone moved around a bit and took a drink of water. Then it was on to the second character, the "Myself" Petroglyph.