Howling at the Temple Burn?

claybcook · Post by **claybcook** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 6:29 am

Last year was my first Burn, and I've got tickets for this year. It was wonderful beyond words. One interesting bit of apparent conflict was during the Temple Burn, when the howls swept across the crowd. There were clear and loud "Shhhhhh's!" in response to the howling, and then the howling would stop, and then it would begin again.
There seems to be a generally accepted mode of behavior during the Burn, even if the accepted mode is to accept whatever anyone else is doing, but there's a conflict here, and I'm curious about it. I was personally very distracted by the howling and would have preferred the silence and the reverence, and I joined in the shushing.

Does anyone have the story here? What's the norm? Is there one? Feels odd for two divergent behaviors to be battling with each other during the ultimate time of the Burn.

Jackass · Post by **Jackass** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 6:57 am

Along with the shushing also comes the people telling you to sit down and get out of their view....

But, it is your burn too and you are permitted to act with any shade of jackassery that you deem appropriate at any time.

Dr Helix · Post by **Dr Helix** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:04 am

I think the only thing that's really a no-no at the Temple burn is any loud music being played by an art car. That happened a few years back and everyone was pretty pissed as it did feel disrespectful. Cries, laments, howling? Hey if you need to express yourself that way I see no problem with it. If it is bothering others maybe just move out of the circle a bit. It's not like you'll miss anything. For me, the Temple Burn has always meant that Burning Man is over and I'm a little sad about that. But I can see where people put a lot of emotion into it so I try to be respectful and not do anything stupid.

burner von braun · Post by **burner von braun** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:11 am

Here is a link to an old thread which I found interesting. Clearly there are opposing viewpoints, and room for honest debate. I had only one burn under my belt when the thread first appeared here, and I remember it made me think twice, and helped shape my thoughts regarding the Temple burn.

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=48289

lucky420 · Post by **lucky420** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:12 am

Jackass wrote:Along with the shushing also comes the people telling you to sit down and get out of their view....

But, it is your burn too and you are permitted to act with any shade of jackassery that you deem appropriate at any time.

Perfect, everybody grieves/celebrates in their own way

Lonesomebri · Post by **Lonesomebri** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 12:24 pm

People love (dead) people. People hate how live people act. People put a lot of respect they have for the departed that they honored in the Temple into that structure. That respect and honor transfers to trying to control and shape the Temple Burn in an "appropriate" manner. There is a lot of raw emotions in play.

Last year, an hour after the Temple opened at the start of the week, Camp THREAT, as a unit, was shhhhhhhhushhhhed out of the Temple because my dead people liked to laugh and have fun. Represent!

Apparently, if my dead people wanted us to have a naked drum circle, no prob.

Years ago, hours after the Temple collapsed, we watched as a guy tried to toss his plywood art into the Temple ashes, and the Temple architect and him nearly came to blows over that "disrespect".

Another year I brought a large sign reading "My God Is A Standing God" to confront the people who ALWAYS show up at a burn after me, sit down behind me, then complain that I'm not sitting for their comfort.

Another year, after the Temple collapsed but still burned, my bike fell over (remember, don't bring your vehicle out to a burn unless you can afford a huge 2 story bus, don't want your bike in the way...) and as I picked it up, I mentioned to a person next to it that the bike had had a rough week, they shuuuushed that single sentence.

Oh, I've cried, sobbing in silence, a number of times watching the Temple burn. Never shuuushed anyone. Funny, because I have screamed at dumbass DJs in the middle of the day who is standing on top of a 2 story bus, blabbering on his mic in deep playa, to shut the hell up.

Let your conscious be your guide.

mgb327 · Post by **mgb327** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 1:42 pm

Free. Bird.

Jackass · Post by **Jackass** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 1:49 pm

Maybe you shook loose a chakra or two, with your standing commentary...

remi · Post by **remi** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:32 pm

I hate the howling and dumb shit people do at temple burn, so I just go out to deep playa and watch it from a distance with my partner. I know that'll piss me off, and I know it's going to happen, so I take myself out of a situation where I will be (unreasonably?) pissed off.

Lol @ free bird ^^^

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:42 pm

mgb327 wrote:Free. Bird.

DoctorIknow · Post by **DoctorIknow** » Thu Apr 26, 2018 2:38 am

My favorite part of the Temple Burn is to see and listen to and feel the percussion of snapping, creaking and exploding wood in the fire.

How many times in ones life can one hear/feel such a monster fire that is safe to be that close to?

You may never have a chance again to be near such awesomeness....

You can't take it with you by sticking your smartphone in the air to prove to many around you that you are doing Burning Man wrong. (microphones can NOT capture the sound...don't even try...)

There are always moments when there is dead silence at the Temple burn,,,others will always break that silence, but chances are, even if there are 10,000 of them howling somewhere in the circle, it will stop, and be silent but for wood and wind and fire sounds.

Take those moments and forget what others are going to do in the next moment...not worth your time to think about it for one second.

Some of us practice meditation and HOPE for just a millisecond or two of peace, so know you can have it at the Temple burn if you shut your monkey mind and .......just...... look...... and...... listen.

Now you kids get off my lawn.

Token · Post by **Token** » Thu Apr 26, 2018 7:04 pm

I’ve been to way many more weddings at the BM Temple than I have funerals.

But, then again it was made from dinosaur mobile balsa cutout scraps/negatives back then.

I once passed gas during the temple burn, right there in the middle of the crowd. Was that wrong?

I once heard a fabulous opera singer deliver an aria for the temple burn. Migrating geese almost got sucked into the fire vortex that year.

But most years I just watched it from my camp while packing and cleaning up the moop.

You are doing it all wrong - now enforced by law!

XPTom · Post by **XPTom** » Fri Apr 27, 2018 10:17 am

I was considering having a friend tuck a brown bag containing my ashes in it into the Temple timbers when the time came..... but the combination of flames and EDM may worry my soul that judgement day isn't going well.....

claybcook · Post by **claybcook** » Sat Apr 28, 2018 10:58 am

God, I love you guys.
Yes, this year will be another year, and with luck I'll be a year wiser. Last year, it never occurred to me to join in the howling; I was about silence and reverence. Perhaps this year, I'll need shushing. I promise to take it with grace.

dragonpilot · Post by **dragonpilot** » Sat Apr 28, 2018 7:30 pm

Anyone actually think Larry would want shuuuuuushing?

gaminwench · Post by **gaminwench** » Sun Apr 29, 2018 12:58 am

David Best uncovered the communal need for a place of reverence (I was there, spoke with him, shared his pain and understood).

Larry, in his place of 'leadership', transformed that communal need into reality, both in the placement and the scope of the Temple ... not an easy decision and plagued with anarchic sturm und drang.

Let us listen to the flames consume the Temple, in silence, in honor of the instigator, David.

Let us howl at the Temple fall for the loss of Larry.

I personally witnessed both David and Larry, at the very first Temple, encourage silence during the burning.

At the fall, David ran around the inner circle and led a wave of howling. Larry was right there with him.

David once invited Diva Marisa to sing "Ave Maria" during the Temple burn; DPW once played "FreeBird" on an Art Car during the Temple burn to remember a lost team mate. I don't know what the appropriate soundscape would be for Larry, but I encourage reverence; let us not mar those memories.

Let us be silent for the burning, and howl at the fall, as was yearned for by the community and intended by the artist and our founder.

Tradition is a thing, y'all, built upon the need of the community for ritual and release; may we recognize and respect this.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sun Apr 29, 2018 8:52 am

I didn’t even think anything of that first Temple. It was pretty much a square box made of those plywood puzzle cutouts, I think it was on the inner playa somewhere in the 8:00-ish area??
But after that, it became a lot bigger better thing than the Man burn, to a lot of us.

I’ve always liked the fact that the Temple burn was the one and only time the whole place shuts the hell up and there’s silence other than the fire.
I also like the contrast vs. the Man burn, where everyone in BRC has everything they’ve got cranked to 11, which is also really cool.

There was always howling and I accept it but I hate it.

Howling at the Temple Burn?

Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?

Re: Howling at the Temple Burn?