Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-04-08
Death of the High Priest of Japan.

splendid palace in the city of Mako, or tn
Island of Nippon. His court is composed OF ~
600 priests, who are entrusted with the charg
of the 1000 temples OF this immense city. LII
costume is long tunic, over which he wears
large red dress, white transparent veil, orna
tmented with golden fringe, is worn upon hi
head, falling about half way down the body
His countenance remains always invisible.
On the first of July, 1856, the Dairi was ia
| ken i'll. immediately the chief priest, with hi
ghostly colleagues 200 priests of the first rank
who are endowed with the religious power o
the empire. were summoned to the palace. BY
the next day the invalid's situation became
more critical, and on the Sd his death was pro
nounced to be inevitable and close at hand
The priests repaired at once TO the temple, ane
informed the populace that the Dairi had entered
into a compact with the Seven Gods of Heaven
and was upon the eve of reiuvenating his mind
| in the embrace of Ted-syo-dai-sin, the principal
of these deities, who the Japanese believe tC
have created the world She has been at the
head of affairs for about $4,000 years, and from
her sprung all the royal families OF Japan. 10
her the inhabitants of the entire empire address
their invocations as the protectress OF the land.
AT the conclusion of the first prayers, the
priests declared that the inhabitants could i'm
mediately enter the palace and regale their eyes
with the sight of their highly-venerated High
Priest AT once the crowd streamed to the pal
ace, where they beheld the Dairi lying stretched
upon a bed of state He was dressed in white
tunic, and his features, covered with very thin
mask, were di,nly perceptibe through veil
spread over them. The priests prayed loudly,
and waited the sweet perfumes from their CEN
sers around the dying man. At 8 o'clock on the
morning of the 9Th of July he breathed his last.
AS the last breath passed through his lips, the
chief priest, raising his arm as token OF depart
ing life assured the bystanders that the soul OF
the High Priest had ascended to the abodes OF
the gods, but that it would shortly return and
resume lis earthly habitation. Upon this an
nouncement solemn silence pervaded the au-
dience After the lapse of len minutes the chief
priest, surrounded by crowd of his religious
companinns, threw over the still warm corpse Of
the Dairi large white cloth, which he instantly
withdrew, and in the place just before occupied
by the body there appeared another similarly at
tired. but alive and strong, who, raising himself
from his rccumbent position, went to an altar
standing near the bedside, and bestowed upon
the people present his blessing. The crowd in
stantly broke forth into exclamations of gladpess
and rejoicing
BY we'll concerted stratagem, the priests had
distracted the body of the Dair, supplying its
place with his son, who inherits his fathers sta
ton. The state bed being hung round with dra-
perry, rendered it all the easier to perform the
trick without arousing the suspicious Of the
credulous inhabitants. The corpse of the Da-
iri was carried in the night time to the Icie
temple by the priests, where it was laid upon a
pyre and burned to ashes. This being done, the
temple is closed. and all persons are forbidden to
enter it, A violation of this law is punished by
burning to death.
The Ycie temple, the handsomest one in the
city, contains several rows of earthen statues Of
the deity Ten-syo-dai-sin. These statues are a.
bout one yard high, are hollow, and have each
large opening in the back of the head. The ash.
es of each Dairi are preserved in one of these
statues, the same as in an urn. The inhabitants
are not permitted TO enter the portion Of the
temple where these figures stand. On the day
after the death occurred ceremonies of very
different character take place-the Inauguration
of the new High Priest, who, as the people sup
pose, has had his soul renewed in the residence
of the great gods.
On the 7th of July, the new Dairi, surrounded
by chosen priests, issued from his palace, and
paraded the city of Mako. The people threw
themselves to the earth, and addressed prayers
to him as god Upon this day, all work was
forbidden all prisoners were set at liberty, and
all criminal processes annnlled.