The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-04-23
Death OF the High Priest Of japan.

Death OF the High Priest of Japan.
The Dairi, or High Priest of Japan, in.
habits II splendid paluce in the city of Mia
ko, on the Island of Nipon. His court i,
composed of 10000 priests, who are in
trusted with The charge of the 1000 TEN
pies Of this immense city. His costume is
u long tunc, over Which he wears large
red dress; d white transparent veil, orna.
mented with golden fringe, is worn upon
his head; falling about half way down the
body. His couutenance remains always in
visible
On the lst of July, 1856, the Dairi was
taken i'll. Immediately the chief priest,
with his ghostly colleagues, 200 priests OF
The iirst rank, who are endowed with the
religious power Of the empire, were sum.
moned To the palace. by the next day the
lnvald's situation became more critical, and
ON the 81 his death was pronounced to be
| inevitable and close at hand. The priests
repaired at once to the temple, and inform.
ed the populace that the Dari had entered
into compact with the Seven Gods Of
Heaven, and was upon the eve Of reiuvena.
ting his mind in the embrace of Ted. .syo.
dai sin, the principal of these delies who
the japanese believe TO have created the
world. She has been at the head of az
FAIRS for about $4,000 Years. and from her
spring all the royal families of Japan. To
her the inhabitants OF the entire empire ad
dress their invocations as the proiectress of
the hand.
At the conclusion of the first prayers, the
priests declared illat the inhabitants could
immediately enter the palace and regale
their eyes with the sight of their highly
venera!ed High Priest. At once The crowd
streamed to the palace. where they beheld
Dairi lying stretched upon n bed Of state.
He was dressed in white ,unic, and his
features, covered with a very thin mask,
were dimly percep,ible through veil
spread over them. The priests prayed loud
~, and waited the sweet perfumes from
their censers around the diving man At
o'clock in the morning of the 9TH of Ju.
ly he breathed his last As the last breath
passed through his lips, the chief priest,
raising his AIMS rs a token of the depart
ing life. assured the bys,anders that the
soul OF the High Priest had assembled TO
the abodes of the Gods but that it would
shortly return and resume its earthly hab-
tation. Upon this announcement sol.
cmn silence pervaded the audience. After
the lapse OF ten minutes the chief priest,
surrounded by crowd of his religious
companions, threw over the still warm
corpse of the Dairi large white cloth,
Which he Instantly withdrew, and in the
place JUS, before occupied by the body there
appeared another similarly a,tired, but
alive and strong, WHO, raising him, elf from
his recumheut position. went 10 an altar
standing near the bedside, and bestowed
upon the people present his blessing. The
crowd instantly broke out into exclaualions
of gIadue>s and rejoicing
by "a well concerted >tratagem. the priests
had ab>iracled the body Of tie Dairi. sup.
plying it, place with his son, who nherits
his fathers station. The state bed beinr
hung around with drapery, rendered i; all
the easier 10 perform the trick without
arousimg the suspicious OF the credulous iu-
hahllnnIs. The corpse OF the Dari Was car
ned IN the night time 10 The Ycie temple
by the priests, where it was laid upon a
pyre aud burned TO a>he. Thi. being done,
the temple is closed, and all persons are
forbidden to enter it. A violation Of this
law is punished 10y burning to death
The Ycie temple, the handsomest one in
The city, contains several rows of earthen
statues, OF the deity Ien->yo-dai.sin These
statues are about one yard high, are hoi.
low, and have each large opening in the
back of tie head. The ashes Of each Dam
are preserved in one of these statues, the
same in an urn. The inhabitants arc
not permitted to enter the portion of the
temple where these figures stand. On the
day after the deatI, occurred, ceremonies OF
very different character take place-the
Inauguration OF the new High Priest, who,
as the people suppose. has had his soul re-
ncwed IN the residence of the grea, goda
On the 7th OF July. the new Dairi. sur
rounded hy chosen priests, issued from his
palace aud paradrl the different portion,
ol tire city OF Mako. The people threw
themselves to the earth, and addressed
prayers 20 bin a~ god. Upon this day
aIl work WAS forbidden, all prisoners were
set al liberty, AMI all criminal processo,
anuulled.
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