The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-12-08
WHOLE NO. 1885.
Oriental Fortune-TeIling.


In few countries in the world can
the adventurous wight who wishes
to peer into the future have his de
sire so easily gratitied, in 80 many
different ways, as in Japan. While
in western nations diyination Is
merely the subject of research and
speculation among scholars, or, at
most, is found at intervals in rural
districts, far from the busy baunts
Of men, startling the apostle Of the
nineteenth civilization with its
twelfth century superstition, here in
Japan it is 4 living force, exercising
It's influence on the trader, the farm
or, pilgrim, and even on the course
of love itself. Nor Is it confined TO
the poor and loHly; members of the
higher classes, and the wealthy do
not disdain 20 make use Of the di-
viner and he Is equal 10 the task.
For a tempo or even a mon, he viii
tell the poor maiden whether her
lover is faithful, or the coolie wheth-
er pilgrimage will prosper; while
for his noble patrons he perform
an elaborate ceremony, in some
cases possessing even religious sane
tions Of the most solemn kind, for
which he Is quite ready to accept a
hundred, five hundred, or even q
thousand yen. On this subject, a
passage almost rs applicable to Ja-
pan as to China may be quoted here
from DR.. Denny's little work on
Folklore of China
"DiyinatiOn is in China as popu-
laras, and probably morerespectable
than it was among the Israelites in
the days of the Witch Of Endor, and
it is not perhaps going too far to say
that there Is not a single means re
sorted to in the west by way of lift
ing the impenetrablc veil which
hides the future from the curious of
mankind, which is not known to
be practiced by the Chinese. From
"Pinking the Bible" TO using the
Planchette, from tossing for odd and
even to invoking spirits or to act
Ually speak through crafty media,
the whole range Of western supersti-
ton in this regard is as familiar to
the average Chinaman as to the
most enthusiastic spirituaIis.s at
home. The coincidence of practice
and belief are indeed so startling that
many will no doubt sco in them 4
sort Of evidence either for their
uuthfulness or for common origin Of
evil.
1t is not intended at present to
describe more than one mode which
is universal among the iowcrcllsscs.
and which can be seen at work ey-
cry day in the temples ofthe more
corrupt or poorer sects of Buddhists
IN Toxic and cise-wherc. Tic ma
terials are very simpl, 4 small
rectangular or obloug OK j. filed
with slips Of bamboo, each about
SIX inches in length, and having a
number written on the end These
can be shaken out, one by one,
through the end Of the box and ac-
cording to the number on the first
stick the diviner selects from n
drawer in the cabinet close at hand ;
a printed slip Of paper containing
the enquirer's fate The boxes vary
according TO age or sex; but the
number Of boxes in possession Of
one temple rarely exceeds sixteen,
eight for the various ages and two
for the sexes, with corresponding
drawers in the cabinet. The stock
IN trade being so small and the di-
vining priest generally holding
some other occupation about the
temple, he can afford to sell his
wares cheaply. Yet on festival days
he must receive a large sum. At
the temple between Kawaski and
the sea, the writer has seen as many
as 200 persons draw the diyining
stick-Miii7gi tgo Kjku as it is called
in an hour, and all Of them SEEM
ed to treat the ceremony with the
utmost seriousness and solemnity.
generally stepping out before draw
ing the sticks, and eleyating their
hands in prayer to the idol
This form Of divination seems
to be connected with Buddhism, as
we find it also used in joss-houscs
in China. The box and sticks are
rarely found among the possessions
Of an itlnerant tortune-teller, and
even then he is regarded as an inn
poster or a priest who has been dis
charged for his misconduct from his
temple