The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-11-25
= Oriental FOrtuue-teliing.

In few countries in the world can
the adventurous wight who wishes to
peer into the future have his desire so
easily gratificd, i'll SO many different
ways, as in Japan. While in western
nations divinhtioIi is merely the sub
ject of research and speculation among.
scholars, or, at most, is found at in
tcrvals in rural districts, far from the
busy .haunts of men, startling the
apostle of the nineteenth century civ
ilization with its twelfth century SUI
perstition, here in Japan it is living
force, exercising its influence OH the
trader, the farmer, pilgrim, and even
Oh the course of love itself. Nor is it
confined to the poor and ioWly :imcm-
bers of the higher classes, and the
wealthy do not disdain to make use of
the diyiner, and he is equal to the
task. For q tempo, or even a mon, he
will tell the poor maiden whether her
lover is faithful, or the coolie whether
his pilgrimage will prosper; while
for his noble patrons, he can perform
an elaborate ceremony, i'll some cases
possessing even religious sanctions of
the most solemn kind, for which he is
quite ready to accept a hundred, five
hundred, or even thousand yen. On
this subject, a passage almost as ap-
plicablc to Japan as to China may be
quoted here from DR.. Denny's little
work on "Folk-lore of China"
"Divination is in China as popular
as,and probably more respectable than,
it was among the Israclites in the days
of the witch of Endor, and it is not
perhaps going too far to say that there
is not single means resorted to in the
West, by way OF lifting the impene-
trable veil which hides the future from
the curious OF mankind, which is not
known to and practised by the Chinese.
From '.Pinking the Bible" to using
the planchette, from tossing for odd or
even to invoking spirits or to actually
speak through crafty anedia, the whole
range of western superstition in this
regard is as familiar to the average
Chinanlan as to the most enthusiastic
atiloine. The coincidence
Of practice and belief are indeed so
startling that many will doubtless see
in them sort of evidence either for
their truthfulness OF for: q common
origin OF evil" iboll9IsiI+
1t is not intended at present to de-
scribe more than. ono mode Which IS
universal among the lower classes. and
which eau be seen at work every day,
in the temples of the more corrupt orr
poorer sects of Buddhists in Toxic and
Tho materials are very.i
simple. A small rcct.ngular or OBJ,
long box, is filed with slips of banl-
boo, each about six inches in length,
and having o number written on the
end. These can be shaken out, one by
one, through a hole in, the end Of the
box and, according to. the number on
the first stick, The diviner selects from
q drawer in cabinet close at hand; a
printed slip of: paper containing the
lnquirer's late. The boxes vary. .ac-
cording to age or sex; but the number
Ut boxes i'll 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 divining priest gcner-
ally holding some other occupation
about the temple, he can afford to sell
his wares cheaply. Yet ON festival
lays hc must receive large sum. At
the temple between Kawaski and the
sea, the writer has seen as many as
200 persons draw the diviuing sticks
zoo. kitaG as it is called-in
m hour, and ali of them seemed to
treat the ceremony with the utmost
aud solemnity, generally
stepping out before drawing the stick,
lnd elevatilig their hands i'll prayer to
the idol. ---
This form of divination seems to be
with Buddhism, as we find
it also used i'll joss houses in China
The box and sticks are rarely found |
among the possessions of an timer
mt fortune-teller, and even then lie is
us an impostor, or priest |
" ho has been discharged for his mis-
conduct from his temple. /