The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1888-12-07
JAPAN's SACRED DANCE.
A Picturesque Ceremony Conducted by
Young Priestesses.

Picturesque Ceremony Conducted by
Young Priestesses.
From Kasuga gate the upper avenue
of lanterns leads the way to the Wa
kamiya shrine, dedicated to the early
gods Of the Shinto religion. Here the
old custom of the sacred dance is kept
up, and a group of young priestesses
are waiting to repeat the measures
danced by Uzume before the sun god
dess' cave in prehistoric times. the
little priestesses are all between the
ages of nine and twelve, as timid, gen
tie and harmless little things as the
deer that often stray in and watch
them. Their dress is the old, old cos
tune of the imperial court, pictur-
esque lower garment or divided skirt
of the brightest cardinal red silk, that
half covers the white kimOno, with
square sleeves and pointed neck, filled
up high with alternate folds of red
and white. When they dance they
wear over this loose kimOnos of white
gauze, painted with the wistar1a crest
of the Kasuga temple the front of the
gauzy garment half covering the red
skirt, and the back pieces trailing on
the mats. Their faces are plasterCd
so thickly with white paint that they
lose all expression, and, following the
old fashion, their eyebrows are shaved
and two tiny black dots high up in
the middle of their fOreheads take
their place. With lips heavily rouged
the cOuntenance is more a mask
than any thing human. The hair is
gathered together at the back of the
neck ard tied with loops of gold paper,
and then folded in soft white paper,
allowed to hang down the back. Long
hair-pins, with clusters of wistaria
and red camellia, are thrust across the
top of the head, and fastened so that
they stand out like horns over the
forehead. In detail the costume is not
pretty, but in it's general effect it is
singularly bright and picturesque.
One can have as many priestesses
and as long a dance as he will pay for,
and as soon as the money is handed
over the two priests get into their
ceremonial white gowns and high
black hats and, sitting before the an
cient drums. chant, pound and blow on
dOleful pipes an accompaniment for the
llJLle QdQC6FS- ne SdCEOQ QdQCS Is
solemn enough, and each dancer has a
fan and bunch of bells, from which
hang long strips of bright-colored
silks. They advance, retreat, glide to
right and left, raise their fans, shake
their sacred baby rattIes, and with few
changes in the measure repeat the
same figures and movements for a GER
tain length of time. If one pays more
money they continue repeating the
same thing, and the priests can wall
the endless accompaniment by the
hour. To US the dance is simply
curious and picturesque custom, but
one should see the faces of the devout
old pilgrims. who have boarded up
their money for months and often
years for the trip, TO know something
Of what it means to them. 1t is really
pathetic to see their faces glowing and
their eyes almost filed with tears at
their satisfaction with the fine specta-
Gle that is so rare an event in their
lives. and which crowns their summer
pilgrimage to the old shrines of their
faith Cor 81 Louis Globe Democrat.
Hartford is literary, but not geo.
graphical. When the bronze image OF
H. Wells found its present resting
place on Bushnell Park, this inscription
- Il