New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-07
A ROYAL FUNERAL IN COREA
WHITE, NOT BLACK, FOR MOURNEho-A
PAGEANT WITH HOBGOBIINS AND
MONSTERS

cign intercourse, has the outside world pech VII
ness to so novel and interesting spectacle as '"''
of the funeral ceremony and pageant OF Inc Quee"
Dowagcr of Corea. Before describing 1t, leu nic
sketch briefly the history of somewhat IT,
markablc woman, woman OF powerful person"
atty and iron will in n country where woinahno'"
is on level with womanhood in Turkey sue"
! . continuation is remarkable in Corea. She was
born in s01 and at the age OF thirteen was in'i
ried TO the reignng King. In ls3? she was "''
| = widow with a son as yet too young to assume
| the duties of the royal office. The regency th'rc
fore, devolved upon her for period OIL hNe years
! and she executed the duties of that once VIII"
! vigor and success far rs we can ga'h'r iioi"
| the records Al the expiration oil that PERM" i''
son assembled the throne, but she remained the
power behind the throne. II was al C"e ''"'' "
his death tnat one of the most stirring and char
acterstic scenes in her life was enacted
King died without issue in 1864. and the great
| question was whether this woman 'he lo'ii'''
| Queen regent or the Queen of the deceased MING
should enjoy the privilege Of NOMINATING ''',
crssor By the unwritien law Of custom the r'e"'
reverted to this woman: but as a fierce rivalry
existed between the two families. there was some
| danger of serious trouble On being informed Vi
! the death of the King she Immediately proceroe'
| 10 the chamber where he lay to secure 'ht sN"l'
of office the mere holding of which invests It
person with royal authority. She found the ROOM
filled with high officials of the realm ana he'I wv,
, couch of the dead King stood the Queen WHO ii'u
obtained possession of the seals OF once ana e''
them hidden in the folds Of her dress Inv '''''
woman walked mp 10 the younger ana lhP''o"'N
demanded The seals We cannot wonder thi' sue
| ,uccerded in Getting them, when we reheh"ei NV
extreme reverence in which old age Is hed III '''
| East II shows how single act, simple III l'oe' l.
may change the whole history OF a nation. li'u
il no, been for her prompt action at that moment
! Corra mieht still he a Hermit Kingdom '"'
! evidently recognized the tld" III the a'"ilS VI
! men Since that time she has been one VI NV
most powerful guiding elements III Inc co''i''''
If the Nation. She herself was conservative,
and with her passes away one OF the ie" rr'''''n-
| INC link, which bind COrea 10 Inc udNs vi "
liriol, persecution and studied secllSlon.
II may not be- unintcpStng Ia your Te'u'rS ~
no,ice a few Of the curious customs connected
with a royal death and funeral IN 'or'a. "e
J.atb * not officially announced for three "aAN
| .,t.r A. has occurred \ royal death DEMANDS
universal lament and the whole Nation assumes
| rho iuourulng garb. Instead of the usual hIa'K
hat j white one Is substituted with Wllte cl"'h'S
and shoes Every part of the apparel must u"
white ana any on" discovered wearing any 'i'iis
else Is seized aud dealt with severely Hence Ne
tween the death and the public announcement
there must b., an interval IN winch the h""i'
and taller, and cchhler> work night and gay 10
rnrn uut tie requisite number OF white garments
The dead body IS partially embancd ana p"' III
an artincially cooled apartment. wherc II re-
main, five months. the time that, ACCORDING !"
Gust ,in must elap>c between the death ana III
,or.ncr1 o., ROYAL parsonage 4 few days after
I'll tba ,ffrh a =
in IN. cap,td meet before the great palace gate
seated ON the ground on their mats they oe""I
III. lo>s Of the departed royalty Then begin
the preparations for the funeral. Money pours III
from the outlying provinces and the two Govern
,r.rt uin,s are worked TO their fullest capacity
10 provide money for the heavy expenses. Dahd
ot so.ths,,ers start ont in quest of a spot that
will In propitious for the royal tomh. ana hot
only must they purchase that spot, but all the
prourrty surrounding II for a radius 81 nan nile
or more: extensive buildings must be erected
here the guardians OF the tomb shall I'VE through
all coming time Meanwhile in the city large
numbers If men are 10 work making the para
phcrualil for the funeral procession sedan chars'
| banners lanterns. cauope>, ensigns ana score
Of other uccr>s,ry things
A, tLr dnv for the grand procession draws near
ueobl, i;oci IT. ncn TIE country 10 see the sight.
and every available lodging plac" is filled. i"autl-
fnl banners are carried through the streets to
the rendezvous before the palace gate. MI the
Jrp,rtm,nts Of the Government arr absorbed IN
this one thing. and public business IS at stand
still Several DAYS before the procession proper
there are trial professions IN when all the slehlS
are exhibited informally and the participants
trained for the performance of their various unc-
lions. In order to witness the singular seen" 10
4 ........,,t,,... several
laws or weeks in advance. one Of the houses along
thr GREAT central street leading out of the East
cate. through which the procession passes on lis
way 10 the tomb AZ midnight on October II Z,
small company of foreigners sailed forth and made
| thcir way down through the narrow streets 81 the
city to the central point called Chons No. where
fine great city bell has hung for centuries where
the roads from all the provinces Of the country
| ,ucrt and near which We had secured a house
from whose windows or roof We could obtain a
! rood view ot the paScant Countless lanterns
and torchr, showed thousands upon thousands OF
proplr hurryng to their places VI oOserNatloh OF
| Lnuueing about, intending 10 take Their chances
| i'm the crowd Reaching orr place. We arranged
our seats and waited for the procession Inc
cro,d. all in white. looked almost like a company
of spcclrcs. but the cOnstan' shouting ana uproar
destroyed any such illusion
and left a scramble for positions of advantage ana
| . su,den cessation of the shouting. and far up
| the broad street appeared the vanguard OF the
! royal procession. Before II, on each side, ran
| torch bearers, ignitine enormous brush '"rch's
| which had been stuck in the ground on the sides
| Of the road at intervals OF thirty yards or more.
and rs thcs., great beacons ickcred. crack"d ana
finally sent mp spirc of lurid, smoky NAME 'heS
seemed to turn all things blood-red. and made the
| advancing ranks of the procession look more Ike
| cnmnonirs of ncnds than of human beings. The
| main body of the procession was hanked on each
hand for IT'S entire length by single files OF
sodicrs. each bearing. IN lieu of mnsketS. SILK
| Aaps embroidered with Chinese characters. occa-
siopollv one was seen bearing an imlncnS" paddle.
with which he WAS supposed TO keep the crowd
| ,I, ,.hcu il pressed TOO near. The first feature
! If fine procession was series of thirteen large
s,1ou chairs each borne on the shoulders of a
Jo,cn uvcricd carriers. These chairs were drap'd