Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-11-04
JAPANESE FOLKLORE.
BIZ HELEN STRONG THOMPSON.

Il is interesting to note some of the
national characteristics to be found in
ireside story, proverb and mythology
,al lore. From the story of the crea-
ton, beautiful myth OF the ''art of
love," and the origin OF the human
race, down to their conception of the
wind and thunder imps, Nature is
peopled with mysterious agencies, and
life fraught with supernatural infiuen-
,es to the Japanese. Some of the cur
rent fireside tales are very amusing,
and none can wonder at the wide-eyed
,stonishment of the children. Many
times have we sat at night by the fire.
brazier, in a pleasant Japanese home,
where pretty girls, growing lads, and
rollicking babies gather round parents
Dr grandmother, to listen TO fairy tale,
legend, or marvellous myth. The floor
is strewn with toys, dolls, masks OF
Ddruna-the snow man-tops, pop
guns, devil IN the band-box, ETC., but
As. le stories reach their climax, all are
abandoned.
A familiar sight in front of Japanese
temples, are immense figures of the
'.wind-imp" and "thunder-cat. The
wind imp has a huge bag of compressed
air on his back. By holding, loosing,
Or removing his hand from one end,
the wind may be a gentle breeze or
tempest, at the imp's pleasure. When
the hand is removed a tornado visits
the earth. Travellers over long and
tedious routes, often have their faces
torn or bitten by the wind-imp as he
passes, though to them invisible.
The thunder-cat carries on his head
five drums fastened together, with
which no makes thunder. He often
escapes from the cloud to the ground,
doing terrible mischief. When q vic
tim is killed by lightning, it is because
the thunder cat lesped upon him.
Another of the supernatural beings
who infest the earth, is the kama
itachi, in the form of a weasel, who
tears and lacerstes the faces of human
beings with a sharp, invisible, two
edged knife. II one slips on the pave
ment, or among the sharp pebbles OF
the garden-paths, or up the mountain
side, it the kama itachi that made him
fall, and if cut, it is the imp's sharp
knife that did it.
The kappa is another imaginary en-
emy, which appears to man in the
water, having the claws of q tortoise,
and the body and head of monkey.
He delights to seize unwary victims,
especially promising boys who invade
his kingdom.
When one falls asleep the soul leaves
the body for rest or play. Therefore.
no one must be walked suddenly or he
will die before his soul can returnl The
dead are always placed with their feet
to the south. 1t thus follows that the
Japanese will not sleep in that position.
We noticed with interest a diagram of
the points of the compass, hung upon
the ceilings of hotel sleeping-rooms,
and the same In private houses, to aid
the traveller or unwary In avoiding this
position.
Cert In days are very unlucky.
Seeds will not sprout if sown on such
days. On one of these, the head must
not be washed, or the hair will become
red, of which color the japanese have
great horror, as pertaining to evil
spirits and bad men, such as English
snobs. Indeed, any color of hair but
the blacklist black is intolerable.
Children must never measure their
height, or place any burden upon the
head lest they become stunted, and an
underslZed man according to their
standard) is as bad as deformity, and
greatly to be deplored. Children are
taught that if they tell lie, an imp
will pull out their tongues, which ex-
erts q most wholesome influence. When
a deformed child is born the parents
are charged with some SPECIAL sin.
When smallpox appears, parents place
q notice upon the front of their house,
say ing the children are awayl Those
Sho have lost children resort to many
devices to protect those that remain
from death. One of these is to change
their names to those of the opposite
sex.
Before an eclipse of either sun or
moon, the wells are carefully covered to
prevent poison falling from the sky.
A devil Is supposed to stand between
an angry husband and wife. In no
country have we found such marvel