The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-12-02
A CURIOUS CUSTOM.
Description of a Fair Held at the Fes
val of the Dead in Japan.


'At the Market of the Dead" is the
title of paper in the atlantic by Laf-
cadio Hearn. He writes:
The curious narrow street is one
long blaze of lights-lights of lantern
signs, lights of torches and lamps illu-
minating unfamiliar rows of little
stands and booths set out in the thor
oughfare before all the shop-fronts on
each side; making two far-converging
lines of muiti-colored fire. Between
these moves a dense throng, filing the
night with clatter of getGs that
browns even the tidelike murmuring
of voices and the cries of the merchant.
But how gentle the movement!-a
pressure soft as a flowing of tepid
water: there is no jostling. no rude
ness; everybody, even the weakest
and smallest, has chance to see
everything; and there are many things
to see.
''HasU-rao-hama!- a!-basu-no-bG~ Here
are the venders of lotos flowers for the
tombs and the altars. of lotos leaves
in which to wrap the food of the be-
loved ghosts. The leaves, folded into
bundles, are heaped upon tiny tables;
the lotos flowers, buds and blossoms
intermingled. are fixed upright in i'm
mense bunches, supported by light
frames of bamboo.
"OgarG G!-Ogara-yar' White sheaves
of long peeled rods. These are hemp
sticks. The thinner ends can be
broken up into hashi for the use of the
ghosts; the rest must be consumed in
the mukaebi. Rightly all these sticks
should be made of pine; but pine is
too scarce and dear for the poor folk
of this district, so the ogara are substi-
| tuted.
'.KdUardke !-Kda0arake-yam The
| dishes of the ghosts: small red shallow
! platters of unglazed earthenware;
primeval pottery wrought after fash
ion which now exists only for the dead
pottery shaped after a tradition
older than the religion of Buddha.
| "YG-Uondoro-a0 -irinla-Sentd" !" The
| lanterns-the ''bon"-lanterns-w which
will light the returning feet of the
| ghosts. All are beautiful. Some are
hexagonal. like the lanterns of the
| great shrines; and some havethe form
of stars; and some are like great
luminous eggs. They are decorated
with exquisite paintings of lotos flow
ers, and with fringes of paper stream
oES CnOlcely cOlOfeu.
High above the thronging and the
clamor and the myriad fires of the
merchants the great Shingon temple
at the end of the radiant street towers
| upon its hill against the starry night
weirdly. like dream, strangely illumi-
mated by rows of paper lanterns hung
all along its curving caves; and the
| flowing of the crowd bears me thither.
Out of the broad entrance. over a dark
gliding mass which l know to be heads
and shoulders of crowding worshipers,
| beams a broad band of rich yellow
| light; and before reaching the lion.
guarded steps | hear the continuous
Changing of the temple gong, eacf
clang the signal of an offering and q
| prayer. Doubtless a cataract of cask
is pouring into the great alms-chest
Nyori, the Physician of Souls. Borne
to the steps, at last | find myself able
to halt a moment, despite the pressure
of the throng, before the stand of &
lantern-seller, selling the most beauti
full lanterns that l have ever seen
Each is a gigantic lotos flower of pa
per, so perfectly made in every detail
as to seem great living blossom
freshly plucked: the petals are Grim
son at their bases. paling to white al
their tips; the calyx is faultless MIN
icry of nature. and beneath it hangs q
beautiful fringe of paper cuttings. col.
ored with tue colors of the flower
green below the calyx, white in thu
middle, crimson at the ends. In tn,
heart of the blossom is set a micro.
scopic oil-lamp of baked clay; and thi
being lighted. all the flower becomes
luminous. diaphanous lotos of white
and crimson fire. There is slende
gilded wooden hoop by which to hans
it up; and the price is four cents!