The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-28

THE LAND OF DEVILS.
Corea's Decadence Attributed to it's De-
grading Superstition.

Is
Most people who learn anything about
Corea are hopelessly perplexed in view
of the utter weakness of nation
which is physically and intellectually
qualified to show itself superior to both
it's neighbors. The Coreans are hand
somer than either the japanese or Chi
nese and there was time when they
were far ahead Of both in civilization.
Yet for several centuries the millions
of this lovely mountain peninsula have
been abjectly at the mercy of China
and Japan alternately, and now they
are certainly doomed to become sub
| iects of Russia, though not before a
terrible struggle has ensued between
the Gear and the Mikado for this great
prize.
Devil worship of the most abject or
der is the secret of Corean deeadence
Such expert scholars as Dr. Lands, of
Chemulpo, and the Rev. Herbert Jones.
of the same Corean city, have devoted
so much attention to this subject of the
demonolatry of the Hermit Nation that
they have been able by their researches
| to divulge the exact reason for what
otherwise must have been inexplicable.
| Grovelling superstition and fear of
countless evil spirits with the faint
| hope of propitiating small minority of
| kindly demons, must be held accounta-
BILE for the miserable degeneration of
| the people whom nature did not fail to
qualify for splendid destiny. Budd-
hism and Confucianism have both been
overthrown by Shamanism, the key
note of which is always sorcery. Corea
is the home Of the most complex and all
pervading witchcraft the world has
ever seen. 1t is not cruel like the feti-
chism of the Congo but it is so serVile
and puerie that it has Slapped the viril-
ity of a stalWart and attractive race.
The Coreans are the most omnivorous
and voracious glutto on earth. They
simply live to eat. The typical Corean
is eating nuts, fruit and confectionery
all day long between his regular meals,
imbibing also great quantities of wine
at intervals; but he can commonly eat
three pounds of meat at meal and he
eats his portion Of flesh all the more
delightedly If it is black dog that hap
pens to be in season. What can be
done to elevate such a people? The ma
tional fibre has been destroyed by gross
materialism, and the religious cult has
actually helped the deterioration.
Wizards ard witch doctors are the
real rulers of Corea. What is most sin
gular, perhaps, in this degrading sys-
tenn is that parents are counted partic-
ularly lucky If they happen to have a
son born blind. He can become a PAN
SUI or blind sorcerer. and is sure to be
able to gain q handsome livelihood for
the whole family The Pan SUI wiz
ards are supposed to be gifted with su-
pernatural instead of natural vision
The helpers of the male Shamans are
the female sorcerers, or witches, who
are everywhere in evidence. The funo-
ton of these two classes of Shaman de-
voices is to propitiate the spirits which
swarm in the air, at least three-fourths
of these demons being altogether ma
lign. The Pan SUI and the "Mutang''
will not be any means exercise their Of |
fees at low figure. Their fees are
most exorbtant and it is computed |
that Shamanism costs the country not |
less than five hundred thousand pounds
annually! Nowhere can the poor Co |
rean escape from the accused burden
Of this lifelong bondage to unseen foes. |
AccoielHS W the pOpulaf cFeeu the ma
lisn spirits I'll every portion Of space !
The chimney Is crowded with them; |
they live by thousands in the kitchen;
they have their mansions in the roof; !
they squat in every jar; they sit on ev-
cry beam; they waylay the wretched
citizen by thousands when he travels
forth along the road; they dance
around him in earth air and water
cannot compute their num-
Der, for they exist in thousands of bill
ions, The "Mutang'' or soreeress is
the most important sort of wfman
among the Coreans. She is everywhere
In as much request as the blind Pan
Su. e" and as she can move about freely,
not being blind as he is. she leads a
much more active life. Yet, strange to