The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-08-26
4 BIT Of REAL
MEDIEVAL JAPAN
Continued from Page one.)

lIS1u age OuG.l
the symbol of Isumo, a silver chrysan-
themum crossed with a close resem-
blance of the cross of ST. Andrew.
Then came the ark of the covenant,
SO to speak, the shrine, closely cover
ed with white linen hood, borne on
a litter carried by four young men,
their mouths covered with white linen
cloths lest their breath should profane
the interior of the shrine, and behind
marched twelve little maidens in XII
monos of red and white, their faces
white with rice powder, emphasized
by two black spots painted on their
foreheads.
From the priest house, through the
lane Of people to the main entrance
gate the procession moved, before it
busy helpers sweeping clear the path
with long handled brooms. UP the tenn
pie steps they passed, each in line
kicking off the sandals worn as the
holy ground was reached. High priest
and the bearers Of the shrine passed
behind a curtain drawn across the
middle of the inner sanctuary, while
the others grohped about the walls,
the little girls and their mothers on
one side, the priests on the other,
while drums and gongs banged, and
cymbals and flutes in the hands of the
younger priests Joined in with one
grand orchestral effort as the curtain
was drawn aside. Then followed a
hafn
trail altar, still hidden by another cur
tain, while the high priests, one after
another, bowed and squatted in ador-
alton. Then the priest with the brill
liant gown stepped back of the altar
and with a string raised the curtain,
allowing the gazing crowd before the
temple to see still deeper into the
shrine, which with much bowling and
hand clapping was finally opened by
the priest in yellow and the grand
symbol of Isumo was plain to be seen,
a chrysanthemum shaped mirror.
AS the carved door of this inner
shrine was slowly swung back the
worshipers bowed and the priests
chorused a wall, combining awe with
gladness. For several minutes there
followed a silent worship of the SYM
boil on the part of the priests, while
on the outer temple steps crowds of
worshipers approached, drew the at
tention of the god by two claps Of
the hands and then nlurmured a short
prayer, squatting on the heels as they
did so. Following the prayer each
devotee tossed a coin on the temple
steps, the money being gathered up
by attendants and placed in a con-
tribution chest there for the purpose.
Then came the oblation to Isumo,
the attendant priests lining up on the
temple steps, each with a white paper
napkin in his hand and a green leaf
held between the lips. From some
where under the steps came a man
bearing on wooden tray a plate of
cooked rice and two satsuma jars Of
sake. This was passed from hand to
hand up the steps and through the
temple to the shrine. Then followed
other trays with doughty looking
loaves, fresh vegetables, a great red
fish, live duck and drake, unhusked
rice, sweetmeats of various kinds, two
great live Holsters, rolls of silk and
last an offering Of fresh fruits. All
were piled upon the altar, the ducks
quacking out their alarm but being
tied bill to bill and foot to foot unable
to escape from the strange surround
ings. Then came more bowling before
the altar. the orchestra droning con-
tinuously.
Miauo, the high priest, then knelt
before the shrine and unfolded a great
parchment, from which he read
prayer of dedication, offering the tenn
pie to the diety, thanking the god for
the safe journey afforded him from
Japan and asking for a blessing upon
the worshipers in Hawaii
The dance of the maidens before
the shrine, the prettfest part of the
ceremony, then began. Barring the
music, this part might well have been