The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-16

I NiCd III piiSCS lCl tlliS dll-Sttll pio- gramme.
 Maurice Costello, after prolonged l absence from the screen, appeared yes- l terday at the Trianon in "The Man 1 Who Could Not Beat God,' Vita | graph V. L. s. E. feature In this | picture, which was of excellent pho- | tography, MT. Costello takes the role of murderer, who thought that l worldly success would make him for | get his crime. He does not forget, l and just at the height of his success l he succumbs to the bangs of con- l sacred cake and other things. This preparation over, ritualists proceeded l to the two shrines carrying food of ferings from the Yuki and Suki dis tricts consisting of dried sea-slug, dried cutie fish, salmon, ear shell, edible sea- weed, chestnuts, dried persimmon, pears, bean rice cakes and sake. They also carried stick of white wood, a | jug, knife box, a towel box, shop stick box, and sake cups of unglazed earthen ware.
 l The Chief Ritualist
 
 | the Yuki shrine and offered a Shinto prayer before the altar, announcing to l the spirits of the deities of heaven that the Emperor would personally offer the sacred food. The Emperor, dressed in Shinto ceremonial costume, came into ] the Yuki shrine from the bathing hall through corridor covered with pure cotton cloth and reed mating. The mat l tings were spread by the ritualists be- lfore the Emperor as he proceeded on l his way and rolled and removed by other ritualists after he had trod upon them. Thus no member of the ret1nue was permitted to touch them with his feet. At the head of the imperial pro 1 cession walked the grand master Of ceremonies and the minister of the | househould, and directly in front of the Emperor chamberlain walked With | the sacred sword and jewel
 | Close behind his majesty walked a chamberlain who held hnge umbrella of curious and ancient shape over the head of the Emperor. Another cham lberlain held the umbrellas cordon. When the procession, which included the members of the cabinet in court
 costume, reached the veranda of the shrine the chamberlain entrusted with the sword and jewel mounted the step and placed the sacred objects on ta- ble.
 1 The Emperor then ascended the
 veranda, and entering the hall, took 1 his seat on throne provided in the room outside the inner shrine. The lord
 chamerlain and chief ritualist followed
 and sat on the mattings on the southern veranda around the hall The Grown | Prince, the princess of the blood, the l ministers of state and other members | of the retinue entered the pavilion pro- vided in the southern yard of the shrine
 and took their seats Next entered the high officials of the coronation board, attired in ancient ceremonial dress ana wearing gold swords at their sides, fol- lowed by band of court musicians.
 Notes of the Flute
 l Suddenly the silence of the night was broken by the notes of a fiute Then were played popular songs of the Yuki
 district by the court musicians-ancient songs of felcitation and joy. When the
 music was ended the Crown Prince, princes and princesses of the blood and other members of the imperial family of fered worship to the deities of heaven
 enshrined at the Yuki shrine and subse- quently the members of the imperial re-
 tinue and all dignitaries and other par ticipants offered obeisance.
 l When the Crown Prince, princes of the blood and other male members of the inn perial family had entered the Yuld hal there came a procession of ritualists ano maids of honor carrying the sacred fooo
 offerings which had been prepared in the cooking hall. The maids were attired ir beautiful ceremonial court robes of bright and varied colors and each carried 8
 wicker basket containing food offerings
 and utensils. Five eight-legged tables
 bearing sake cups sacred sake wine soup, boiled rice and all the food to be l tasted by the Emperor were then brought
 in by ritualists These preparations com
 pleted. ritualist beat wooden clappers tc
 announcece the commencement of the holy ceremony of the Emperor offering food to the deities. To the strains oi the kagura music the Emperor left his seat in the outer room, and proceeding tc the inner room. seated himself on the i throne facing the seat of the deities ir | the center.
 l Washes His Hands
 Again purifying himself by washing his l hands, the Emperor alone and unseen Of l fered the sacred rice meal, sacred sake
 wine and other food to the spirits 6 the deities. No other person was permitted 1 to enter the precincts of this "holy ot
 holies." Later the Emperor worshiped before the altar, lowing in profound rev
 erence and then read B prayer Then he
 himself partook of the sacred feast What else took place in the forbidden precinct is not exactly known. Eventu- ally the sacred offerings were taken away by a maid of monor and escorted back
 to the cooking hall by the ritualists and
 maids of honor in procession as before The Emperor. again washing his hands with the help of a maid of honor retired
 from the shrine and left the hall. followed
 by the retinue. The ceremony began d,
 dusk and lasted until just before mid i night.
 | About one hour after the ceremony al
 the Yuki shrine a similar ceremony was performed at the Suki shrine when the
 Emperor personally offered the sacred
 rice. sake wine and other food offerings before the spirits of the deities of earth The sacred food which came from the Suki district was prepared and cooked al a separate cooking hall erected in the
 western garden of the Yulxi shrine. The ceremony lasted until early morning. Its successful termination was held to fore bode the prosperity and everlasting tran. quillity of the reign and the new sover- eign. the Emperor of Taisho.
 To celebrate the occasion, offerings were
 made to all Shinto shrines throughout the empire and dependencies where the occa- sion was observed with fevtivities. The Daijo Halls
 The Daijo Halls which consisted of l two principal halls and several annexes resembled huts in their rustic simplicity.