The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-03-03
Religious
Christian Relics In Japan.

In a recent number Of the Bummel
Hyoron, a secular magazine, there is
an interesting account of the discov-
cry of some songs belonging to the
early Christian period in Japan. The
songs were not used in the churches,
but We're popular ballads. The Chris
tan traditions remaining at the time
of the restoration were scant indeed,
so rigid was the i.Christian policy
maintained during the Tokugawa peri
cd. 'In the island Of Ikizuki," says
the writer of the present article, "the
traditions We're most abundant. The
ancient rituals, the Ten Command
ments and confessions Of faith were
handed down and We're discovered at
the beginning Of the Meiji era"
On the Sth of une in the eighth year
of Genna ca. D. 1922, when persecu-
ton was heavy, an honest Christian
Samurai by the name of John Jiroue-
mon WAS taken to an uninhabited is
land called Nakaejima and was be-
headed. When reaching the island he
turned to the officials who had him in
charge and said. "From this island
heaven is not far distant Before be-
ing decapitated it is said that he sang
a verse which became a popular song
among the villagers. The verse is as
follows:
Mairoya, Mairoya, Pareizo no Terra nj
Mairoya?
Pareizo no Terra to wa mosuredo, hiroi
Terra to wa mOsuredO.
Senai, hirOi wa waga mune nj ari.
Translated literally, the verse reads:
Going, going, to the Temple Of Paradise!
Though called the Temple Of Paradise,
Though called a spacious temple,
Its length and breadth are within my
breast.
The second verse given is popularity
sung in a village near Nagasaki. called
Fawakami. In this village Roman Ca
tholicism iourished in the early period
and q church was erected which bore
the name of Santa Clara" the re-
mains Of which are in existence even
at the present day. The day conse-
Grated to Santa Clara was the 18th Of
August. which day for 200 years has
been called "Yoka Bon or "GoOd Bon
by the descendants Of the early Chris.
tians. This designation vas given in
contrast to the Buddhist festival called
Bon" At a place called "The Jerusa-
lem Wall Of Weeping" the Christians
came and offered up their prayers in
the night time. But Christians at a
distance climbed upon the heights near
by them and, looking toward the Santa
Clara church, offered up their prayers,
just as the ancient Israelites prayed
toward Jerusalem when they We're in
Babylon. Hence a popular song has
remained, the words of which are as
follows:
Yono wa yoka! yoka! makashi kara yoka
20!
Santa Clara de hi won kurasu!
Literally rendered, the meaning is as
follows:
Beautiful, beautiful is Yoke! from ancient
times beautiful,
One day at Santa Clara.
Ups and Downs Of Balkan Church.
Nearly all the churches in Saloniki
We're at one time Turkish mosques.
They continue to have the outward ap-
pearance of such. Two Of the most
we'll known churches, st. Sophia's and
st. Georges, were originally built by
the Christians many centuries ago.
Then the Turks came and the build
ings We're converted into mosques. For
800 years they remained as such, and
only after the recent Balkan wal did
they come back into their own. In the
dome of st. Sophia's is an example Of
exceptionally tine mosaic work which
dates back to the building of the church..
This work OF art has an interesting
history. When the Turks came they
painted it out so that none of the fig
ures could be DISTINGUISHED, and so it
remained for 500 years. Recently the
paint was rubbed off and now the
original picture stands out in all its
beauty and original coloring. Cor.
Christian Herald.