A FEAST OF FANTASY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7667, 28 March 1903, Page 2

A FEAST OF FANTASY.

STew Y&&3? in tli© Laacl of tk.9 ■v7l&ge& Tiger. (By WILLIAM DURBAN, in tho "Pall Mail Gazette.") Of all Orientals the Koreans seem to Occidentals the most eccentric. They merit J the growing interest which is manifested in them, and thdr lovely little peninsula, not more than half tho size of Scotland, must become one of the most prized oi playgrounds for the world's pleasure-seek-ers." That its surpassing beauties are fuily appreciated by the natives is proved by the fact that they postpone- tho celebration of tho New Year till the flowers burstforth, which happens only a month after our New Year's Bay. The buds do not c-e---lay their dazzling efflort-.scenoA till the snows have melted from the feet of the trees. As soon as the boughs are free countless plum-trees are covered with bloom. The cherry-tress speedily add their brilliant gleam to the landscape, and in rapid succession the peonies blaze on the ground and the wistaria hangs its rich blue banners above. Lastly, all over the hind the exquisite iris weaves a carpet as if in a few hours. So the New Year opens with a dance of new-born flowers, furnishing a spectacle that no other region can rival. In the "Land of the Morning Calm" the people have no notions that can be classed as belonging to tho category of the theological, for the national religion is simply an absolute agnosticism mingled with the most extravagant superstition of the order of dem'onolatry. But with tho opening of the year a frantic impulse seizes tho average Ivoroan to secure a clean ethical slate. Indeed, he waits for the New Year that ha may then bo absolved of all his faults and sins, and turn ov-cr a new kaf. The regenerative methods adopted are certainly fantastic. Late on the last night cf the year the citizens go out into the darkness and wait for the moment when the N-evr Year begins. But during that interval they are sending up kites on which they have inscribed confessional words, such as " evil talk," "street fights," "bad passions," "angry tempers." •etc. The string that holds the kite runs out to its full length. But wL«n New Year is 'signalled, it signifies to the Korean that he c;;n begin another year with a peaceful conscience and with fresh courage. Some conscious sinners prefer another style of putting their contrition into concrete form, probably because of its vicariou?ness. On* who- chooses this method prepares a straw irmv.rn, which contains in its inmost being a written statement of his errors and shortcomings, together with some cash. -On New Year's night beggars, who arc willing fur the pecuniary consideration involved to- perform the part of scapegoat, cojne along, asking itiv the image of straw. It is eagerly v.iivsed out to them, and thuy become possessed of the evil, SELLING TlTi'Uir SOULS l'Olt THE CASH WITHIN. One curious characteristic of the Korean people is their passionate delight in rights. The" indulgence is paradoxical, as they are the lea.-.t 'warlike of all Eastern nations, and have been content through the Middle Ages to sco their beautiful peninsula converted into the cockpit of the Far Orient, China and Japan having struggled for its possession for many centuries. Fighting is the most cherished of the national sports, and the lights are waged in brutal earnest, limbs being frequently broken or dislocated, j and the bodies of the combatants being cov- > ered with frightful contusions from the violence of thc°biows. But this is entirely j a New Year's -pastime. It is legal only during the Jirtrt month. While that lasts it •is considered fashionable to fight as often as possible. Here, again, the clean slate principle seems to b-i the dominant idea, j for 'hundreds nurse grudges during all tue previous eleven months, and at New Ye snare ready in the most ferocious manner to light out the register of the accumulated ptitoiices. These vicious combats are witnessed with intense appreciation by crowds of spectators. Among the poor grades cf society many of the women ai\i as skilled in pugilism as the men. Ons result of this accomplishment is that they are able to teach their little boys the art of attack and defence at the earliest possible age._ As in China, New Year is the time for paying debts, and failure to liquidate any may mean fierce fighting. Fortunately, some of the most popular customs are more gentle and graceful. A bright moonlight night is chosen soon after the opening of the year for the festival called -'Crossing the Bridges." The capital- of Korea, the quaint city of Seoul, abounds in queer little bridges. The custom is for a man and a woman to walk to the centre oi a bridge, to exchange cordial wishes for the season, and to search the stars for favourable auguries. : One great anxiety is to begin the year by checkmating the inachinations of evil spirits. These are believed to be countless as well as universally present. ' . . la most families all through the year clippings and combings of every individual's hair are sedulously stored in order that they may be burned as soon as darkness sets in at the close of New Year's Day. atmosphere is for some time filled with the j rencliant fumes, which are supposed to possess wonderful efficacy in warning demons off the whole year. Cremation is, indeed, reckoned to be a potent magic exorcism. Thus for some time on the opening day of 'the year, many citizens are occupied in painting on paper all sorts of personal effigies. On these they write lists of their yarous physical and mental troubles. The paper is then -given to a boy, whose business is to bum it, and so it is hoped that the : . SPECIFIED EVILS ABB .GOT HID OF. After all the startling interventions during recent times by other nations, Korea is still mainly unchanged. Ife is to-day, afc of old, the land > of lotus ponds and red--1 arrow gates j of big hats and' devil-traps ; of geisha girls and a red-robed King ; and of the (juawftesfc civilisation, known any-

where.. But electric shocks are being administered as the years come and go. The Koreans are still famous as the best feeders and best sleepers of the East, and they lapse again into their time-honoured customs after each tremendous shock. One was the visit of Prince Henry. The Emperor looked with speechless amazement at this tall, sun-tanned, blue-eyed Westerner. The lord high executioners had gone to meet the Prince, -expecting to see somebody rcbed like the Pep© or the -Archbishop of Canterbury; but ho had landed from his launch, stepped up to the horse waiting for him, tried the saddle, tightened it, mounted, and had then hurried off, leaving the astounded functionaries to gather up their traps, spittoons, fans, umbrellas, hairpins, and what-not, and to follow in what haste they could. France gave a shock when ishe began to erect that cathedral which is today the mest conspicuous building in Seoul, overshadowing all the palaces and legations, and putting to shame Confucius, Buddha, the god of war, demons, goblins, and ancestral spirits. The French have for their creed Agnosticism at home and Catholicism abroad. Below the hill on which tho cathedral stands there is u, gatehouse, vrith an ancient, decrepit ice-c-per iii charge. Ky was strong once, 'for it was his hand that swung the sword under which fell the heads -of the French priests in 1866. He became- a convert,' was forgiven, and GUAEDS THE ENTRANCE TO TUB SACKED ENCLOSURE. • That, too, is a mystery to the Korean, mind. England, too, has more than once applied tho battery, esijecblly by way of th'i Custom-house. On a memorable occasion six men-of-war moved into Chemulpo, and both Korea and Russia yielded on critical points concerning contracts unfulfilled and promises neglected. There were 5000 men on that British flotilla, with several 4,7 gun.?. That meant that Russian hands must be kept off. There was a shock and a spasm at the Korean Court, bj;t contracts were kept and no ono was. hurt. America contrived a tremendous shcK-k and a continuous cn-e. Many a Korean from a remote spot asks, " What is that- noise?" He is told, "It is the bridge spirit on the track of the fiery wheel." Korea, had to wait till 1900 before she heard the song of a splendid steel bridge, tuned to its note in far-ofi America. On tit ill nights, when tho wind blows softly and railway traffic i-s in full swing, the peculiar note of many metal plates and bars singhig in unison is waited to the city over tho wall. As the train coss by the watching natives feel that, familiar though it may becom-e, the mystery that lies beneath it is as deep and unfathomable as ever. Thus does fi.-e old civilisation thrill and throb and palpitate under the impact of the new. How h it, then, that this New Year wiil be -kept with, all the superstitious ouaintness of each -preceding year 'for ages past? Simply b-?eau?o the independence ox Korea, is bound up with its hoary customs, and as long us thr.t independence is preserved by the mutual fear of each other on the part of the Powers, the people will bo exactly what they have be-on of old.