Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/348

 328 Miscellanea.

In the Japanese war of three hundred years ago it is said that 500 trained swordsmen were on their way to the capital of Korea. The flash of their swords alone was enough to kill, so it looked as though the whole nation might perish. But just as they landed near Fusan, there came forth from a mountain spur in front, the Old Man on the Green Bull {Ch'2mg-7i No-Ui), who had been born from the mountain to save his country. The Japanese pursued, knowing that he was an evil omen, but at first failed to overtake [him], until at last, instead of their capturing him, he entrapped them in a mountain gorge and there slaughtered them all.

Mountain Travel. — Last spring on my way to Seoul, when some 150 miles from here [Wonsan], I passed a magnificent mountain called the "crying fortress" {U-nati-sung). In speaking of it, the innkeeper told me that King Kmig-ye had been defeated there in [918 A.D.], and that since then no one could ascend it who had not first fasted from meat and other strong food. He told me that the bowls and spoons of Kung-ye were still there. In order see what answer he would make, I suggested his bringing some away, and that I would buy them. His reply was, anyone doing such a thing would be struck by the God of Thunder and killed at once.

Mountain Spirits. — A hunter I chanced to meet in the moun- tains a month or so ago, told me that he did all of his hunting at night. " But there are so many tigers ; are you not afraid ? " I asked. " No," said he, " I am a retainer of the mountain-spirit {San Yujig-tm?i), and so am safe ; " or, " I wait attendance on the mountain-spirit, and so have no cause for fear." His idea was that the spirit of the mountain controlled tigers and all other animals within its range. In many of the hill-shrines we find pictures of a man riding upon a tiger. It is really the mountain- spirit so represented, the tiger being the attendant.

Every village offers sacrifice to the mountain-spirit (San-iung). On an appointed day, after fasting and meditation, sacrificial officers are chosen and a beef slaughtered, and so offered with vegetable food to the spirit. When the sacrifice has been per- formed according to the spirit's liking, even the dogs of the village are safe from tigers and other wild beasts of the mountain. Tigers are called the dogs of the mountain-spirit.

At every hill pass there is on the side of the road a shrine to the spirit of the mountain. Prayers are offered before the shrine,