Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/364

 336 COREAN SOCIAL CUSTOMS. with his first wife, it is not necessary she should be buried in her husband's grave, though she may. Funeral. There must be provided a frame for the coffin: four thin pieces of board, like a standard ; a small piece of wood, having the name of deceased inscribed, and therefore called a Shunjoo; a small box or shrine called Doo to enclose it ; and a piece of three-feet-wide cotton for front of coffin, black silk, a straw mat, fifteen feet of cotton to go round the lower edge of the coffin; a very thick board of pine, another to be laid acrass underneath coffin; lanterns, a lingch'tia, or " spirit-cart '' (shaped like a miniature house), to enclose incense ; chairs, table, a large umbrella, a screen to go before the coffin, and mats to cover the ground. On the day preceding the funeral, ofierings are prepared, and the coffin is moved. The recitators and the managers come out of the house with the Title-banner, placing it at the left of the coffin, and laying out food, fruit, meat, and soup. The chanter then washes his hands, bums incense, and pours out a libation. When finished, he looks to the north, kneels, and in an audible voice speaks thus, addressing the departed spirit: — "As this is an auspicious day, I therefore make bold to inform you." He then slowly rises, his eyes bent reverently to the ground, and all under the Shangjoo weep and wail, and twice bow to the ground. The coffin is then borne into the presence of the family ancestors (who have a temple fitted up for them in or beside the house ; this is to inform the ancestors of an addition to their numbers). In this temple there is more weeping and wailing, which continues till the coffin is borne out again. On the rising of the sun the offi^rings are presented. The proper man takes the Title-banner, goes out of the room, and places it at the left of the coffin.* Food, spirits, meat, and^soup are placed a room for itself inside the dwelling house, into which room the coffin cannot be carried because of its imwieldy size.
 * Which is now in the lobby over ag^ainst the ancestral tablet; this tablet having