Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/516

 not think that the fetich is the spirit itself, but that it fastens upon the fetich and can always be found there when necessity demands. Dr. George Heber Jones is an authority on Korean fetiches, and he has given the following as some of the most important. "When a Korean moves, he does not take his 'gods' with him, but passes to the dominion of the gods of the house to which he goes." For this reason he is very careful to get an exact list of the latter, so that if sickness or misfortune comes he may know just whom he must pray to in order to get out of trouble. Each house has its Holy Master. "His fetich consists of blank sheets of paper and a small bag of rice, which are hung upon the ridge-beam of the principal room." When a new house is erected, an elaborate ceremony often takes place, especially if the owner be a little superstitious. A mudang is called in, and by her occult arts she invites a Holy Master to come and abide under that roof and take charge of the entire destiny of the inmates, ward off disease and protect them generally. From that time on no one must ever step upon the threshold of that house, but always over it, for this is the neck of the household god, and to step upon it would anger him and make him bring misfortune at once. "Ranking next to the Holy Master is the Lord of the Site. His fetich consists of a bundle of straw set up like a booth, on three sticks." He has control, not of the house, but of the site on which it is built, and he must be kept in good temper, or trouble will be brewing.

The Koreans are wonderful people for depending upon luck. They have consequently apotheosised the idea, and every house must have its fetich to Good Luck, and it must be worshipped with great punctuality twice a year. Dr. Jones says very appositely: "The kindly favour of the Deity, bestowed out of pure love and kindness upon his children, is not known in Korea. Her religion remains down on the lower level of luck and illluck. When all things are going well, then the spirits are bestowing luck on the family; when things go badly, luck has been withdrawn." In this connection the Koreans have various sorts