Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/521

 parents or other relatives who have been long dead, and all sorts of questions are propounded. These the mudang answers glibly, fearing no contradiction. Not infrequently the spirit will promise to do something that will help those who are still in the land of the living, so it appears that the benefits are mutual. This spirit is then dismissed, and the Judge of Hades is called up. There are ten judges on the bench of this supreme court, but this is the Supreme Judge. Food is placed before him, and he is implored to make it easy for their friend in the beyond. He invariably promises to do so and praises the food. After this the mudang calls up the special judge who has charge of their friend's case, and he too is properly "fixed." The petitioners have no difficulty in securing his promise to make the man's post-mortem condition as bearable as possible. Then they call up the spirit who guards the household of the man who has died. He is easily entreated, and promises to look after the interests of the family. He may warn the household of some impending trouble, and give them advice as to the best way to avoid it. When these special spirits have all been consulted, any relative who has helped pay for the ceremony may call up any of his friends or relatives and have a chat with them. It is like an afternoon tea with the dead, except that it is generally prolonged far into the night.

One of the chief duties of the mudang is to deal with the Great Spirit of Smallpox. This is the only disease that enjoys the special oversight of a spirit all by itself, and it shows that the Koreans put this ailment in the fore-front of the ills that flesh is heir to. It is more to be feared even than cholera, for, like the poor, it is ever with us. From the fifth day after the appearance of the disease no member of the household may comb his hair, wear new clothes, sweep the house, bring any new goods within the doors, cut wood, drive nails, roast beans or allow a drain to become blocked up. Any of these things would leave the patient blind or severely marked. If anyone does sewing in the house, it will cause intolerable itching in the patient.