Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/550

 the burial ceremony, must be carefully determined or there will be literally "the devil to pay."

The geomancer's part in the interment may now be said to end, that is, after he has pocketed his fee. But the chances are that he or some other geomancer will be called in at some future time to examine the grave and see that everything is right. Although every precaution has been taken, it frequently happens that the dead man's relatives get into trouble. If so, and if there be no other visible cause for the trouble, it is set down to the fact that something is the matter with the ancestor's grave. The geomancer is called in and, if there is plenty of money in sight, he may decide that something serious is the matter with the grave, or that it requires only slight alterations. There are special formulae for discovering the mysterious cause of the trouble. These are all given in the book which has been mentioned. At the very worst the geomancer may discover that the body has run away! Koreans solemnly aver that such graves have been opened and that invariably the corpse is absent. If so, it must be hunted up instanter; and it may be remarked that this chasing of a long-buried corpse about the country is not the least gruesome part of the geomancer's business, and might well deter nervous or excitable people from entering the profession; but fortunately Koreans have no nerves. It is claimed that a successful geomancer will run his game to earth within twenty-four hours, and when the afflicted relative digs at the indicated spot, he always discovers the object of his search. This search is carried out according to what is called "The Old Grave Magic Rite." 