Page:Things Japanese (1905).djvu/181

Rh frond, about 5 ft. from the ground. From this hang forty-four of the sacred emblems called gohei,— strips of white paper cut into little angular bunches. Some of the attendants busily fan the flames with open fans strapped to the ends of long poles, while others pound the coals flat with staves. Then incantations are made,—incantations to the God of Water, who dwells in the moon, to descend and drive out the God of Fire. Prayers are offered up, and first one priest, then another begins slowly and solemnly to march round the charcoal bed, cabalistically twisting and flinging out his fingers the while. Soon all are engaged in this act of exorcism. On and on, round and round, do they march, each seemingly oblivious of the others, each gradually working himself up into a state akin to ecstasy. When this apparently interminable ceremony comes to an end, each priest takes a handful of salt from a large bowl, and strews it upon the living coal. Furthermore, a mat at either end of the bed of coals is spread with salt for those who are about to cross the fire to rub their feet on. The high priest salts his feet first, then steps boldly on to the surface of the burning floor, over which he strides with dignified gait. The attendant priests clad in white follow his example, and when all have gone over, all go over again.

The second part of the function, though less impressive, is more amusing; for now from among the crowd of bystanders all such as, to quote Mr. Lowell's phrase, have a mind to try their foot at it, imitate the priests and cross the hot crust. Men, women, and children, old and young, a whole family perhaps in due order of precedence, venture successfully along the line, though not a few show by their rapid skips towards the end that the trial is no mockery.

It should be added, for the sake of complete truthfulness, that the ordeal, when seen, is somehow less impressive than would probably be imagined from a written description. The space is narrow, the crowd motley and irreverent, and mostly of the lower class,—loungers, dirty children with others on their backs. The preliminary beating and pounding of the fire-bed seems endless; the fanning of it drives smoke into one's eves and flakes