Japan and the Japanese illustrated . also the mostremarkable in all the mythologies of antiquity. It is a little sheet of paper, foldedin four, containing a small shred of the umbilical cord which united the dead personwith his mother at the moment of his birth. When maternal love, or that of hissuccessor has confided this strange emblem of a future birth to the mysteries of thetomb, and made, under this curious form, its humble protest against the seemingtriumph of death, the coffin is closed ; and the most important of the nationalfuneral ceremonies, the domestic solemnity is accomplished. T
Japan and the Japanese illustrated . also the mostremarkable in all the mythologies of antiquity. It is a little sheet of paper, foldedin four, containing a small shred of the umbilical cord which united the dead personwith his mother at the moment of his birth. When maternal love, or that of hissuccessor has confided this strange emblem of a future birth to the mysteries of thetomb, and made, under this curious form, its humble protest against the seemingtriumph of death, the coffin is closed ; and the most important of the nationalfuneral ceremonies, the domestic solemnity is accomplished. The rest consists merely of superstitious practices, vain pomp, and pure formalities, 286 LIFE IN JAPAX. iu which exorcism alteiiiatcs with the gloiitication of family pride. It does notsuffice that the Mikosi slioiild protect the coffiu, at its exit from the house of death,it passes under an arch of blessed bamboo, which prevents evil influences fromfollowing it. Tlie bonzes, carrying their rosaries, open the procession. The nearest. iniInei:aiion. relatives are dressed in white, or they wear common straw hats, which they donot remove until after the completion of the ceremonies of purification. Aninscription, carried before tlie Mikosi, proclaims tlie name wliich the deceased is toreceive in his epitaph. The horses of a military chief figure in his funeral procession,caparisoned in white, and hd liy grooms in mourning. His swords, his armorial INCINEIIATIUX. 287 bearings, his banner, various precious things which recall the rank that he held inthe world, arc exhibited among the groups of his relations and followers. The funeral procession of the poor man consists of a small number of friendsand neighbours, who hurry, at sunset, to the sombre valley where the vulgar riteof incineration takes place under the auspices of some bonze of low station, sentfrom a neifjlibourin convent. iS^Bf^^^- ^*-^<?,^:r**
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidjapanjapanes, bookyear1874
