298
CHINESE CUSTOMS CHANGES.
[May 18, 1907. - things had omitted one as too insignificant :
she had forgotten the mistletoe. Que of the gods, Loki, the evil minded, was jealous of Baldur's popularity, and meeting the blind Höd asked him how he alone was not present to do honour to Baldur. Höd replied that he was blind and lame, and could take no part in athletic exercises with the others, whereupon Loki promised to lend him a magic shaft with which he could shoot like the rest, and gave him the mistletoe. Höl in all innocence accepted it and joined the others; but when he threw the mistletoe it struck Baldur and pierced him through and through. The gods were struck speechless and wept; but who was to seek Baldur from Hel, and what ramsoin would that goddess require? Hermod, the active, respondel to the call but was only half successful. Hel, indeed, agreed that if all creation were willing. Baldur should return, but Loki,
himself 8.8 80 old guising
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
to the creditors. He has spent a lifetime showing China how her vast resourc s may he developed and economised; how to organize things so that there may be a minimum of leakage, in a land where previously more leaked than ever reached the coffers of Peking. He has succeeded, we may suppose, not because he was sup- ported by an army of immaculates, but because he applied business methods where the Chinese would have worked by rule of thutab. It is far from being un atural that the Chinese, thinking they now know how it is done, should want to try for them- sok to selves. It would be fairer to
strain their ambition, not on the ground that they are bound to be dishonest, but on the ground that they cannot be mail yet to We do not think have learned the lesson. they have, judging by such samples of mismanagement as have been reported; and if it. he really a question of bond-holders' | security, we would say that the foreigners should hasten to protest against the present movement, and also to urge the retirement and replacement by a suitable man of Sir ROBERT HART.
THE UNIVERSAL MYTH.
(Daily Press, 6th May.)
One of the interesting books of the season
|
(Daily Press, 4th May.) That there was very little necessity to sympathise with Sir ROBERT HABT's sup posed loss of "face" when the Chinese Customs Commissioners were appointed is now apparent to even the London journa list, thanks to one of Dr. MORRISON's brief but illuminative messages to the Times "Chinese Hart" would appear to be too Chinese for some of us, were it not that his peculiar position and his own present sentiments are easily guessed at, in the light of his career. Dr. MORRISON refers to Customs circulars in which Sir ROBERT HART instructs all commisiopers of customs to give native employees "a larger share of the work bitberto confiled to foreign mem- bers of the staff, both indoor and outdoor." This time we are undoubtedly face to face with a part of the "China for the Chinese movement, and places hitherto reserved for foreigners are being taken by natives. There are several ways of looking at the matter, and some of the London ways are not exactly the right ways. One contem porary remarks that if these appointments mean the exclusion of any foreigner-which they certainly must do the security for the foreign loans is threatened-an assump. tiou not absolutely warranted by the facts. As we have previously reminded our readers, experts like Mr. GEORGE JAMIESON Consider is undoubtedly Dr. FRAZER'S “Adonis, Attis, that there are ample resources and ample and Osiris." treating of the old r ligions security in China even if the Customs were
of Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, more to be mismanaged. As the cosmopolitan especially in regard to their sced-time and nature of the Gustoms staff is well known, harvest celebrations. Not the least in- we hope we shall not tread on any national teresting portions of the work are those susceptibilities by pointing out that the referring to the modern survivals of the adding of one more nationality to ancient rites still apparent in many of our the corps cannot immediately change it modern popular customs, and the fact that from a model of incorruptibility to a many of our religious ideas and our most very dishonest ‹ne. We are bound to cherished rites can only find their full admit that the Chinese standard of official explanation in the elaborate ceremonies honesty is sometimes an odd one, and that,
once practised in Asia Minor and Syria. as Dr. MORRISON points out, it is
The most widely spread of these are those recognised custom that a Chinaman obtain connected with the death and resurrection ing rank or office or situation must pay of Adonis. Adonis the young and hand- somebody for it. The same thing is not
some, the heloved of Aphrodite, who was unknown in Japan; future earnings are
slain by the cruel dart of winter, but whom mortgaged by those anxious for the out of pity the Gods permitted to rise opportunity of making them.
again on condition that he should spend We may point out, however, that the implication of the half of each rear amongst the shades Dr. MORRISON's remark [that he is thus in Hades. Dr. FRAZER quotes BURNS'S as a modern tempted, if not compelled, to recoup himself hallad of “ John Barleycorn at the cost of the service, this method of instance of the survival of the old myth:- re-imbursement or enrichment not being
There were three kings into the east, Three kings both great and high, condemned by the public conscience") are
And they had sworn a solemn oath not wholly polite. It seems to mean more
John Barleycorn should die. than it actually does, nainely, that there is And on this primitive and transparent myth an equivalent for the word "perquisite" in much of the religion of the world has been the Chinese language. That others besides built un. Long ago the prophet Ezekiel de- Chinese sometimes strain the interpretation nounced as an abomination in Jerusalem the of what constitutes proper perquisites we weeping of the women for the deri Tammuz, have lately seen, in South Africa, in Poplar, only another form of Adonis, yet to the and at various times in many other places, present day in various forms and in various The point is however, that it is opportunity religions the death of JORN BARLEYCORN is as much as necessity that brings temptation the theme of many an annual celebration. to men, and it does not seem altogether The once popular All-Hallowe'en, still kept fair to suggest that no employe s but up in the rural parts of Scotland and the Chinese would avail themselves of what the north of England, is a familiar example of latter frankly call "chancey." That is a how the outward signs of an ancient cult matter of administration, and not of nation may survive long after it has censed to ality. If the security for the foreign convey any meaning to the crowd. A more loans were really in question, we imagine northern development of the old myth is to the first step would be for the experts to be found in the beautiful Se indinavian demand a bead of the administration less myth of Baldur "the Beautiful." Baldar disposed to truckle to the Chinese thau Sir was the beloved of Gods and men, but ROBERT HART has lately seemed, one who apprehensive lest evil should befall him his would work with a sole eye to the foreign mother had exacted an oath from all living creditors' interests. Sir ROBERT HARTS' things, animal or vegetable, that none task has not been quite so petry as that, should do him harm. Emboldened by his however. He has been something more presumed immunity. Baldur presented than a mere man in possession." He himself in sport before the gods, and has not grabbed the receipts passing challenged them to shoot at him; but his through his hands and banded them' mother in exacting the oath from all living
"
11
upper
die-
witch
re-
refused, and Baldur could only, glike Adonis, return to the upper world for a portion of the time. It is curious to find according to Ma-Twan-lin this myth crop- ping up amongst thể Tughul Turks on the
without Jaxartes. Remusat cognising the source of the myth translates thus his Chinese anthority=[la] récontent que le file de Dieu est mort à la sepțiéme lune, el que res ossementa ont été perdus. Chaque mois les personnes consacrées au culte, et ce mois la surtout, les autres habitants sans distinction, paraissent revetus de robes de kaine noire; ils vont pieds nus en je frappant la poitrine, poussant de grandes cris, versant des torrents de larmes. Trois cent cinq personnes, tant hommes que femmes, jettent de l'herbe et parcourent les champs en cherchant les or du fils de Dieu. Cette cérémonie cease au bout de sept jours.
unable to
com.
But the story went even further, and in the oldest work of the Chinese, the Classic of Ballads, we find very similar rites per- formed at the same period of the year. A in the case of Remusat our more recent translators are equally prehend what the Chinese author places before them. This time we quote direct from the ballad, the first of those bearing the name of Pin. Now, however this title came to be applied to the collection forming the fifteenth book of the First Part, was the original sent of the ancestors of the northern Chinese before entering China; and the language is markedly different from the rest of the books included in this part, and this may account for the difficulty the Chinese commentators have found with regard to the rendering. The first verse is worth quoting :-
-
Pin
In the seventh moon the fire-stır (Antares)
passes (to the west),
In the ninth moon we get ready our (winter)
garments.
On the first day at the sound of the horn (we
meet];
On the second day we have our wsiling, Discarding our upper garments and substitut-
ing hempen clothes.
For the death of the year.
On the third day we take out our plough-shares. On the fourth we level a platform, And with our wives and families Carry our feast to our south-lying flekis, That our acres may bear their increase, and all
be gladdened.
Here we have all the essential parts of
the riten of Adonis in the West, the lamen tation for the death of the year, and the festival of his reviving. In the subse». quent verses the Chinese poet speaks of the offerings of pigs, goats and lambs, · here also in agreement with the old Syrian
practice; and it is with reference to these offerings of living animals that Da. Frazza makes his most noteworthy remarks. The
Som
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