KOREAN INTERVIEWS. 13 



whicli are, that he will lose something or be insulted. If both 

 boots are wrong side up, it means nothing. 



When lying down to sleep it is considered best to have the 

 head directed toward the south. The head pointing toward the 

 north is considered very bad. If the head is directed toward the 

 south, it indicates longevity ; to the east, happiness ; to the west, 

 success ; to the north, short life. If one eats during lunar or solar 

 eclipses sickness will follow. In Japan it is considered proper to 

 remain indoors during eclipses. In Korea drums are vigorously 

 beaten, to drive away the assailant of the sun or moon. This is a 

 Chinese idea. An eclipse is observed by its reflection in a vessel 

 of water. In Japan the same thing is done, because it is consid- 

 ered impolite to look directly at the eclipse. Shooting stars are 

 supposed to be the excreta of stars. Farmers have an idea that 

 the moon is trying to catch the sun, and if the moon ever over- 

 takes the sun they will both fall to the earth, pressing the sur- 

 face below the water, and thus the world will come to an end. A 

 country philosopher told one of my informants that the sun was 

 many hundred times larger than the earth, that the moon was 

 three times larger than the earth, and that all the stars were 

 much larger than the earth. Lightning is supposed to be the 

 result of God looking angry, while thunder is supposed to be God 

 scolding. It is considered rude to lie down when God is scolding. 

 The lower classes believe that if insanity occurs three or four times 

 in a year it is an indication of the devil's work. Gypsies are called 

 in to drive the devil away by incantation. Intelligent doctors 

 look upon insanity as the result of physical disease namely, that 

 the fire of the heart burns in excess. They also believe that some 

 hearts are chilled, and that other hearts are empty. Cases of in- 

 sanity are not common, and cases of idiocy had never been seen 

 by my informant, though he had heard of instances. It is be- 

 lieved that when a certain river becomes filled with sand Korea 

 will become powerful, and so it is a custom with many people in 

 passing this river to throw in sand. The true-lover's knot is the 

 same as ours. A ring around the moon is a sign that it will rain ; 

 the larger the ring the sooner the rain will come. The accidental 

 breaking of a mirror is a sign that death will occur in the family. 

 After the birth of a child persons can not enter the house for 

 three days, nor can animals be killed for three days. 



If a man's eyes have more white than black he will become 

 foolish. Tapering or pointed fingers are looked upon as indicat- 

 ing dexterity. A long arm is considered an indication of wisdom, 

 and its owner will occupy a high official position. In Japan the 

 same peculiarity indicates a thief, which may be regarded as only 

 another name for a Korean official. A large eye is a sign of short 

 life. Physiognomists interpret many features of the face ; thus a 



