DOG-LORE AND SUPERSTITION 



the noisy manner in which, up to recent years, when the sun 

 or moon stood in danger of eclipse, the people attempted to 

 dissuade him from his celestial meal. 



The Chinese term for an eclipse is still the " eating up ' 

 of the sun or moon. The demonstrations which, up to the 

 inauguration of modern reforms in China, took place at 

 an eclipse were described by Gray : 



" Five months prior to the eclipse the head of the Li-poo 

 Board at Pekin, in obedience to the commands of the Em- 

 peror, forwards a despatch to the chief rulers of each province, 

 and through him to the chief magistrate of each prefecture 

 and each county, requesting them at the approaching 

 eclipse to save the sun. At the time all the mandarins, 

 attired in black robes, assemble at the official residence 

 of the chief magistrate. When they have arranged them- 

 selves before an altar erected in the courtyard of the yamen, 

 the chief magistrate burns incense on the altar and beats 

 a drum three times. At this stage all the officials present 

 fall down before the altar and perform the kow-tow. The 

 ceremony on the part of the officials having been brought 

 to a close, a number of underlings continue, until the eclipse 

 is over, to beat drums and tom-toms with the view of 

 frightening and thereby preventing the Tien-Kow or 

 heavenly dogs from devouring the sun. During this din, 

 priests of the respective sects of Buddha and Tao stand 

 before the altar and chant appropriate prayers. Upon the 

 tops of all the dwelling-houses and shops of a Chinese city, 

 men are also stationed who, by means of drums, tom-toms, 

 and horns add to the general din. The same ceremonies 

 take place during an eclipse of the moon. Formerly in 

 other lands, as in China to-day, an eclipse of the sun or 

 moon was beheld with terror. To rescue the moon from 

 the spell of the enchanter, other nations, like the Chinese 



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