213 



as a beacon to the Imperial ship, which safely reached the coast \ 

 In the Kurikava ^ mountains, which form the boundary between 

 Etchu and Kaga, there was a Shingon temple called Chorakuji 

 or Kurikara-san, with an image of Fudo Myo-o. This sanctuary 

 was miraculous beyond description, and famous for its wonderful 

 "Mountain-lights" and "Dragon-lanterns" I 



§ 11. Ignes fatui in general. The dragon-lantern is the only one 

 ■which arises from the sea and flies to the mountains. 



Not only in regard to the dragon-lantern, but also in other respects 

 especially old pine trees were famous for their ignes fatui. 

 So we read of the "gold-fire pine tree" on the road from Komatsu 

 to KanazaWa, where phosphorescent light, the so-called "rinkwa" 

 (j^ ^), or "kin-kwa'' (^ ^, gold-fire) was seen to fly up and 

 down. This fire, however, did not come from the sea, like the 

 dragon-lantern, but was ascribed to the fact that formerly criminals 

 used to be beheaded under this tree, whose blood, penetrating 

 into the ground, had become so-called "ki-rin'' (^ '^) or 

 "demon's fire"; or some one had in great anger committed 

 suicide on this spot, and "the fire of his heart made the pine 

 tree burn" *. 



The idea of blood causing these mysterious lights is borrowed 

 from China; we read in De Groot's Religious System of China ^ 

 that blood, identified with the tsing kH (^ ^), the breath or 

 gang soul possessed by vital energy, especially the blood of men 

 killed by weapons, and that of horses and cows, forms ignes fatui. 

 They are soul-flames, especially to be seen on battle-fields. The 

 identification of blood and soul is not only a Chinese conception °, 

 but is also found among some Indian tribes of North America, 

 as we learn from Fbazer's Golden Bough \ As to China, there 

 the ignes fatui were believed to be produced especially by old 

 trees and old blood®. 



Also demons were considered to cause will-o'-the-wisps, as the 

 names "ki-rin"" and "oni-bi'' (J^ ^), "demon-fire", clearly show. 

 Moreover, old bewitching animals, like tanuki and mujina, were 



1 SanshU kidan (1764) (cf. p. 172, note 7), Ch. IV, p. 815. 



2 Cf. above, Ch. V, § 8, p. 204: Kuriluira Myo-o, the dragon-shaped Fudo Myo-o. 



3 Sanshu kidan, Ch. V, p. 835 {sanfo, ryUto, [Jj ij^ f | j)^ ). 



4 Ibidem, Ch. II, p. 713; "Hachiman's gold-flre''. 



5 Vol. IV, p. 80. 6 De Groot, 1.1., Vol. I, pp. 217, 268, note 2. 



7 VqI. I (second edition), p. 353. 



8 De Groot, 1.1., Vol. IV, p. 80. 



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