A Visit From the Shades

[Choi Yu-won.--(The story of meeting his mother's ghost is reported

to be of this man.)

Choi Yu-won matriculated in 1579 and graduated in 1602, becoming Chief

Justice and having conferred on him the rank of prince. When he was a

boy his great-aunt once gave him cloth for a suit of clothes, but he

refused to accept of it, and from this his aunt prophesied that he

would yet become a famous man. He studied in the home of the great

teacher Yul-gok, and Yul-gok also foretold that the day would come

when he would be an honour to Korea.

Yu-won once met Chang Han-kang and inquired of him concerning Pyon-wha

Keui-jil (a law by which the weak became strong, the wicked good,

and the stupid wise). He also asked that if one be truly transformed

will the soul change as well as the body, or the body only? Chang

replied, "Both are changed, for how could the body change without

the soul?" Yu-won asked Yul-gok concerning this also, and Yul-gok

replied that Chang's words were true.

In 1607 Choi Yu-won memorialized the King, calling attention to a

letter received from Japan in answer to a communication sent by his

Majesty, which had on its address the name of the Prime Minister,

written a space lower than good form required. The Korean envoy had not

protested, as duty would require of him, and yet the King had advanced

him in rank. The various officials commended him for his courage.

In 1612, while he was Chief Justice, King Kwang-hai tried to degrade

the Queen Dowager, who was not his own mother, he being born of a

concubine, but Yu-won besought him with tears not to do so illegal

and unnatural a thing. Still the King overrode all opposition, and

did according to his unfilial will. In it all Choi Yu-won was proven

a good man and a just. He used to say to his companions, even as a

youth, "Death is dreadful, but still, better death for righteousness'

sake and honour than life in disgrace." Another saying of his runs,

"All one's study is for the development of character; if it ends not

in that it is in vain."

Korea's ancient belief was that the blood of a faithful son served

as an elixir of life to the dying, so that when his mother was at the

point of death Yu-won with a knife cut flesh from his thigh till the

blood flowed, and with this he prepared his magic dose.]

The Story

There was a minister in olden days who once, when he was Palace

Secretary, was getting ready for office in the morning. He had on

his ceremonial dress. It was rather early, and as he leaned on his

arm-rest for a moment, sleep overcame him. He dreamt, and in the

dream he thought he was mounted and on his journey. He was crossing

the bridge at the entrance to East Palace Street, when suddenly he saw

his mother coming towards him on foot. He at once dismounted, bowed,

and said, "Why do you come thus, mother, not in a chair, but on foot?"

She replied, "I have already left the world, and things are not where

I am as they are where you are, and so I walk."

The secretary asked, "Where are you going, please?"

She replied, "We have a servant living at Yong-san, and they are

having a witches' prayer service there just now, so I am going to

partake of the sacrifice."

"But," said the secretary, "we have sacrificial days, many of them,

at our own home, those of the four seasons, also on the first and

fifteenth of each month. Why do you go to a servant's house and not

to mine?"

The mother replied, "Your sacrifices are of no interest to me, I like

the prayers of the witches. If there is no medium we spirits find no

satisfaction. I am in a hurry," said she, "and cannot wait longer,"

so she spoke her farewell and was gone.

The secretary awoke with a start, but felt that he had actually seen

what had come to pass.

He then called a servant and told him to go at once to So-and-So's

house in Yong-san, and tell a certain servant to come that night

without fail. "Go quickly," said the secretary, "so that you can be

back before I enter the Palace." Then he sat down to meditate over it.

In a little the servant had gone and come again. It was not yet

broad daylight, and because it was cold the servant did not enter

straight, but went first into the kitchen to warm his hands before

the fire. There was a fellow-servant there who asked him, "Have you

had something to drink?"

He replied, "They are having a big witch business on at Yong-san, and

while the mutang (witch) was performing, she said that the spirit that

possessed her was the mother of the master here. On my appearance she

called out my name and said, 'This is a servant from our house.' Then

she called me and gave me a big glass of spirit. She added further,

'On my way here I met my son going into the Palace.'"

The secretary, overhearing this talk from the room where he was

waiting, broke down and began to cry. He called in the servant and made

fuller inquiry, and more than ever he felt assured that his mother's

spirit had really gone that morning to share in the koot (witches'

sacrificial ceremony). He then called the mutang, and in behalf of

the spirit of his mother made her a great offering. Ever afterwards

he sacrificed to her four times a year at each returning season.

Im Bang.