THE JAPANESE IDEA OF HELL.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 87, 16 October 1878, Page 3

THE JAPANESE IDEA OF HELL.

(Fr -m the ‘Hew York Tribune.’)

One <J the envious articles exhibited at Tiffany’s is a. scarf of gray Canton crape, which portrays the infernal regions, according to the Japanese idea. The scarf is nine yards long, and half a yard wide. The first scene represents Satan on earth seeking new victims. The arch fiend appears as a sulphuric, yellowish-green demon, with protruding horns, cloven feet, and a demoniacal expression, luring his victims into his net, and plunging them into his fiery depth. They appear to fall into a nest of burning seorpions—where they are tantalised by a glimpse of the friends enjoying themselves in a lake of cool water. In the next scene Satan takes the form of an immense dragon, with his human victims crouching in terror at his feet. They are mercilessly dragged into court, and the judge is represented as condemning them to be tied to rocks, and to have red-hot lead poured down their throats. They are then chased by hyenas through a field of open knives and other sharp instruments. The victims are next portrayed as being tortured by having their limbs sawn off, and by being thrown into a revolving wheel of fire. Satan next appears to be looking out for new victims on a field of battle. Some of these victims are made to hug red hot stove pipes, while Satan himself, with a smile, is fanning them. Others are swimming in seas of blood, surrounded by laughing demons. Others still are seated in a cauldron of red-hot sulphur, having their tongues pulled out. Some are represented as carrying heavy burdens of coal and throwing it into the fire to burn new victims. His Satanic Majesty is next represented as feeding his subjects with rice, presumably to give them strength with which to endure greater tortures.