268 The Rosary in Magic and Religion.
two retaining or terminal beads, one being large and globular in shape, the other small and oval. Sometimes the larger one contains a sacred relic or a charm. ^
Part of a Chinese official's dress consists of a rosary of 1 08 beads of large size, with dividing beads. The latter are sometimes made of richly enamelled silver, and the colour varies with the rank of the official, yellow being the highest grade.- These official rosaries are elaborate and sometimes very costly. They are worn only by digni- taries on state occasions. They are not apparently of religious significance.
As a religious instrument the rosary seems to be chiefly used to count the repetitions of set phrases whereby the devotee stores up merit for himself. If these repetitions are performed in temples, the greater the merit of the votary.^ The rosary is also used as a means of counting prostrations and prayers. The devotee will prostrate him- self and strike the ground with his forehead, at the same time muttering a formula. At the end of each prostration and repetition a bead is moved along the rosary string which hangs round his neck.* On occasions of sickness or death there is a ceremonial performance with the rosary. The officiant must either be taken from a certain class of Taoist priests, or be a priest of Buddha. On these occasions the priest chants in a monotonous sing-song certain quota- tions from the sacred books. Count of these repetitions is kept by means of a rosary, and the benefit and merit obtained by them accrue to those who employ the priests and pay them.^
Korea. The Buddhist rosaries of Korea have no beads, though, according to the classics, the number is 108, the two extra beads being large ones — one at the beginning
^ Pio. U.S. National Mus., xxxvi. 338. ^ I am indebted to Mr. Ischii for this information.
- J. Doolittle, Social Life of the Chinese, ii. 386 f.
Ubid. p. 45 S. ^ Ibid. p. 387.
