By Robert Neff On the evening of Feb. 8, 1887, Seoul was awash with excitement. It was Daeboreum, the first full moon of the lunar year, and the citizens of Joseon's largest city and capital were busy with their holiday preparations. This year's was not a normal Daeboreum, for it was also the night of a partial lunar eclipse. According to Homer Hulbert ― one of the earliest American English teachers ― to many superstitious people, the eclipse was one of the most startling things to occur, as they believed it was a great "heavenly dog" trying to devour the moon. Much of the population, wishing to know what the new year had in store for them, sought spiritual and supernatural advice from shamans (known as "mudang") and fortunetellers. Horace N. Allen, an American missionary doctor, described (in his usual untactful manner) how some of these fortunetellers obtained their knowledge: