Harbingers of Happiness. The Door Gods of China

Abstract

In the religious ceremonies in the homes of China, Paper Gods take the place of the images in temples. Many longed-for benefits are hoped to be secured by means of these colourful hand-blocked pictures. Whether the sacrificial ceremony takes place in the main room, or in the open courtyard, the images of the gods and goddesses, immortals, fairies, or demon-dispelling spirits are usually wound round a block of wood, which stands on the altar, or they are hung over the back of a chair, or on the wall behind the altar. On the latter we find candles, incense, paper-money, firecrackers, food and wine. Enticed by the sweet odours of the food and wine, by the shining candles and by the aroma of the incense, the spirits are believed to descend on the perfumed clouds arising from the altar. At the end of the ceremony they return to their abodes in the spirit world on the smoke of their burning pictures and paper-money, to the accompaniment of a salvo of firecrackers. The Paper Gods are called ma-chang fl,7 Horse Sheets, or chih-ma i.-, Paper fHorses. In olden times real horses were sacrificed during the great offerings. But in the 3rd century B.C., Emperor Shih Huang Ti MA11 ordered this practice to cease. At first wooden effigies of horses were used, to be replaced later by stuffed horses, and finally by paper ones. The coming of a newLunar Year is heralded by offerings to the God of the Hearth, the Kitchen God, whose palace is a small niche above the cooking range. The Kitchen God is honoured by the whole family, and upon his watchfulness depends the health and tranquillity of all members of the household. He witnesses all their good and all their evil deeds. Therefore special precauLtions are taken on the 23rd day of the Twelfth Moon, when he starts on his annual journey to heaven. On the last day of the year the Kitchen God returns to his niche in the form of a new picture. By that time all the extensive preparations for the New Year have been completed. The outer gates have received most elaborate and highly coloured portraits of the best known of all Gate G'ods, Yii-chih Rung R0h44t', and Ch'in Ch'iung e. The mission of these two genii of a military character is to frighten away evil influences by thjeir awe-inspiring mnieni and battle attire. Similar Paper Gods are burnt in New Year celebrations between midnight and sunrise of the first day of the year. Paper packages containing the One Hundred Divinities, of which only the uppermost image is coloured and gilded, include all the Taoist and Buddhist figures. the benefricient spiIits, deified human