Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-07-22
CHINESE SUPERsTYTT0NS.


in almost every conceivable way. and
lii is very rare indeed to find even an
Individual who is wholly free from the
faint.
Like many other people. the great
mass of the Chinese are firm believers
in the ''incvitable' and one very disas.
trous consequence Of this is their reck.
less carelessness with regard 10 FIRE
they let Off crackcrs on the slightest
provocation in their streets, temples or
houses, and often too, in mat.sbeds
they are constantly burning amock or
paper money! in honor Of deceased
relatives, etc, undar similar conditions
and 20 where you will---into temple,
or shop or a privn.sa dwcllinp--you are
almost Sure to find smouldering sticks
of incense foreigners call them loss
sticks) lying about. Under these cir
cumstances, and considering that nearly
all their buildings are, to great ex.
tent, constructed of the most inflama-
bic materials, IL Is not very surprising
that, in climate where everything is
as dry as tinder during great portion
of the year, their supeistitious apathy
is often the cause of fearful conAagra-
tions.
The Chinese stand in much awe of
evil spirits and unpropitious influences
and consequently are great believers in
the efficacy of charms, and nav con
slant attention to omens.
As rule, whatever is red is thought
to act as 4 talisman so il a man. when
reading the Chinese classics, marks the
stops with red ink, he is thought TO
adopt the surest means of warding off
evil from himself. For a similar reason
parents commonly put red in some
form or other ON their children, some
times even braiding red silk into their
diminutive queues.
The Yi-ching, or Book of Changes,
one of the Five Canonical works, and
the Ia Hsio, or Great Learning, one of
the Four Books, are held in high es-
TEEN as charms against wicked spirits,
especially II put under the pillow or
placed near the bed at night and any
one who can repeat long quotations
from them when walking alone never
need fear molestation from the other
world.
A common charm in families is the
"money sword This is usually about
two feet long and is constructed of
three kinds Of things, each of which is
regarded as protection against evil
spirits: two iron rods which form the
basis of the sword; about a hundred
copper coins, either ancient or modern
Of ancient so much the bctter) which
are ingeniously fastened ON these rods,
concealing them from view; the coins
are tied on the outside of the rods by
means of red cords passed through the
square holes in their centers. Swords
Of this kind are suspended ut the heads
Of sleeping coucbes and beds that the
supposed guardianship of the sovcr-
eigns in whose reign the coin was issued
may keep away ghosts and evil spirits.
They are chiefly used in houses or
rooms where persons have committed
suicide or suffered q violent death, and
SICK people so,ns.''nes resort 10 them
m ~ .no nspe y. na'.ods . .he'f e,, recoVcry,
: nvi ~ .na.". = no uo'ps ,ui'y equhi
" 'l'"' u = nolsc-snoe 1, ,'n,,eo ,,,i, over
eool, VI any " ,nose l'liailiolc ueviccs
iolnicriy auop,eu IN 'h'scouh'ry against
witches anu ghos's.
~ ~ sI'cc'cs Vi s,iVer pau,och, caiiea ,he
nunuIcu ia',,lnes iock IL considered
u wonee,lui y, ,allsinan ior wardlng OH
svn splr,'s lro'h ~ ch''a M anu, as !. were
ioching % MN 70 me- ms charm ae-
ites !, @ ,'s na'no ,ro,, 'ne way ea wn'cn
!. y op.alhca, a aor .ns la,nes ,i o. .ne boy
goes round 10 u hundred di1erent faml-
scr;nt;o, oad ha % Jm hn,'s , ,ha s;I''a, I"
nodlocL ~ Alec has /, 49, S.on IN ,ta
Silver he has collac,ad lac y T Mo aIsn o' nro WV
onros a sn,aIl @ s;I,'a, aha;, ~ ,,a s. Mt MJ
i | rIaoaJ [ '.a,,na e ~ v' LILLE, ~ s, Mn'ea a
q, q ,I,anad | t., % ~" sa,saL saI ' "''N anu
Ea,l,, ~ a." ae pA n,;'' ..,,oho
n;n * ,ha @ seh ao,',s ood Tl;oan =. ans g peR;, y
o1,an ara;, al M % nr [ aaoh s;do vrs ~ .ha | e.n's
door and n,;Indo,ns III ~ | ne ~ I tana" I, as = Gn s
laaros I ne ~ s,,o,. q Wy aa.,,S nvuoo ~"
mems, W ond ~ ~ e"us. o,,a nas '"'grns Tss LAM a
Of tho so0t o "a a., a..''oa W. ,e nd e S,nS ,saIes
20 ns o".e. y, lug a'o 'Jns a,d ,,,,, H,en.
eaPe,nns ~ = punt anu rv7e'rplnS mn lnc
: ns ,h,,a snap. y, swo.u. ~, Ing 1'Joc,
e.on, e .n'a ~ Pro'.,hs .,s ~, n'a,n,, s =. esn
an % a,,;, un "'i,.i, 'ne aoase' , anu 20 s ,rlghs
ua no;',hha,s vth spn,' se"''"''y away nun ''S
m nyo,noou' y,.. n, :,
oo;nn '"n,', !; on''ou 'nc warui's.viIcvl' '' I,s
hoin Lnm eqaen, e ase a,,Ins n,, = vh,,ae h..,
bolas oda Z ,oa w nao,. "ec~o 81. =; pu'.v as
nav he round obIonr syPr'I a. hexa 4, " aonoI ID
Roth sidas asanO,.a,I'l o hoar y. s"rso ~'a "h.n
acters with a felicitous meaning, such