, 1885-03-24
CHINESE FOLK LORE.
BELIEF OF THE cELEsTIALs IN SIGNS
AND PoRTENTS.
Dread Of UnIuely Words and Charms and
Faith in Amuiets-singular Exam
pie. of superstitious beliefs
and Practices.
m @ uenry IN National aepubIiom.I


rich and varied. Much OF II Is connected
with idolatry, but In every district are found
legends and traditions peculiar to tho place,
with habits and customs corresponding.
They ave great dread of unlucky words,
and on certain day. cannot be induced 10 pro
nounce the word for monkey" and ars
careful TO avoid all direct m ention Of death
They win say a man Ahas passed from the
body" or "has passed from the world" or has
gone TO heaven but dislike to say plainly
be is dead. The proper word for coffin" Is
s~tudiously avoided and the euphonym elong-
evity boards used. You may look in vain
for a coffin shop In plain words, but places
for tho manufacture Of nlong life boards"
are numerous.
Their dread OF unlucky words Is some
times utilized. A certain family were greatly
annoyed by crowds of Chinese mon who
would gather on an elevated platform over
looking their enclosure AMI stare at them-
demonstrates wns useless. So one Of the
gentlemen bethought himself OF this super
stition and posted up an unlucky word In a
conspicuous position on the side OF his house
where II was sura to meet their eyes. Tho
effect was magical. The mon disappeared
Immediately and no further annoyance oc-
CURED. They are firm believers in signs
and p~ortents. A comet presages war, and as
strife Is always going on in Some part Of the
broad empire they always SEQ this sign full
filed
Eclipses are caused by a dragon dovourine
the sun or moon, and gongs are beaton fu-
rlously 10 drive him away. The breaking
OF a mirror indicates separation from ones
wife, and the destruction Of an oil jar por-
tends ovon worse evils. Before -fsting dow
thsy always fan the seat in the belief that II
you sit down while Il Is still warm you will
fall out with the last sitter. Sudden sneez.
ing indicates that some one Ia talking I'll Of
you. Mirrors OF a certain kind are said 70
f~oreshadow the future, and jewels have been
exhibited for a few cash in which his future
WINS depicted to each observer In tho shape
Of a beggnr, a mandarin, a merchant, or
some other character.
Their belief in spirits Is notorious, and
haunted houses are frequent Elves, fairies,
brownies, imps and other supernatural
beings arc said to abound. They believe In
spirit rnppings, planchette, alchorzy, mos
merism, divination OF various kinds by bam-
boo slips, by images, by so~mnambulism,
chiromancy and palmistry. Branches Of
certain plants are hung over tho doors to
ward off evil Influences, and cast swords are
hung inside their bed curtains as protection
against nocturnal spirits. Taslr roads arc
always crooked, and abound in sharp
corners 70 obstruct the approach OF
spirits. which delight in broad, straight
ways. The houses on n street are
never built in a line, but present a
xigzag appearance, as some project and
others arc set In. This Is to check tho prog
ress Of the spirits. Corner houses are
avoided because their position affords such
facility for the evil spirits to sweep around
them. A sharp roof indicates that only a
barber shop viii prosper opposite. The on
trance TO n house Is never direct A screen
in front necessitating a turn to the right or
left, and the arrangement OF tho opon court
inside, with Its flowers and stands, shows n
circuitous path TO the Inner apartments.
The home Of tho dragon Is In the water, IN
whose winding course no delights. Tracing
the water 10 It's source we come to the meet
ing place OF tho dragons-the ountain-hoad
Of the influences that control human destiny;
hence over the gatea of many villages may
be seen the words @Ui-LunR," Hmeeting Of
dragons, . indicating tho propltious site OF
the w The dragon Is all-lmportant He
has power to give prosperity TO tho land, TO
bring glory to tho king and honor TO the
sage, and Is the symbol OF all superiority
and success in social, political and moral
affairs. Hence II appears that the water
courses as the haunts Of dragons are of the
first importance, their source, direction or
conjunction with each other, and tho in
nuences resulting, being dotormined by
the ~geomancer's compass. II, for instance,
in the case Of a grave the water flows past
a certain point Of the compass, the descend
ants win be prosperous; II it passes at another
anglo distress will ovortake them.
The water in front Of n tomb should never
DO ~stagnant, but always running In n
stream. Riches and rank are supposed 10
flow capriciously from point TO point, hence
NO much depends on the course OF the water
as 1t lows by the tomb. The cutting OF
roads or the building of bridges or dams
may alter the course Of the water and dis
turb tho natural influences OF the place, and
q man may be ruined in fortune by the dis
placement Of 100 weight Of earth behind the
grave Of his grandfather.
In building houses, ancestral halls, temples
and laying the foundation Of villages the
service Of the goomancer IL absolutely
necessary TO secure the proper conjunction
Of good Influences In front Of q village,
for instance a straight road leading directly
out Of 1t, with people going and coming, or a
small stream flowing In a straight course
from it, are said to d~issipate the good In
nuencea An open-air altar, a bamboo
grove or groves in front, and TO ave the left
side low and the right high are all unlucky
signs