The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27
THE GODS OF NEW 0 R
Il NUMEROUS MOST, AND SOME OF
THEM WORsHIPPED STILL.
Most OF tho LATTER Are In the joss Houses
OF Mott mud Pen Streets, and In the
Homes of Dur Chinese Reatdent--
Kwnn Tara Appenrnuce In Cbipntoun.

every name ana shape, gods OF heaven. earth,
and holl. From the four corners OF the earth
they have been gathered. The majority are
preserved MS curios and were brought by mis-
scenarios and travellers from foreign lands. A
few are still wurslipped rs idols, receiving
morning, noon, and night the reverence aud
sacrifices OF their dcvOtces.
The popular deity among the Chinese Of this
city is kwan Tai, and accounts are given of
the several occasions on which ho ia thought to
have appeared In the New World. Once when
a fire threatened to consume Chinatown n man
of gigantic proportions was seen TO emerge
from the flames. which were soon extin suishcd.
He then Disappeared, but not before he peo-
pie recognized In his majestic features and
splendid drcss the divinity Of their especial
worship. Scrolls with the image of this god
are suspenied on the walls OF most Of the Chi
nesc shops. Below the scroll Is u ledge sup
porting n receptacle for incense, with n vase IN
either side. On the lst and 18th Of every Chi
nesc month special sacrifices are made to this
god. A table is set rs IL for three nersons. On
1t are chopsticks. vino cups, burning incense,
a cooked fowl, and maybe n piece OF roasted
pork. Wine is poured into tho cups, and in
vacations are made TO the god. A~fterwari the
fowl and roasted pork are removed, chopped
Into small pieces, and again placed on theta
bic as an Offering to the spirits OF their dead.
Every Chinese house is supposed to have its
ghost, either that OF ono who has died within
It or one who has selected II az its dwelling. If
an altar is raised to these ghosts and suitable
offerings are made, they protect and aid the
living. The proprietor Of a laundry UP town
burns incense daily before a pie e of yellow
cotton cloth tackled upon the wall for the
spirit OF his brother. Such substitutes are
made by the Chinese in tho United States for
'Shiu Chu," the ancestral god or tablet.
The ancestral tablet Is nothing more than n
fiat piece of wood held upright by a base OF
the same material, and resembling more than
anything else II small gravestonc. The larg-
est and most interesting specimens are to be
seen In the library of the Board Of Foreign
Missions OF the Presbyterian Church. One of
those there has a total height OF l34 inches.
The tablet is of wood painted white. and is
o inches hiSh by . broad. 1t is mortised into
n wooden pedestal. with similar mortised side
pieces which have upor them conventional
carvings In relief. a piece which inclincs
forward. with n bird In relief, is attached to
the top of the tablet. The raised surface of
the carvings on the sides and top are silve~ed.
while the ground is painted white and red. The
tablet bars in black ink: "Sien I nj Ii Lin
fu chi shin wei" Spirit place of the deceased
worthy, Ii Linz
The Chinese believe that each person has
three souls; one which goes to heaven. one that
remains in the grave with the body. and ono
that returns homo and dwells In the ancestral
tablet. 1t is this third soul that they worship
by burning incense. candles. food. imitation
money. paper houses. paper furniture. and
clothing. They believe that such articles
are rendered invisible and transmitted TO the
spirit world by means of fire. and that in this
way the dead are supplied with food. clothing.
and money By the living on whom they are en-
tirely dependent.
Tu-TI-Kunp fhe God nj Wealth Ia arCth1r
| god worship ped IN Chinatown. He is usually
represented as an old man OF benevolent ASPECT
seated in a chair and holding a bar Of gold In
his hand. One of his images, about the larG-
est in New York. is OF carved wood painted In
bright colors. 1t is thirteen inches high.
Every Chinese shopkeeper. banker, and mcr-
chant has pasted on his wall a piece of rcd
paper on which is written the nam OF his
soG. Seldom do they have his image.
A god found at the missionary headquarters,
but not among the Chinese of the Eastern
States. is "Tsau KUN" thc kitchen god. lie
is supposed to have charge OF the fanily. and
all the Members This he must do. be-
cause at the end OF each year he must make
a Re 9 SYnh OF uMsnS Sssr who eo Tnles in y h. ths r oSsr
all the lessor goas. Five days before the Chi
nese New Year this god is supposed to 60 up
him in the hone that he may be br!bed 10 make
a good report. a. the exact moment OF his
| tchN IIlfNIhNh'As NV Az. VIZ NV hNthoS
burned. t. put him in as good a humor a. DOS
sible. His return is expe ted about the fourth
the same marks of respect that attended his
going. The few images OF this god in New
York are of painted wood. and represent an Old
man seated in a chair. They are about u foot
in height.
Elephnnta Cave are found all oyer India, and
constitute the chief gods worshipped by the
b BOUGHT; he Msn Tho I4 names amer a t%f Brahm na Viz h hnn.
and silva, and as to which OF the three should
be called ths supreme Being opinions differ;
that q dispute on this point arose among tho
Hindu, saGes. One of these tcn wise men un-
three gods 20 a test. He first went to Brahma.
on approaching whom he Intentionally omitted
angry. ard only after a considerable time was
he paciiled. Next he went to silva. and omitted
ragged the vindictive god that his eyes flashed
fire. and he rniscl his trident to destroy tbs
her interces, ions Mt length appeascd him. Last
OF all the sage sought Nlshnu, whom HI" found
H %1ess2 oa nf @ e"iaIs H fnis. ne hs.q F9a a q hle shY IN fhs
anger ,Eislnu arose, and on seciIE tle sage
% %tSS Ms h!' ,4 n1EaIn h fH5 G dc: n" ~ Eis Sr%IfG Sja a,H
honored by the sage's blow. which, he sad,
had IMPRINTED on hiS breast nm indelibic mark
OF good luck. lie then inquired tend"rly whether
the sage's foot had been hurt, ana proceeded 20
l"This,' said the sage, lis The mightiest god.
He overrowers by the most potent OF ali wea-
pons- gentleness and generosity
It llHuEoo " I'VE EN"0 FfCi II y j VI
are made of marble and brass. Those Of mar
BILE were taken from temples. Those OF brass
were household gods treated with the greatest
consideration. Oiiorings Of food and wine
were made to them three times a day. Every
morning they were bathed In water. which wns
drunk by their wOrshippers. and at night they
were. nut to rest upon pillows made expressly
for the purpose.
The Stone Devil. made after that celebrated
black idol worshippea by the people OF Time
y T.l ha. Is sn so6m gnr. more Sa than xit loot TIN IN height
head OF n cow. In one hand It holds n trl-
dent. In the other n child which 1t Ia about TO
devour. Around lis waist anu arms i twisted
a huge serpent, while from its shoulders fall
Rarlands of red and white olcaudcr blossoms.
Tho teachings of Hinduism ms TO the next
world and the way to reach 1t are remarkable.
There il supposed to be n wide stream between |
this world and the next, and the only way TO
cross 1t Is by holding on to the tail OF "A sacred
COW when dying. So the bull is tho most ga
cred animal of the Hindus. and they consider
the slaughter of one a greater crime than parri- |
oido. The idols OF sacred cows here In New
York are OF marble, beautifully carved and
gilded. They vary In height from two or three