Gall-bladder

(膽)

The gall, according to the Chinese, has office of judge in the body; determination and decision proceed from it, and when people are angry it ascends or expands. It is symbolic of bravery. There is a belief that the gall of notorious criminals, who have been executed, has a great efficacy as a tonic, and that rice steeped therein and eaten will increase the courage of the consumer. “A hero should be brave,” said Wêi Sïqiān (韋思謙) of the Táng Dynasty, “and even expose his gall-bladder in protection of the Emperor.”A courageous man is referred to as possessing a gall “as large as a peck-measure,” and a coward as merely having one “as small as a rat’s.” (Vide the Author’s Manual of Chinese Metaphor, pp. 77–8.)

The gall-bladder is reverenced as one of the EIGHT TREASURES (q. v.) or Eight Precious Organs of Buddha, and is sometimes called luó (螺), when it symbolises the sacred CONCH-SHELL (q. v.) of the Buddhists.

Glow-worm

(營姐)

The firefly proper, a click-beetle of the genus Pyrophorus and family Elateridæ, does not occur to any great extent in China, but the beetle Lampyris noctiluca, generally known as the glow-worm, is very common. The female is wingless and emits light from certain cells in the ventral region of the hinder abdominal segments, for the purpose of attracting the flying male whose luminous organs are in a rudimentary condition. In certain genera of the family Lampyridæ the light-giving organs are present in both sexes.

“One of the most remarkable insects in China is the lanternfly, or Fulgora candelaria. A large insect, this species is of a pretty green colour, banded with yellow, its under-wings being yellow tipped with black, and abdomen yellow barred with black. It is remarkable in that it has the head drawn out into a long horn-like snout, the tip of which is luminous.”¹²¹

According to a Chinese legend, Chē Yìn (車嵐), of the Qín Dynasty, studied at night by the light of a bag full of glow-worms, as he could not afford a lamp, and he subsequently rose to a high position in the government. Hence this insect, besides being a symbol of beauty, is also regarded as an emblem of industry and perseverance, and, from the theory that rotting vegetation is transformed into glow-worms, presumably by a species of spontaneous combustion, it is also specified as a sign of regeneration and the light of the departed soul.

Goad

(鐵釣)

The goad is one of the weapons or insignia of some of the Buddhist deities introduced from India. It resembles the elephant goad, and is finished off at the top with symbolic thunderbolts. It is an emblem of power and divine authority (vide Illustration under LAMAISM).

God of Fire

(祝幅)

The Spirit of Fire is said by some to have originally been a Minister under the Yellow Emperor (帝), 2689 B.C.; by others to be identical with Zhòng Lí (重黎), who is described as the deified son of the legendary Emperor Zhuān Xü (願頑), and also as a dual personality ruling over the elements of wood and fire, and entrusted with the administration of heaven and earth, while another account makes him contemporary with the mythical monarch Fú Yì (伏義), 2593–2838 B.C. He governs the South; hence he is sometimes called 南方君 and 南方赤帝. He is also known as 囘祿 and 赤精成子, and is represented as an animal with a human face, accompanied by two dragons as chargers. His face is red and fierce-looking and he has three eyes, the odd one in the centre of his forehead protruding to enable him to see all round. His attendants in the temples hold various emblems such as a pair of birds, which are omens of fire; a fiery serpent; a fire-wheel or fire-ball by which conflagrations are kindled; a pencil and tablet to take note of the places to be scourged by fire.

He is worshipped for three or four days, beginning on the 17th day of the 8th moon, when lanterns and lamps are hung in the streets. He is supposed to be able either to cause or prevent conflagrations, and is propitiated with the hope that fires may not break out. This is considered a necessary precaution on account of the almost universal lack of efficient fire-fighting apparatus in Chinese towns.

God of Literature

(文昌)

A Taoist deity who is said to have lived as a man in Szechuan during the Táng Dynasty, was reincarnated several times, and was finally deified in the Yuán period, A.D. 1314. He is reputed to reside in that part of the constellation Ursa Major known by the Chinese as Kuí (魁). He is also named Wén Chāng Dì Jün (文昌帝君), or briefly Wēn Dì (文帝), and is worshipped on the 3rd moon, and on an auspicious day in the 8th moon, with sacrifices. Originally the constellation Kuí () was regarded as the abode of Wén Chāng, but Kuí (魁) was substituted later, and this star is also regarded as a God of Literature.

“He is said to have transformed himself ninety-eight times, and to have wrought numerous wonderful effects. He has promoted all the three national religions. He equals in authority the three rulers of heaven, earth and the sea, and assists those who are seeking office, or testing their abilities in the public examinations.”¹²²

This powerful divinity is generally represented holding a pen and a book on which is written four characters, meaning “Heaven decides literary success.”As Wén Chāng he is figured as a handsome man in the sitting posture; as the star-god Kuí he is also represented as a man, but extremely ugly-looking, with a head having two long crooked horn-like projections. He sometimes stands with one foot on the head of a large fish, with the other foot lifted up. In one hand he holds an immense brush-pen, and in the other a cap such as was worn by the chief of a class of graduates. His image is always placed before the image of the other god of literature, though he is not regarded as his assistant. He stands upon the fish because the carp of the Yellow River is believed to make an ascent of the stream in the third moon of each year, and those which succeed in passing the rapids of Lóngmén (龍門) in Honan, become changed into dragons; this supposed transformation of fish to dragon (魚龍變化), has become an example and synonym for the literary success of the industrious student.

It appears that, owing to tautological variation, or similarity of names, Wén Chāng has been inextricably confused with (1) the star Kuí (魁), (2) an ugly individual known as Zhōngkuí (鐘旭), who had power over the spirits of evil, and finally committed suicide by drowning himself in the river (hence the sea-dragon on which he stands).

God of Longevity

(壽老)

The star-god of longevity is Canopus, in the constellation Argo. He is often pictured as issuing from a peach, or in company with his three associates, the star-gods of happiness and wealth, a most auspicious combination.

“In every case he appears gentle and smiling, his venerable head, monstrously high on the upper part with white hair and eyebrows, mounted or leaning upon a stag. He will often hold in his hand the fruit of the fabulous tree, pántáo (幡桃), which blossoms every three thousand years, and only yields its peaches three thousand years after. If he is surrounded by mushrooms, língzhï (靈芝)— vide PLANT OF LONG LIFE—which give immortality, and wears a yellow robe, he will be recognised as the supreme disposer of earthly things and the eternal ruler of the seasons.”¹²³

God of the Kitchen

(寵神)

The “Stove King,” known as 畫神, 畫君, 畫, or 司 命灶 君, is the patron god of the kitchen or family deity.

It would appear that the worship of this divinity dates from Wû Dì, a devotee of Taoism, and was in connection with alchemy, in 133 B.C.

His picture is stuck up near the cooking stove in every home; his chief duty is to apportion to each member of the family the length of their days; he also bestows wealth or poverty, and he notes the virtues and vices of the household, reporting the same to Almighty God (上帝) on the 23rd of the 12th moon of each year, on which day it is customary to propitiate him with offerings made of a sweetmeat which is so sticky that when he reaches heaven he is unable to open his lips. “Sacrificial meats, fruit, and wine are placed on a table in the kitchen before his picture, and offered up to him with prayer and thanksgiving. Each member of the family prostrates himself before the god, while crackers are exploded to frighten off all evilly-disposed spirits. The ceremony over, the picture which has done duty during the past year is torn down and burnt, together with the paper-money presented to the god, and the toy horse which is provided to carry him heavenwards.”¹²⁴ He returns to the bosom of the family on the 30th of the month. A new picture is pasted up in the kitchen after the new year, and a congratulatory sacrifice of vegetables is offered up to him in order to secure his goodwill towards the household during the coming year.

God of War

(關帝)

The Chinese Mars, or the military hero Guān Yû (關羽) was a native of Jiêzhōu (解州), Shantung. He became a general under the Posterior Hàn Dynasty over 2,000 years ago. He was one of the younger of the three sworn brothers, who raised an army and suppressed a rebellion, and whose exploits are so graphically recorded in the Annals of the Three Kingdoms. He was a supporter of Líu Bèi, first Emperor of the lesser Hàn Dynasty. Being taken prisoner by Sun Quan, he was executed in 220 B. C. at the age of 58. Even after his death he is supposed to have exerted a powerful influence for the good of the nation, and the protection of the country; and in recognition of his meritorious services he was ennobled early in the 12th century as a Duke; in 1128 he was raised to the rank of Prince; and in 1594 he was finally awarded the posthumous title of Emperor or God.

Emperor Guān, also known as 武帝; 神武 關漢壽帝;關老爺， 關公，美臂公，關聖帝君，協 天帝, is one of the most popular of the Chinese divinities. He is worshipped in every house, and temples dedicated to him—styled Wû Shèng Miào (武聖潮)—are found all over the country. His image is placed in the first hall of the Buddhist monastery. He is represented either alone or accompanied by two attendants, and is worshipped on the 15th day of the 2nd moon, and the 13th day of the 5th moon, by civil and military officials. He has also been accepted as patron saint of various trades and professions. This has led to his being regarded as the tutelary deity of money-making enterprises in general, and so he has gradually developed into a kind of god of wealth, besides being also revered as a god of literature.“The sword of the public executioner used to be kept within the precincts of his temple, and, after an execution, the presiding magistrate would stop there to worship for fear the ghost of the criminal might follow him home. He knew that the spirit would not dare to enter Guān Dì’s presence.”¹²⁵

God of Wealth

(財神)

“No idol in China is more universally worshipped than Cái Shén Yé, the God of Wealth. His shrine is to be found in nearly every home, his temples are very numerous, and high and low are always ready to burn a stick of incense before him. He is considered to be the deified spirit of Bî Gān (比干) a sage of the 12th century B.C., who was a relative of the infamous tyrant Zhòu Xïn (辛), the last ruler of the Shāng Dynasty. Bî Gān reproved him for his wickedness, whereupon the Emperor ordered that the sage’s heart should be cut out in order to see if there were really seven orifices in the seat of the wise man’s intelligence, as commonly believed to be the case (vide HEART).”¹²⁶

This divinity is also known as 財帛星君 or 祿星, the Star-God of Affluence (vide STARS, and GOD OF LONGEVITY). He is usually accompanied by two attendants, and is worshipped on the 20th day of the 7th moon, mostly by poor people, but also by gamblers. There is a military as well as a civil form of the God of Wealth.

“Talismans, trees of which the branches are strings of cash, and the fruits ingots of gold, to be obtained merely by shaking them down, a magic inexhaustible casket full of gold and silver—these and other spiritual sources of wealth are associated with this much adored deity.”¹²⁷ (Vide GOLD.)

Gold

(金)

“The Chinese use the same character for metal and gold. It represents in the pseudo-science of fēngshuî or yïnyáng the chief of the sacred five-system of the elements which comprise also wind, fire, water and earth. . . . The character jïn (金), gold or metal, is said by the Shuōwén to be made up of the characters jïn (今),‘now’, indicating the sound and tone of the word, and tû (土), ‘earth,’ with two dots in earth. Classical scholars state that the two dots are supposed to represent the mode of occurrence of gold in the earth.”¹²⁸

Gold is found in many Chinese rivers, but in such small quantities that the washing does not pay. With the possible exception of Manchuria and the Yunnan-Szechuan region, the gold-mining industry in China has no prospects.

Cubes of gold weighing one catty were used as currency from the eleventh to the third century B.C. At one time gold and silver were the same in value; this anomaly was created by the absence of foreign intercourse. In the Hàn Dynasty gold was cheap, because Buddhist image worship had not then created a demand for this metal. Gold is consumed in gilding, and exported to India as bullion, in the shape of small bars or course leaves. The Chinese often invest their savings in soft gold bracelets, rings, etc., and the goldsmith stamps the name of his shop inside any piece of gold he sells, it being understood that he will repur-chase it at any time by weight, without questioning the quality of the metal. The ancient Taoist alchemists claimed to possess the secret of the Philosopher’s Stone (金丹), by which common substances could be transmuted into gold (vide GOD OF WEALTH).

Gong

(鍵)

The Chinese brass gong is cast in the shape of a platter or a native straw hat with large brim; it is of various sizes, varying from 2 inches to 2 feet in diameter. It is suspended by a string and struck with a mallet. The use of the gong is very general. In processions it drives away evil spirits; on board ship it announces departure; during eclipses it frightens the “Celestial Dog” when about to devour the moon; it is the signal on the outbreak of a fire; in songs it marks the tune; in the streets a small gong is the sign of the sweetmeat pedlar, and a large one may announce the approach of an official with his retinue; in Buddhist temples it is beaten to call the attention of the spirits.

The yùnluó (韻編) is a chime of ten small gongs suspended in a frame. It is used in religious ceremonies and in orchestras. The diânzî (點子) is a gong of brass or iron suspended at the city gates and in temples, varying from one to four feet in diameter, and of ornamental shape (vide MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS).

Goose, Wild

(雁)

“Said to be peculiarly the bird of the yáng (陽鳥) or principle of light and masculinity in nature. It follows the sun in its wintry course toward the South, and shows an instinctive knowledge of the times and seasons in its migrations. It always flies in pairs, and hence is employed as an emblem of the married state. In the ritual of the Zhōu Dynasty it was accordingly enumerated among betrothal presents.”¹²⁹

The Chinese believe that geese never mate a second time, and a libation is poured out to the geese on the occasion of the bridegroom fetching his bride from her father’s house. Memorial arches (牌樓) are sometimes erected in memory of widows who have not remarried, but have continued true to their husband’s memory; a procedure which is regarded as highly meritorious.

The scholar Wáng Yìzhï (王義之), A.D. 321–379, once made a copy of the Dāodéjïng (道德經) for a Taoist priest, receiving in return the present of a flock of rare geese.

A wild goose is depicted on the Chinese postal flag in reference to Sü Wû (蘇武), of the 2nd century B.C., who, while under detention by the Xiongnu or Turkic tribes, contrived to inform the Emperor Hàn Wû Dì of his whereabouts by attaching a letter to the leg of a wild goose, which was subsequently shot in the Imperial pleasure grounds; whereupon steps were taken to effect his release. For the same reason geese are sometimes depicted on fancy note-paper. A wild goose was formerly embroidered on the court robes of civil officials of the third grade.

Gourd

(萌盧)

The bottle-gourd is very durable when dried. It is often tied to the backs of the children of the boat people of Canton, to assist them in floating if they should fall overboard. Its shape renders it useful as a receptacle for medicine, and it is represented in the form of a sign-board by the drug-shops of the Chinese (vide SHOP-SIGNS). It is the symbol of mystery and necromancy and the emblem of Lî Tiêguâi (李鐵拐), one of the EIGHT IMMORTALS (q. v.) of Taoism, who holds it in his hand while spirals of smoke ascend from it, denoting his power of setting his spirit free from his body.

Gourd-bottles being formerly carried by old men on their backs, figures of them, made either of copper or of the wood of old men’s coffins, are worn as charms for longevity; the former round the neck, the latter round the wrist.“The gourd-shell, or a painting of the gourd on wood or paper, or a small wooden gourd, or a paper cut in shape like a perpendicular section of the gourd, or a paper lantern made in the shape of a gourd, is in frequent use as a charm to dissipate or ward off pernicious influences.”¹³⁰

Grain Measure

(斗)

The common peck measure holds ten catties of rice, and is generally made of willow-wood. It has also many symbolic uses and takes a prominent part in the worship of the STARS (q. v.).

“The Grain Measure is a symbol of the full measure of justice, mercy, and virtue, which should be meted out to each being, irrespective of his station; the measure should be ‘level’—filled to overflowing with benefits for the people. Being four-sided it represents the whole Empire; it is in fact in the form of the original character for ‘kingdom,’ which was a simple square.”¹³¹

Grape

(葡萄)

The grape, Vitis vinifera, was introduced into China in 126 B.C. by the famous Minister Zhāng Qiān (張) on return from his mission to the Indo-Scythians.

There are various varieties, e. g., the elongated white grape, the seedless white grape, the purple grape, and the wild grape. From some species a fairly good wine is made. In the northern regions the vines are coiled up and covered with earth to protect them from the severe cold of winter. The fruit is also preserved for several months by keeping it underground.

This fruit is sometimes used in art motifs as a border pattern, and the design of the “sea horses and grapers” (said to be derived from Greece) or the “squirrel and grape-vine,” etc., are occasionally found on the backs of ancient bronze mirrors or in paintings.