Quail

(鶴鶴)

Coturnix vulgaris. This gallinaceous bird, so closely allied to the partridge, is met with in large quantities in China, and is greatly valued on account of its fighting qualities. The Chinese “carry them about in a bag, which hangs from their girdle, treat them with great care, and blow occasionally on a reed to rouse their fierceness. When the bird is duly washed, which is done very carefully, they put him under a sieve with his antagonist, strew a little millet on the ground, so as to stimulate the envy of the two quails; they very soon commence a fight, and the owner wins the prize.”²²⁵

The quail is an emblem of courage on account of its pugnacious character, and, owing to its ragged appearance, is also a symbol of poverty and patched clothing.

Queen of Heaven

(天后)

The Taoist Queen of Heaven and Holy Mother (天后聖母), Mā Zû Pó (媽祖婆), is the seafarer’s goddess, to whom he prays or sacrifices for fine weather and safe conduct.

She is said to have been a virgin named Lín (林), who lived some centuries ago near Foochow, and is supposed to have control of the elements of nature.“The ‘Goddess of the Sea’ was the daughter of a Fukien fisherman. She was ever filial in her bearing and daily chanted long prayers calling down blessings on the heads of her parents. On one occasion she fell into a trance while her parents were out fishing. In her dream she learned that they were in danger of being swamped by the high seas. She thereupon ran to the seashore and fixedly pointed to the parental boat which, alone of the whole fishing fleet, came safely back to shore. Since her deification she is credited with having cured an Emperor of a disease which had defied the skill of the best physicians. Her attendants ‘Thousand Mile Eyes’ (千里眼) and ‘Fair Wind Ears’ (順風耳) are credited with the possession of abnormally sensitive ocular and auricular perceptions.”²²⁶

This divinity is worshipped previous to the first trip of the fishing season on the 23rd day of the 3rd moon, when incense and candles are lighted, and an offering of chicken and roast pork made, with prayers for protection on the deep. Temples and shrines for the Holy Mother may be seen at short intervals along the lines of water communication throughout the country. When new nets are made or old ones mended, they are spread out by the owners and sacrifices offered to propitiate the goddess. Every junk is furnished with her image, before which a lamp is kept burning. Models of fishing craft are sometimes presented to the temples in her honour as a sign of appreciation of benefits anticipated or received. When a junk is about to proceed on a lengthy voyage, the goddess is taken in a procession to a temple when many offerings are placed before her. On sailing out of the harbour mock-money of paper is thrown out at the stern, and worship is also made to the compass.

This divinity is also called the “Matron of the Measure” (斗姥), and is identified with the Buddhist Goddess Maritchi (摩利支), while, like the Goddess of Mercy, she has also been compared with the Virgin Mary (vide KUAN YIN, STARS).