Printed in multi-color reproductions, the woodcuts are pasted at specified places inside the house. The old, perhaps dingy ones are torn down to be replaced by new prints as the New Year approaches, just as Chinese people discard their worn-out dresses to put on their new finery for the year's greatest festival.
The woodcuts invariably depict gods who, unlike their Greek counterparts, do not like to reside on mountains. Unrelated as the Chinese gods are, they are agreed on one thing: a human dwelling is a much better place to live in than a lofty peak.
There is another difference between the Chinese gods and the Olympian residents of yore. The former are mostly historical figures deified by later generations. With the exception of the Jade Emperor who is generally recognized as the god of the gods, the rest of the deities belong to a casteless society. Nonetheless, the amount of attention they receive from the faithful is largely determined by the kind of power they wield.
Understandably, the God of Wealth is the most popular among the Chinese as may be seen in the Chinese New Year greeting which means "Congratulations for a prosperous New Year!" There are several theories regarding the identity of the God of Wealth. In most parts of China, he is recognized as General Chao Kung-ming, a hermit from Mount Omei in Szechwan. He fought for the last emperor of the Shang Dynasty (1766-1154 B.C.) and was slain in a strange way.
The Kitchen God (left) is the "inspector general" of the Jade Emperor and the God of Fertility (right) brings sons to deserving families. (File photo)
Legend has it that General Chao had magic powers on the battlefield. To subdue him, his enemy made a straw image of his person and, after 49 days of incantation, shot it through the heart and eyes with peachwood arrows. At the very moment, General Chao succumbed in a battle. In his lifetime he used to ride a tiger. Therefore, his spirit is still seen riding this fierce creature with one hand holding a huge gold ingot.
In some parts of China the God of Wealth is associated with the number five. The origin of this association is obscure. Some say that the essential Gods of the Household, Kitchen, Door, and Gate Guardians banded together to produce him, each contributing something to the result. Others say the number five was the invention of gamblers who are more concerned with the casual acquisition of riches than with settled incomes.
Often seen together are the trio deities of fu (felicity), lu (affluence) and shou (longevity) at the main hall of every household. Needless to say, they are also very popular among worshippers
Personifying the God of Felicity was Kuo Tzu-yi, a great general of the Tang Dynasty (618-905 A.D.). He was deified not only for his military exploits but also for the fact that he lived to a mature age with great honors and a big family. His life on earth has been regarded as the most nearly perfect.
Left: The trio Gods of Felicity, Affluence and Longevity. Right: The God of Wealth is often seen with five sons who control the wealth from east, west, north, south and the center of the country. (File photo)
The God of Affluence was represented by Shih Fen of the Sui Dynasty (589-618 A.D.). He attained high position in the imperial court, as did three of his immediate relatives. This put him in a position to bless his worshippers with high public offices.
The God of Longevity was supposedly fetched from the South Pole. Nobody knows how the "Grand Old Man from the South Pole" managed to trek to China or how old he was. He is always pictured as a jolly old fellow with downward bushy eyebrows and a big fleshy bump on his forehead.
Less popular than the above-mentioned deities but held equally in awe is the Kitchen God. He is the "inspector general" assigned by the Jade Emperor to watch the behavior of every household the year round. But the people take a dim view of his faithfulness to his boss. So they give him a lavish send-off with a sticky candy in his mouth his brief on annual visit to the heavens and prepare a hearty welcome for the return. In the belief that his report would thus be influenced on their behalf.
The origin of the pair of Door Gods, who appear on the cover of this issue, is also nebular. Some say that they were two ugly yet good-natured mystical figures called Shun Ssu and Yu Li. Legend has it that once these good-natured figures saw the spirit of a dead man lingering sadly outside the gate of the underworld. After having learned that he would not enter the underworld because he loved his young beautiful wife dearly, they let him return to the world and enjoy his family life again. They also told him to paste their images on the door so that no ghost could enter his door and fetch him. They have been respected as Door Gods ever since.
Another version of the Door Gods (see cover). (File photo)
Others say they were Generals Chin Chiung and Yutsu Kung of the Tang Dynasty. As the story goes, Emperor Taitsung once fell ill and saw ghosts in his dreams. He summoned the two generals to stand guard at the door of his bed-chamber. The ghosts immediately stopped bothering the monarch. That is how the two warriors have since been called upon to perform the humble duty of guarding the doors of the common people.
In some mainland provinces Chung Kui, also of the Tang Dynasty, is worshipped as the Door God. A scholar of great intelligence, he passed a court examination for civil service. Unfortunately, he was considered too ugly to occupy public office. So, he was denied imperial recognition. According to folklore, Chung drowned himself in disgust. To compensate him for his disappointment in life, the Jade Emperor gave him the power to kill ghosts and feed on them. This unearthly "cannibalism", however, did not prevent him from being worshipped as the God of Literature in other parts of China.
These are the principal household deities. In the rich stock of China's mythology and folklore accumulated over thousands of years there are numerous lesser gods, each performing the duty of a guardian angel over a specific profession, a piece of property or part of a house. For their year-round service they are rewarded with sacrificial feasts or "ghost money" on specified occasions. But only on the lunar New Year do these deities receive simultaneous attention from the faithful.