RAS-1975 — Page 314

RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 All AI Reviewed

NOTES AND QUERIES

306

h) Feng Huo Yuan T'ien Yuan Shuai (風火院田 元帥)

i) Wu Tai Yuan Shuai (五代元帥)

j) Chung Lich Ta Yuan Shuai (忠烈大元帥)

k) Lei Hai-ch'ing (†)

Various Sightings

Tien the Marshal of the Wind and Fire Ministry

Marshal of the Five Dynasties

The Great and Loyal Marshal

See Werner's story below. I have never seen nor heard this title in any temple in Taiwan and South East Asia, nor in any book on these places.

In Anking on the Yangtze in the thirties, the three gods of the actor's guild were T’ien (□) To (†) and Kuo (#)*

In 1971 there were at least five temples dedicated to Chief Marshal T’ien and the three Tien brothers in Taiwan. One of these was in Taipei and one in Changhua (title 'c' in the list above) and another in Taipei, one in Tainan and one in Yunlin (title ‘a' above).

According to a Penang (Malaysia) temple keeper and a Hsinchu (Taiwan) devotee, prior to 1949 the cult centre of this Taoist heterodox (*) cult used to be at Ch'uanchow (*), Fukien.

Legends

Numerous legends surround Chief Marshal T'ien. One basic story has already been recounted by Miss Werle. Variations and other stories include another recounted by Werner who, like Père Doré, failed to connect Marshal T'ien with Wu Tai Yuan Shuai, Marshal of the Five Dynasties (5#†) whom he calls the 'God of the Musicians'. Werner continued,

"this god had his origin in a practical joke played by his school fellows on a young scholar who lived in the time of the Five Dynasties (907-60 AD). Whilst he was taking a siesta they drew a picture of a crab on his forehead and stuck two willow branches (sometimes represented as pheasant's tail feathers) behind his ears. When he awoke he was so chagrined that he

4 Shryock: The Temples of Anking: Libraire Orientaliste: Paris 1931, p. 163.

Edit History

2026-05-12 20:56:14 · NVIDIA / meta/llama-4-maverick-17b-128e-instruct
Live
View comparison
AI Proofread
NOTES AND QUERIES 306 h) Feng Huo Yuan T'ien Yuan Shuai (風火院田 元帥) i) Wu Tai Yuan Shuai (五代元帥) j) Chung Lich Ta Yuan Shuai (忠烈大元帥) k) Lei Hai-ch'ing (†) Various Sightings Tien the Marshal of the Wind and Fire Ministry Marshal of the Five Dynasties The Great and Loyal Marshal See Werner's story below. I have never seen nor heard this title in any temple in Taiwan and South East Asia, nor in any book on these places. In Anking on the Yangtze in the thirties, the three gods of the actor's guild were T’ien (□) To (†) and Kuo (#)* In 1971 there were at least five temples dedicated to Chief Marshal T’ien and the three Tien brothers in Taiwan. One of these was in Taipei and one in Changhua (title 'c' in the list above) and another in Taipei, one in Tainan and one in Yunlin (title ‘a' above). According to a Penang (Malaysia) temple keeper and a Hsinchu (Taiwan) devotee, prior to 1949 the cult centre of this Taoist heterodox (*) cult used to be at Ch'uanchow (*), Fukien. Legends Numerous legends surround Chief Marshal T'ien. One basic story has already been recounted by Miss Werle. Variations and other stories include another recounted by Werner who, like Père Doré, failed to connect Marshal T'ien with Wu Tai Yuan Shuai, Marshal of the Five Dynasties (5#†) whom he calls the 'God of the Musicians'. Werner continued, "this god had his origin in a practical joke played by his school fellows on a young scholar who lived in the time of the Five Dynasties (907-60 AD). Whilst he was taking a siesta they drew a picture of a crab on his forehead and stuck two willow branches (sometimes represented as pheasant's tail feathers) behind his ears. When he awoke he was so chagrined that he 4 Shryock: The Temples of Anking: Libraire Orientaliste: Paris 1931, p. 163.
Baseline (Original)
NOTES AND QUERIES 306 h) Feng Huo Yuan T'ien Yuan Shuai (風火院田 元帥) i) Wu Tai Yuan Shuai (五代元帥) j) Chung Lich Ta Yuan Shuai (忠烈大元帥) k) Lei Hai-ch'ing (†) Various Sightings Tien the Marshal of the Wind and Fire Ministry Marshal of the Five Dynasties The Great and Loyal Marshal See Werner's story below. I have never seen nor heard this title in any temple in Taiwan and South East Asia, nor in any book on these places. In Anking on the Yangtze in the thirties, the three gods of the actor's guild were T’ien (□) To ( †) and Kuo (# )* In 1971 there were at least five temples dedicated to Chief Marshal T’ien and the three Tien brothers in Taiwan. One of these was in Taipei and one in Changhua (title 'c' in the list above) and another in Taipei, one in Tainan and one in Yunlin (title ‘a' above). According to a Penang (Malaysia) temple keeper and a Hsinchu (Taiwan) devotee, prior to 1949 the cult centre of this Taoist hetero- dox (*) cult used to be at Ch'uanchow (*), Fukien. Legends Numerous legends surround Chief Marshal T'ien. One basic story has already been recounted by Miss Werle. Variations and other stories include another recounted by Werner who, like Père Doré, failed to connect Marshal T'ien with Wu Tai Yuan Shuai, Marshal of the Five Dynasties ( 5^#†) whom he calls the 'God of the Musicians'. Werner continued, "this god had his origin in a practical joke played by his school fellows on a young scholar who lived in the time of the Five Dynasties (907-60 AD). Whilst he was taking a siesta they drew a picture of a crab on his forehead and stuck two willow branches (sometimes represented as pheasant's tail feathers) behind his ears. When he awoke he was so chagrined that he 4 Shryock: The Temples of Anking: Libraire Orientaliste: Paris 1931, p. 163.
2026-05-12 20:56:14 · Baseline
View content

NOTES AND QUERIES

306

h) Feng Huo Yuan T'ien

Yuan Shuai (風火院田 元帥)

i) Wu Tai Yuan Shuai

(五代元帥)

j) Chung Lich Ta Yuan

Shuai (忠烈大元帥) k) Lei Hai-ch'ing (†)

Various Sightings

Tien the Marshal of the Wind

and Fire Ministry

Marshal of the Five Dynasties

The Great and Loyal Marshal

See Werner's story below. I have never seen nor heard this title in any temple in Taiwan and South East Asia, nor in any book on these places.

In Anking on the Yangtze in the thirties, the three gods of the actor's guild were T’ien (□) To ( †) and Kuo (# )* In 1971 there were at least five temples dedicated to Chief Marshal T’ien and the three Tien brothers in Taiwan. One of these was in Taipei and one in Changhua (title 'c' in the list above) and another in Taipei, one in Tainan and one in Yunlin (title ‘a' above).

According to a Penang (Malaysia) temple keeper and a Hsinchu (Taiwan) devotee, prior to 1949 the cult centre of this Taoist hetero- dox (*) cult used to be at Ch'uanchow (*), Fukien.

Legends

Numerous legends surround Chief Marshal T'ien. One basic story has already been recounted by Miss Werle. Variations and other stories include another recounted by Werner who, like Père Doré, failed to connect Marshal T'ien with Wu Tai Yuan Shuai, Marshal of the Five Dynasties ( 5^#†) whom he calls the 'God of the Musicians'. Werner continued,

"this god had his origin in a practical joke played by his school fellows on a young scholar who lived in the time of the Five Dynasties (907-60 AD). Whilst he was taking a siesta they drew a picture of a crab on his forehead and stuck two willow branches (sometimes represented as pheasant's tail feathers) behind his ears. When he awoke he was so chagrined that he

4 Shryock: The Temples of Anking: Libraire Orientaliste: Paris 1931, p. 163.

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.