86
K. G. STEVENS
It is generally understood that the "spirits who counter or cope with misfortunes”, and whose names appear on the green sheet of paper, are the main occupants of the Under Altar and others who share occupancy are there on sufferance. Only two of the five or seven spirits of the Under Altar appear in image form, the Local Wealth God and the Five Demons. The remainder are represented only as titles listed in columns.
The green sheet of paper on which the Under Altar spirits are listed is either pasted, or framed and hung, on the rear wall of the Under Altar. The titles, apart from the two outside ones which are standard, can be in any order. The local Wealth God, however, seems most frequently to be the title in the centre column. The lists which are very similar on both sides of the Pearl River estuary, are as follows:
Right hand column:
Left hand column:
Centre column:
"The Boy who averts calamities (or suffering) on the right" (右使化難童郎) or (右使化難童郎)
"The Boy who averts misfortune on the left"(左便消災童郎)
The Local Wealth God who distinguishes right from wrong both in the Human and Under Worlds (He has the title of "Cheng Chen") (正真財君)
The other columns are as follows:
The Two Great Spirit Generals who avert misfortune(冰消瓦解二大神將) The Five Demons who bring fortune (五鬼郎君運財童子)
The Two Gods of Mourning (二位客星君)
The White Ape (Monkey), Star God, the Prince of the Palace of the East (東宮太子白猿(猴)星君)
Marshal Yin, The King of Thunder who averts the hundred sufferings/calamities (百解雷王殷大元帥)
86
K. G. STEVENS
It is generally understood that the "spirits who counter or cope with misfortunes”, and whose names appear on the green sheet of paper, are the main occupants of the Under Altar and others who share occupancy are there on sufferance. Only two of the five or seven spirits of the Under Altar appear in image form, the Local Wealth God and the Five Demons. The remainder are represented only as titles listed in columns.
The green sheet of paper on which the Under Altar spirits are listed is either pasted, or framed and hung, on the rear wall of the Under Altar. The titles, apart from the two outside ones which are standard, can be in any order. The local Wealth God, however, seems most frequently to be the title in the centre column. The lists which are very similar on both sides of the Pearl River estuary, are as follows:
Right hand column:
Left hand column:
Centre column:
"The Boy who averts calamities (or
suffering) on the right" (R***
郎) or (右使化難童郎)
"The Boy who averts misfortune on
the left"(左便消災童郎)
The Local Wealth God who disting-
uishes right from wrong both in the Human and Under Worlds (He has the title of "Cheng Chen") (#ROLA (正真)財君)
The other columns are as follows:
The Two Great Spirit Generals who avert misfortune(冰消瓦解二大神將) The Five Demons who bring fortune (運財童子五鬼郎君)
The Two Gods of Mourning ( ** 客二位星君)
The White Ape (Monkey), Star God, the Prince of the Palace of the East
(東宮太子白猿(猴)星君)
Marshal Yin, The King of Thunder who averts the hundred sufferings/calamities (百解雷王殷大元帥)
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