100
Recapitulation
K. G. STEVENS
To sum up, there is a special altar in certain Cantonese, Hakka and Boat People's Taoist folk religion temples dedicated to spirits who cope with the adversities people encounter in life. That altar, because it is below the pale, houses several other spirits who all seem to be able to eliminate calamities and suffering, which no doubt is why the altar is called the Misfortune Altar. Other subsidiary roles of the spirits on the altar according to individual informants, include the chasing away and destruction of demons particularly sickness demons; the preservation of youthful feminine beauty; the correction of erring husbands and the discipline of wayward children. The Green Horse, who has little to do with the Altar, appears to have the function of messenger either to, or between the Gods or to the dead or distant relatives. The White Tiger, a demon destroyer, who also is a lodger in the Under Altar, though declared ferocious and potentially very dangerous by most temple keepers, seems to be ignored for much of the year and feted only on his festival in early Spring.
ADDENDUM
Four large earthenware pots each sealed with red and green paper charms were seen standing on the front of an under altar in a small folk religion temple in Macau. The temple keeper explained that evil demons exorcised during a recent ceremony had been incarcerated in the pots which had been placed on the altar where they could cause no further harm. The keeper also said that such pots cannot remain before the altar forever and that it was usual practice either to bury them or to take them well out to sea and cast them overboard. — K.G.S.
100
Recapitulation
K. G. STEVENS
To sum up, there is a special altar in certain Cantonese, Hakka and Boat People's Taoist folk religion temples dedicated to spirits who cope with the adversities people encounter in life. That altar, because it is below the pale, houses several other spirits who all seem to be able to eliminate calamities and suffering, which no doubt is why the altar is called the Misfortune Altar. Other sub- sidiary roles of the spirits on the altar according to individual in- formants, include the chasing away and destruction of demons particularly sickness demons; the preservation of youthful feminine beauty; the correction of erring husbands and the discipline of wayward children. The Green Horse, who has little to do with the Altar, appears to have the function of messenger either to, or be- tween the Gods or to the dead or distant relatives. The White Tiger, a demon destroyer, who also is a lodger in the Under Altar, though declared ferocious and potentially very dangerous by most temple keepers, seems to be ignored for much of the year and feted only on his festival in early Spring.
ADDENDUM
Four large earthenware pots each sealed with red and green paper charms were seen standing on the front of an under altar in a small folk religion temple in Macau. The temple keeper explained that evil demons exorcised during a recent ceremony had been incarcerated in the pots which had been placed on the altar where they could cause no further harm. The keeper also said that such pots cannot remain before the altar forever and that it was usual practice either to bury them or to take them well out to sea and cast them overboard. — K.G.S.
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