RAS-1987 — Page 121

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

performed by others into the legends of another Taoist, Chang San-feng (Wong, 1979:25). Religious lore is particularly susceptible to transfers of miracle-events from one legend to another during pre-literate periods, before chroniclers have had a chance to stabilize the legends by recording some versions for posterity. In describing the evolution of the images of the Olympian gods during the migrations and mixing of peoples in pre-literate Greece, Gilbert Murray suggested that the gods were

exceedingly confused and cloudy and changing concepts, in the minds of thousands of diverse worshippers and non-worshippers. They change every time they are thought of... Even in the height of the Achaean wars the concept of any one god would be mixed up with traditions and associations drawn from the surrounding populations and their gods (Murray, 1951:46).

But why should these processes be apparent in modern Hong Kong?

We suggest that borrowing from other traditions during oral accounts occurs in Hong Kong for the following reasons. First, there are a large number of gods and temples in Hong Kong, each one surrounded by numerous legends and miracle stories, and many worshippers visit several temples each year. Thus, they are exposed to a variety of traditions. Second, a very large number of these worshippers entered Hong Kong from China as illiterate or semi-literate adults, and thereafter were seldom exposed to official doctrine or canonical literature. Finally, and equally important, most temples are staffed only by a caretaker and one or more fortune-tellers, neither having any interest in regulating legend. Hence, even the most devout worshippers are free to believe whatever they wish about the history and powers of their favourite deities. In the absence of sermons or widely disseminated official texts, there is little opportunity for the inhibition of legend. Naturally, believers rely on the stories they have heard when constructing narratives about temples and gods.

Thus, when interviewing local people for scraps of historical

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96 performed by others into the legends of another Taoist, Chang San-feng (Wong, 1979:25). Religious lore is particularly susceptible to transfers of miracle-events from one legend to another during pre-literate periods, before chroniclers have had a chance to stabilize the legends by recording some versions for posterity. In describing the evolution of the images of the Olympian gods during the migrations and mixing of peoples in pre-literate Greece, Gilbert Murray suggested that the gods were exceedingly confused and cloudy and changing concepts, in the minds of thousands of diverse worshippers and non-worshippers. They change every time they are thought of... Even in the height of the Achaean wars the concept of any one god would be mixed up with traditions and associations drawn from the surrounding populations and their gods (Murray, 1951:46). But why should these processes be apparent in modern Hong Kong? We suggest that borrowing from other traditions during oral accounts occurs in Hong Kong for the following reasons. First, there are a large number of gods and temples in Hong Kong, each one surrounded by numerous legends and miracle stories, and many worshippers visit several temples each year. Thus, they are exposed to a variety of traditions. Second, a very large number of these worshippers entered Hong Kong from China as illiterate or semi-literate adults, and thereafter were seldom exposed to official doctrine or canonical literature. Finally, and equally important, most temples are staffed only by a caretaker and one or more fortune-tellers, neither having any interest in regulating legend. Hence, even the most devout worshippers are free to believe whatever they wish about the history and powers of their favourite deities. In the absence of sermons or widely disseminated official texts, there is little opportunity for the inhibition of legend. Naturally, believers rely on the stories they have heard when constructing narratives about temples and gods. Thus, when interviewing local people for scraps of historical i

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96 performed by others into the legends of another Taoist, Chang San-feng (Wong, 1979:25). Religious lore is particularly suscepti- ble to transfers of miracle-events from one legend to another dur- ing pre-literate periods, before chroniclers have had a chance to stabilize the legends by recording some versions for posterity. In describing the evolution of the images of the Olympian gods dur- ing the migrations and mixing of peoples in pre-literate Greece, Gilbert Murray suggested that the gods were exceedingly confused and cloudy and changing con- cepts, in the minds of thousands of diverse worshippers and non-worshippers. They change every time they are thought of... Even in the height of the Achaean wars the concept of any one god would be mixed up with traditions and associations drawn from the sur- rounding populations and their gods (Murray, 1951:46). But why should these processes be apparent in modern Hong Kong? We suggest that borrowing from other traditions during oral accounts occurs in Hong Kong for the following reasons. First, there are a large number of gods and temples in Hong Kong, each one surrounded by numerous legends and miracle stories, and many worshippers visit several temples each year. Thus, they are exposed to a variety of traditions. Second, a very large number of these worshippers entered Hong Kong from China as illiterate or semi-literate adults, and thereafter were seldom exposed to official doctrine or canonical literature. Finally, and equally important, most temples are staffed only by a caretaker and one or more fortune-tellers, neither having any interest in regulating legend. Hence, even the most devout worshippers are free to believe what- ever they wish about the history and powers of their favourite deities. In the absence of sermons or widely disseminated official texts, there is little opportunity for the inhibition of legend. Natur- ally, believers rely on the stories they have heard when construct- ing narratives about temples and gods. Thus, when interviewing local people for scraps of historical i

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performed by others into the legends of another Taoist, Chang San-feng (Wong, 1979:25). Religious lore is particularly suscepti- ble to transfers of miracle-events from one legend to another dur- ing pre-literate periods, before chroniclers have had a chance to stabilize the legends by recording some versions for posterity. In describing the evolution of the images of the Olympian gods dur- ing the migrations and mixing of peoples in pre-literate Greece, Gilbert Murray suggested that the gods were

exceedingly confused and cloudy and changing con- cepts, in the minds of thousands of diverse worshippers and non-worshippers. They change every time they are thought of... Even in the height of the Achaean wars the concept of any one god would be mixed up with traditions and associations drawn from the sur- rounding populations and their gods (Murray, 1951:46).

But why should these processes be apparent in modern Hong Kong?

We suggest that borrowing from other traditions during oral accounts occurs in Hong Kong for the following reasons. First, there are a large number of gods and temples in Hong Kong, each one surrounded by numerous legends and miracle stories, and many worshippers visit several temples each year. Thus, they are exposed to a variety of traditions. Second, a very large number of these worshippers entered Hong Kong from China as illiterate or semi-literate adults, and thereafter were seldom exposed to official doctrine or canonical literature. Finally, and equally important, most temples are staffed only by a caretaker and one or more fortune-tellers, neither having any interest in regulating legend. Hence, even the most devout worshippers are free to believe what- ever they wish about the history and powers of their favourite deities. In the absence of sermons or widely disseminated official texts, there is little opportunity for the inhibition of legend. Natur- ally, believers rely on the stories they have heard when construct- ing narratives about temples and gods.

RAS-1987 — Page 121

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