225
shuppansha, 1987, pp. 21-57)
To my mind, it follows from the above quotation, that the Liang considered Houtu the land contract witness and hoped that by constructing a shrine in his honour, they could prevail upon him to preserve the plot's integrity.
The Liang tomb, however, is not the only trace of Houtu's survival in Hong Kong. Other, less elaborate examples of his cult also exist at Aberdeen. Here, two very similar stones, from different graves, show clear traces of a religious dimension. One of these is engraved with the words, “Houtu spirit of the Xu family's site” (Xu shan Houtu zhishen). The other is even more explicit though worded somewhat differently. Its inscription reads, “Houtu longshen”.
In the absence of a family name and since "long" is another geomantic term for site, the text can be taken to mean “Site of Houtu's spirit”. While it is tempting to see in the juxtaposition of “dragon” and Houtu an echo of the Zuozhuan's definition, such an interpretation would stretch the bounds of credibility. What is plain from the stones' inscriptions is that they function as simple shrines.
On the basis of the evidence outlined above, I am now convinced that all Houtu stones are first and foremost shrines at which family members propitiate the Earth god for the disturbance they have caused him - just as Wang Chong recommended. The proposition that stones are boundary markers is a tribute to the creative power of folk etymology. It should, however, not be allowed to obscure the fact that Houtu stones embody vestiges of an ancient cult which originated more than two thousand years ago.
225
shuppansha, 1987, pp-21-57 )
To my mind, it follows from the above quotation, that the Liang considered Houtu then land contract witness and hoped that by constructing a shrine in his honour, they could prevail upon him to preserve the plot's integrity.
The Liang tomb, however, is not the only trace of Houtu's survival in Hong Kong. Other, less elaborate examples of his cult also exist at Aberdeen Here, two very similar stones, from different graves, show clear traces of a religious dimension. One of these is engraved with the words. “H outu spirit of the Xu family's site ff" (Xushan Houtu zhishen MD200. The other is even more explicit though. worded somewhat differently. Its inscription reads. “Houtu longshen
" In the absence of a family name and since long is another geomantic term for site, the text can be taken to mean “Site of Houtu's spint”. While it is tempting to see in the juxtaposition of “dragon” and Houtu an echo of the Zuozhuan's definition, such an interpretation would stretch the bounds of credibility. What is plain from the stones? inscriptions is that they function as simple shrines
On the basis of the evidence outlined above, I am now convinced that all Houty stones are first and foremost shrines at which family members propitiate the Earth god for the disturbance they have caused him- just as Wang Chong recommended. The proposition that stones are boundary markers is a tribute to the creative power of folk etymology. It should, however, not be allowed to obscure the fact that Houtu stones embody vestiges of an ancient cult which originated more than two thousand years ago
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