February 26, 2007

• Hon T'u Huang Ti - Has a fish who holds up the world. Very handy.
• You mustn't scoff gomi - ever since I stuck him up in the kitchen, the world has signally failed to fall down.
• Me scoff? NEVER!
• That wasn't the rumour emerging from the recent neighbourhood meet'n'greet hors d'oeuvre soiree, sweetie.
• I assure I am no scoffer! Merely an occasional nibbler.
• Huo Te Hsing Chun or Huo Shen Yeh would look great in my bathroom! me wantee! i love hot water like a goron. bring it on huo shen. Send fire by pigeons, or pour it out of gourd!
• So lovely and intriguing! At first glance they seem similar to those saint cards you get in Catholic countries. But these Chinese fellows seem to provide quite a comprehensive service! Do saints preside over ceremony of making earing holes?
• These are lovely Pokemon cards.
• Has wife who will make beans into gold Convenient!
• I am curious, Abiezer (or others with experience of Chinese culture): Are these gods-on-paper still around today? If so, how are they used? Do people put them around the house, or stick them on things, or what?
• You certainly see Door Gods everywhere Pallas (despite the doom-and-gloom at that link), iirc you're supposed to renew them each New Year (This confirms that; I've even seen Communist versions using famous PLA heroes. Also recently went to an exhibiton of traditional woodblock prints that recreated lots of these. I saw lots of spirit tablets in farmer's houses in the countryside when I was working these, though often they were simple calligraphy on red paper, but wouldn't be surprised if people would use images if they were available. They are put at different points of the house I believe. I know the Stove God presided over the kitchen and returns to heaven once a year to tell the Jade Emperor if you've been naughty or nice (the little grass!).
• So no nooky on the kitchen table then, huh?
• Hel-lo! Sorry, I'd been passing this thread by, what are we talking about again? Hmm?