Page:Chinese Life in the Tibetan Foothills.djvu/13



BOOK I—DOMESTIC

CHAPTER I., 生產 shêng ch‘an, etc.

the birth is delayed it is put down to Lo Hou 羅睺, and the master of the house fires a gun over his shoulder towards the heavens to drive away the evil influences. These influences are believed to come from the t‘ien-kou hsing 天狗星 or heavenly Dog-star. In some houses a picture of Chang kung 張公 is hung up; he is depicted as carrying a sling and stones; he is supposed to throw at this heavenly dog which comes to devour the expected child. It is said that Chang Hsien-chung 張獻忠 was an incarnation of this heavenly Dog star, which is also the devourer of the moon in lunar eclipses.

To take away or escort the blood demon 送血鬼 sung hsŭeh kuei, or demon of birth-pangs ch‘an-nan kuei 產難鬼, is the work of a sorcerer, and many incantations are practised and charms used to assist the birth; the ceremony may take; place a few days before the birth is expected.