Page:Chinese Life in the Tibetan Foothills.djvu/158

 Têng kan (燈杆) t‘u ti, the lamp-pole precinct god. At the New Year season, from the 7th to the 15th of the first moon, a pole is fastened to the top of a high tree near the house and a lantern hung out at night. Sometimes a pole is set up by itself and the lamp raised every night of the year; this is mostly in connection with temples and ancestral halls, but in both cases the idea is the same; first, to scatter the orphan and wandering spirits; second, it is a prayer to the Pearly Emperor for peace and plenty throughout the land.

(神會), shên hui.

The 輔德大王 or 城隍, Chêng Huang, the city god, is believed to be an exact counterpart of the civil official. His jurisdiction extends over all the spirit world, and his shrine is a miniature yamen; many people go to it to protest their innocency. The ridiculous side in idolatry may be seen in the temple of the city god, for here we find his wife, his son and heir, his bedroom and bedding and toilet requisites; the priest spreads out the bedding at night and folds it up in the morning. The city god's wife is styled niang niang which is a title given to an empress and much superior to t‘ai t‘ai which is the style used for the civil official's wife. On entering this temple, on the right hand is to be found the p‘an kuan (判官) or decider of fates in Hades, while on the opposite side is hsiao kuei (小鬼) who is head thief-catcher or ling pan (領班). Standing at the side in front are found the kên pan or lackeys, who are at his beck and call; while further down at the entrance are the hou pan (吼班) or callers who go in front of the official; also in the temple court is to be found the precinct god of the yamen, Ch‘êng huang t‘u ti. This idol is worshipped by yamen people in general, while close by are the famous yamen runners, Ch‘in San (秦三) and Wu Ssŭ (吳泗). Ch‘in San is said to belong to the T‘ang dynasty, Wu Ssŭ to Hsü Chên chün 許眞君; these are worshipped by yamen runners before embarking upon a difficult case. The chicken-footed god is a conspicuous idol, with black body and tongue hanging out; by his side are his wife and family. When yamen runners