126 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I42 



adding to the efficacy of the other charms. Sometimes instead of, or 

 in addition to, these paper charms a mirror is hung above the door. 

 It is said that demons are very bad looking, and when they see them- 

 selves in the mirror they are frightened at their own images and 

 quickly depart. Another addition or substitute for the paper charms 

 is a wooden dipper. On the convex bottom of the dipper is drawn 

 the picture of a frightful god holding a dagger in his mouth. 



Chinese front doors are in two halves and open inward. A door 

 god is pasted on each half of the door, often with a club or other 

 weapon uplifted and ready to strike. Their purpose is to drive away 

 the demons that might enter the house. 



Many paper charms are used inside the house to protect the in- 

 mates from demons. Some are pasted or hung up on beds to protect 

 the sleepers, others are pasted to the altar in front and at the center 

 of the main room. Some are in sets of four to be pasted up on each 

 of the four sides of a room. 



There are charms that are sewn onto the hats or the clothes of 

 grown people or children to protect them from demons. Most of these 

 are charms stamped or written on paper, but there are also brass or 

 bronze charms called "happiness and long life money." Small brass 

 mirrors are also used for the same purpose. 



Many written charms have to do with the exorcism of demons. 

 The inscriptions are often very hard to read, but some have the words, 

 "Lei (thunder) cheh (cut off) er (ear)," or, "the god of thunder 

 will cut off your ears." Another phrase sometimes found is "(it is 

 the) orders of the most high Lao Chun." In Yunnan I have seen 

 the horns and skull of a goat and even hornets' nests hung up as 

 charms above the front door. 



Sometimes, to exorcise a demon who is harming a person, a paper 

 charm will be burned to ashes, the ashes mixed with water, and the 

 water drunk. Charms may also be written with the fingers over the 

 water, and the water drunk. 



Incantations to exorcise demons are often found at the beginning 

 and at the close of sacred books that are ceremonially chanted by 

 Buddhist and Taoist priests. Incantations are generally understood 

 and used only by the priests, and may either be secret and pronounced 

 under the breath or pronounced plainly so they can be heard and 

 understood. Sometimes phrases are used that the priest himself does 

 not understand ; these may be transliterations from the Sanskrit or 

 from some other language. 



Some incantations use words and phrases that have to do directly 



