NO. 2 FOLK RELIGION IN SOUTHWEST CHINA — GRAHAM I3I 



gods they snatch or "steal" the red eggs and take them home. They 

 are given or sold to women who desire sons, who eat the eggs, expect- 

 ing this to cause them to become pregnant and bear sons. Thousands 

 come to this festival every year, in a constant stream of humanity 

 going up and down the mountain, some to see the sights, and others to 

 "steal" eggs and to obtain sons. 



CEREMONIES TO CAUSE OR TO STOP RAIN 



Some occidentals describe all ceremonies to cause rain as praying 

 for rain. As an actual fact, only a fraction of such ceremonies are peti- 

 tions ; the others are believed to have magical power to cause rain. 

 The Chinese expression is ch'xu yw ^ ^. The word "pray" as Chris- 

 tians use the word is generally tao kao ^-1^. The word ch'iu is 

 broader, and includes to ask for, to beseech, to beg for, and also to 

 seek, to wish for, and to aim at (Giles, 1892, pp. 243-244; Williams, 

 S. Wells, 1909, p. 170). 



In an agricultural country like China, in which formerly more than 

 85 percent of the population were farmers and lived on farms, rain is 

 exceedingly important. Without rain, crops fail, prices soar, and 

 famine comes. On the other hand, too much cloudy weather injures 

 the crops, and too much rain causes floods and sometimes famines. 



The cause of the drought or flood is believed to be explained by 

 the yin and the yang. The yin is dark and cold, and is associated with 

 rain. The yang is warm and bright, and is associated with dry, sun- 

 shiny weather. Too much yang and too little yin causes drought, and 

 too much yin and too little yang may cause heavy rains and floods. 

 When a region is threatened by, or in the midst of, drought and 

 wishes to take measures to bring rain, the leading magistrate is re- 

 sponsible for promoting the process. He issues a proclamation order- 

 ing a fast and directing that ceremonies to seek rain be conducted. 

 Generally he himself goes to one or more temples, sometimes several 

 times, and prays to several of the gods that might be expected to 

 send rain. 



About the year 1940, a magistrate in Szechvvan in a region suff'er- 

 ing from drought was requested by the people to proclaim a fast and 

 a period of "praying for" rain. He was an enlightened man and de- 

 clined to do so, saying that the methods used were all supersitions and 

 that rain would come just as soon if people simply waited for it. A 

 mob of country people went to the yamen, almost caused a riot, and 

 compelled him to act. 



About the same year there was a drought in Wen-Ch'uan-hsien. 



