142 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I42 



or copper, is round with a square hole in tlie center, and is about 

 2 inches in diameter. On it are sometimes good-luck phrases such 

 as hao yiin lin sJien, or "may good luck fall on his body," and chin 

 III chia kiian, or "enter into fortune, advance in official rank." A 

 typical charm of this kind to ward off demons has on it the inscrip- 

 tion, "The order of Lao Tzu. Use this to kill demons, subjugate 

 spooks, behead phantoms, avoid evil influences, and forever guarantee 

 safety." (Graham, 1928b, pp. 40-41.) Happiness and long-life coins 

 are often sewed on the back of boys' hats. 



I have seen swords on the blades of which were seven round gold 

 or copper dots representing the seven stars of the Big Dipper. Such 

 swords are thought to be good charms, for the seven stars of the Big 

 Dipper are believed to have potency. The Chinese lunar calendar is 

 sometimes used as a charm to ward off demons. As such it is used on 

 bridal chairs in wedding processions. 



On occasion, a priest or some other person will write a charm with 

 his fingers or with a pen over water, and the water is then drunk by 

 the patient needing healing. Or the charm may be written in the air 

 over a boiled egg and the tgg given to the patient to eat. 



Some charms are four-line verses written on red paper and pasted 

 up in convenient places for people to see and read. These do not have 

 seals of gods or temples to add to their efficacy, but they are effica- 

 cious if people read them or if the sun shines on them. The most 

 common of these is a verse to cause babies to cease crying and to 

 sleep at night so that the older members of the family can sleep. Be- 

 low are a few examples. 



The sky is bright and the earth is bright. 



We have a baby that cries at night. 



If the passerby will read this right, 



He'll sleep all night till broad daylight. (Ibid., p. 39.) 



A variation of this is. 



The sky is bright, the earth is green. 



Our small son cries easily. 



Please, gentlemen, read this through, 



(and) I'll thank you and wish you ten thousand happinesses. 



Another says, 



The sky is yellow, the earth green. 



Our small son cries at night. 



Let all gentlemen read this through. 



And he will sleep until the sun rises (comes out). 



