CHINESE FOLKLORE AND SOME WESTERN ANALOGIES. 577 



a ra}^ of light the Father of Taoism, a controller of all things, who 

 after looking upon the creature and seeing that he was good explained 

 the laws of nature to him. At the separation of chaos, " the princi- 

 ples of human nature had not been established. Therefore heaven 

 and earth through the instrumentality of the original ether of the dual 

 powers (Yang and Yin), and in their secret conjugal combinations, 

 first produced you, five in number, who are located at the five cardinal 

 points— that is, a being whom 1 have called Water Sire, the North; 

 the South, styled Red Sire; Wood Sire in the East, and Gold Mother 

 in the West. These all thoroughly understand the abstruse doctrine 

 of renovation. Your disposition being mild and gentle, and your 

 bodily constitution being less agile, you therefore happened to be last 

 of the five that appeared in the world, I have been waiting for you 

 all to enter life; as this has now taken place, I have nothing more to 

 do; I shall therefore depart." 



When asked whither he went, the ineffable one replied: "Beyond 

 the circle of water that terminates the universe there is the pure 

 original water, and beyond this there is still the region of perfect 

 nihility, tlie ether of spontaneousness. When, with an immaterial 

 nature, I enter the region of matter, I assume bodih' form; but when 

 1 return to that endless void, 1 lay that form aside and return to my 

 natural state. Do you understand this ? Now I will call your four 

 elders to come and assist in performing the wonderful works yet to be 

 done." And saying this the Great Spirit called aloud "with a fearful 

 thundering voice" to each quarter of the heavens, " and then turning, 

 bounded beyond the clouds, and disappeared in a golden halo of light." 



To this genius of the earth, representing the center or fifth cardinal 

 point, came in turn the Red, Wood,' and Water sires, and while they 

 were conversing "a white mist was seen lying across the horizon, and 

 upon it was Gold Mother walking deliberately. She approached and 

 presented the usual compliments. Each gazed with fixed eye upon 

 her, and noticed the leopard's tail, her tiger teeth, and her disheveled 

 hair. Her head was covered with flowers; a dress adorned with various 

 precious stones was thrown loosely over her shoulder; a long petti 

 coat of mullierrv bark was fastened round her waist." This remark- 

 able quintette, after a brief exchange of compliments, proceed at once 

 to the great task for which they are assembled, the creation of man. The 

 earth genius, called Yellow Sire,^ finds in a cavern the ether pulse and 



iWood Sire is described as tall, slender, and beautiful; his brea.st is entwined with 

 silken vines and his loins bound witli green rattan and leaves sewn with wild hemp. 

 There may be some analogy between him and the Indian Siva, who is closely con- 

 nected to Dionysus. , ■ ^ n- *. -tk^ 



^ Hwang (yellow), "means extensive, liberal, upright, clever, and intelligent The 

 virtue of hwang harmonizes perfectly to the princij.les of rectitude; h.s merits^ are 

 equal to those of the Great Earth. Such a title well becomes such a personage. 



