NO. 4 RELIGION IN SZECHUAN PROVINCE GRAHAM I3 



when speaking of ancestor worship is venerating the ancestors as 

 deities. Instead of misunderstanding and mislabehng these rites as 

 " ancestor worship," it might be better to speak of the ancestral cult. 

 The Chinese regard the ancestors with loving reverence, of which the 

 burning of incense, the prayers, the offering of food and spirit money, 

 and the prostrations are the outward expressions. 



The memorial ceremonies of the ancestral cult are performed by 

 the oldest son. They cannot be performed by a girl or by a woman. 

 It is exceedingly important that the ceremonies be performed at the 

 proper seasons. For these reasons every family is very anxious to 

 have sons, and, once they are secured, to protect them from harm. 

 Failure to give birth to sons is a sufficient reason for divorce. Often 

 the solution is found by the taking of a second wife, or a concubine. 

 Sometimes sons are adopted into the family. 



3. THE BELIEF IN DEMONS 



If due reverence is offered to the ancestors, and the needed food, 

 money, and other articles are provided, the ancestor is beneficent, and 

 aids and protects his descendants. If he is neglected, he does harm 

 to his descendants and others. He becomes a demon. In the course 

 of time, there are naturally many without descendants who can con- 

 duct the' funeral rites, and others who are neglected by their unfilial 

 descendants. They then become demons, and demons are the causes 

 of all diseases and calamities. 



Dangerous rivers are supposed to be the abode of demons who try 

 to drown other people. When drowned, the victims become demons 

 dwelling in the water. The natives explain that the only way in which 

 they can escape their demonic condition is to cause others to drown. 

 When a person is drowning, it is thought that a water-demon is 

 responsible, and is trying in this way to escape the demonic state. If 

 one rescues the drowning person, he will incur the displeasure of the 

 demon, and may himself be drowned instead of the original victim. 

 For this reason it is sometimes hard to get a native of Szechuan to 

 save a drowning person.* 



The tiao gin kuei are those who have died by hanging, and can only 

 escape their demon existence by causing others to be hanged. Women 

 who die in childbirth are called ts'an Ian kuci, and to escape their 



^ One day I was crossing a stream near Uen Chuan Shien. We had just 

 passed a village of Wasi aborigines. The bridge gave way, and one of our 

 coolies fell into the swollen stream and was soon drowned. We appealed to the 

 villagers to assist us, but not one of them would move, fearing that if they 

 tried to save the coolie the demon would drown them. 



