78 A CHAPTER OF FOLKLORE 



purpose was to escape evil by fleeing to the hills, wearing 

 hellebore in little bags, and drinking wine. In the ninth 

 month in northern and north-central China, where the fes- 

 tival originated, the frost destroys all vegetation. The insects 

 crawl into their holes. Only a few plants like the aster and 

 hellebore survive. Yin, the power of death and destruction 

 begins to reign. Ya?ig, the power of life, is almost van- 

 quished. The ancient Chinese were familiar with the fact 

 that the frost first touches the lowlands. The ninth day 

 was selected because nine is odd and is endued with the 

 Yang principle, the principle of life. The people drank' 

 aster wine. The aster must contain a large quantity of the 

 yang principle because it is unaffected by the frosts. The 

 hellebore likewise was regarded as containing the male 

 principle. The people climbed the hills to come into touch 

 with the Yang principle above. 



That this is not mere theory we can readily see by 

 looking at our sources. The Yih Citing gives a clue to the 

 explanation. The diagram for the ninth month is one whole 

 line over five divided lines as follows : zz Ez The explanation 

 of this by the great commentator Chu Hi (1130-1200) is: 

 "The diagram Pao means to fall down. The five yin below 

 are about to spring forth. The one yang line above means 

 that the yang principle is about to be exhausted. The yin 

 principle flourishing luxuriantly and the yang principle 

 becoming exhausted, this is the diagram of the ninth 

 month." The Book of Poetry has a line saying: "In the 

 ninth month all beings retire and the frost comes." Huai 

 Nan Tzu (died B.C. 122) says : "The third month of autumn 

 (i.e. the ninth month) the vapors of earth are not stored up. 

 They are gathered up. These vapors destroy the hundred 

 insects. They cause some to creep into their holes and live 

 quietly and shut their doors. The azure maid comes out 

 and causes frost and snow to descend." The commentary 

 explains that the azure maid is a goddess of heaven, the 

 daughter of the azure Emperor and that she rules frost and 

 snow. 



The Shuo Wen (121 A.D.) explains the character Shu 

 which denotes the ninth month as follows: "Shu means 

 destruction. In the ninth month the yang vapors dwindle 

 away, the myriad of beings are completed. The yang goes 

 down entering into the earth." 



The books of the Tsin dynasty 265-419 A.D. speak in 

 a similar strain. "The sign for the ninth month is Shu. 

 Shu means decay. It means that at this time all beings 

 fade and decay. . . . The name of the musical note 

 of the ninth month is wu-she. Wu She means to go out. 



