A CHAPTER OF FOLKLORE 79* 



The meaning is that the yang vapors ascend and the myriad 

 of beings are gathered together and stored up and they will 

 not come out again." 



These passages make it quite clear that the Chinese 

 have considered the vapors of the ninth month to be very 

 dangerous and to be warded off. We shall see how they 

 have attempted to escape these vapors. According to the 

 Feng T'u Chi, "During the Han dynasty on the ninth day 

 of the ninth month the people drank aster wine and in this 

 way they warded off evil." This work further says: "The 

 people regard this day as very important. They pluck 

 calyxes of hellebore and insert them into the hair. They 

 say that thereby they ward off evil vapors and resist the 

 first cold." 



The Ching Ch'u Sui Shih Che (502-555 A.D.) says: 

 "On the ninth day of the ninth month all the people scatter 

 in the country and drink and feast." The commentary on 

 the above work (589-618 A.D.) says, "I do not know in 

 what dynasty the feasting on the ninth day of the ninth 

 month had its beginning. However, it has not been altered 

 from the Han to the Sung dynasty. At present the people 

 of the north also celebrate this festival. They wear helle- 

 bore, eat dumplings, drink aster wine saying that it causes 

 men to live to a great age. In recent dynasties all the 

 people feast, spreading the feast in towers." 



According to the Meng Hua Lu written during the Sung 

 dynasty (960-1278), "In the T'ang dynasty (618-905 A.D.) 

 the people of the capital went outside the city walls and 

 ascended the heights. Each steamed cakes of flour. Into 

 them they stuck small flags cut out of paper. They pre- 

 sented to one another dumplings made of rice and chopped 

 beef, goat and pork, and also cakes and fruits." 



This festival was not only observed in China, but was 

 celebrated by the tribes living to the north and west of 

 China proper. The Liao dynasty (907-1168 A.D.) established 

 in the Liaotung peninsula observed the following customs 

 on the ninth day of the ninth month. "The officials of the 

 north and south came to the royal tent in the morning and 

 followed the royal chariot to the enclosed camp to receive 

 tea. The emperor ascended the throne leading the officials 

 who took their places in groups before the throne. Proper 

 officials presented aster wine to all as they knelt. When they 

 received the wine they bowed twice. The wine was pre- 

 sented three times. They made a courtesy with their hands 

 and arose. 



According to the history of this Liao dynasty we read : 

 "The son of heaven led the host of officials and the heads 



