94 A CHAPTER OF FOLKLORE 



as a tablet for the domestic altar. Both of these men belong 

 to the Han dynasty y£ f8, and both stories may be equally 

 true of different parts, but the former version is most general- 

 ly believed. The writing of a family altar tablet is a very 

 important matter with some people. The wisest and most 

 learned man is invited to write it, he puts on his best official 

 robes and blows his breath on the pencil thus giving life to 

 the pencil and tablet. 



F54 , Rftr§1i - MHl.fft- This is the ancient ancestral 

 tablet, which has largely been ousted by the tablet to Heaven 

 and Earth. Some scholars still use this tablet, reckoning 

 that Heaven and Earth can only be worshipped by the em- 

 peror. This tablet is only written to the three generations 

 next to the living head of the family; but in all 18 generations 

 are included, that is nine deceased, and nine yet unborn. 

 The following are the deceased nine generations : 

 H- M 1. — Nose ancestor, that is the first ancestor. This 



comes from the idea that when a child is 



born, the nose is born first, 

 ji. M 2. — Distant ancestor. 

 $Z 39. 3. — Great ancestor. 



2ft IS 4. — The first of the second three division ancestor. 

 Jz IE 5. — Heavenly ancestor. 

 pU M. 6. — The high ancestor. 

 If M 7. — The great grandfather. 

 M -2s- 8. — The deceased grandfather. 

 HI # 9. — The deceased father (whom he has seen). 



The following is a list of the nine generations yet unborn 

 for whom prayer is continually made : — 

 % M The ear progeny, it is said that in birth the ear is the 



last to be born. 

 it ^ Seen as clouds in the distance. 

 W!i Bl Still his progeny. 

 H ?£ Lasting progeny. 

 ?& M. The spirits of ancestor come again. 

 ~p. M. The great great grandson. 

 H" ffl The great grandson. 

 M M. The grandson (of the deceased head). 

 3? The son of the present living head. 

 In all, there are these eighteen generations who come 

 within the range cf the ancestral altar ; when there are more 

 than nine generations of deceased ancestors, the remainder 

 are known as H? ^ . On important occasions when it is 

 necessary to include all the nine progenitors, and the nine 

 descendants, it is not uncommon to find the B> jfll represents 

 the ancestors, and % M posterity. So in ancestral worship 

 prayer is made to the departed heads of the family for a 



