A CHAPTER OF FOLKLORE 95 



continuation of the family line in an unbroken succession. 

 This is spoken of as %F WL Wi X% ifj , to perpetuate the ashes 

 in the incense urn. No greater insult can be given than to 

 take the family incense urn and empty it out; for fear of 

 this many old people will not allow their family altar to be 

 touched by any one. To obtain sons women take long pil- 

 grimages to shrines to pray for them. A man on changing 

 his residence invokes the spirits of the deceased ancestors to 

 go with him. Everything pertaining to idoltary may be given 

 up easily, but ancestor worship only with great difficulty. 

 Some who have pretended to be without a family altar have 

 in reality been worshipping their ancestors in a secluded part 

 of the house. This is the kernel of the religion of the Chinese 

 people, and the fear of the displeasure of the departed an- 

 cestors is very real, and no expense is spared that their spirits 

 may rest in peace. 



The idea of transmigration or rather rotation of souls 

 seems to be found in this altar, and the #£ fr of the family 

 seems to bear this out. Most families have only sixteen 

 family names but some have thirty-two, and a few twenty- 

 four; when these have run their course the round begins 

 afresh, and the spirits of the ancestors are probably believed 

 to do the same. The furniture of the chief room of the house 

 does not belong to any individual member of the family, but 

 is attached to the family altar, and is the general property 

 of the family. The saying has it ^ M ffi J- tfc M ik 

 S ^ t% t§ ffli H W . The furniture of the chief room passes 

 from generation to generation, just as the daughter in law 

 soon becomes the grandmother. 



The following tablet to the three religions, ancestors, 

 and the god of wealth it not uncommon, and takes the place 

 of the Heaven and Earth tablet in some homes. 



(1). — p£|| The upper three religions. — The Con- 

 fucius tablet m Wl ?l ^ ; The Taoist Sage ag & % % ; 

 The Buddhist ancestor Jd? %t ^ /g . 



(2). — f^» El tfjfc The middle three religions. — The god of 

 literature 3C & ifr ^ ; The god of war $g ffl -k ^ ; The god 

 of hsuen t'ien }£ 5c ± tf? , which is Liu Chang Seng IfiJ M. M- 



(3). — "f* El ^k The loiver three religions. — The god of 

 medicine ^ 2 ^ H : The goddess of mercy M % "X dt ; 

 The god of cattle ^ 2 ^ B. . 



Besides the above there is written on this tablet an in- 

 scription to the ancestors as follows, $£ ft BS fS . To the 

 ancestors distant and near. Also a tablet to the If It 1$ 

 The god of wealth of the four seasons of the year. 



El ao il 7C El Hf ^C *$?• This is the Taoist trinity, an 

 idol or tablet situated on the outer left hand side of the door 



