A CHAPTER OF FOLKLORE 99 



being round black, soft balls, the contents of which are said 

 to be like blood; in such a case Earth needs to be worshipped. 

 The worship of Earth is also said to be needed when the 

 geomancer decides that the resident is at variance with the 

 3L ak ^ or five emperor evils, or with the evil influences of 

 the current year W* ^ , or with the yellow flag evil influence 

 Si M %& , or the leopard tail evil influence t*J M 3fc . When 

 Earth is worshipped these disturbing spirits are wor- 

 shipped, this ceremony like the worship of Heaven is 

 generally managed by a married Taoist sorcerer. A tablet 

 is set outside the house, and candles and incense lighted 

 thereon. The four points of the compass are marked off 

 with lines of dry lime. At each corner and in the centre 

 a candle is stuck in the earth. This ceremony is sometimes 

 carried through in the chief room of the house especially 

 when the house is to be found fault with. The proverb 

 runs as follows & IS JZ & 3*c $ P 4 ffe *6 "If you offend 

 Heaven worship Heaven. If you offend Earth worship 

 Earth." 



The following five tablets to the 3l ft Ifflp or five corner 

 dragons are set up and worshipped when this ceremony is 

 enacted. 



The Eastern Green Dragon Spirit l^ffflif 

 The Southern Eed Dragon Spirit gf % ifc ft ^ II tiftiS 

 The Western White Dragon Spirit H # © ^ 9 fl P ^ 

 The Northern Black Dragon Spirit ft jfr & fl? Sk ft »* S 

 The Centre Yellow Dragon Spirit $ lk II ft M fl ®P H 

 Note that the five corner dragon spirit is made up of 

 five different coloured dragons, whose colours exactly cor- 

 respond with the five stripes of the new national flag. 



Alongside of the five corner dragon tablets, there are 

 tablets to the gods of the five planets which are as follows 

 In the East the wood aura god (Jupiter) ^ $f Tfc W, M. Wl 

 In the South the fire aura god (Mars) M % ^c $& M. ^ 

 In the West the metal aura god (Venus) Sj^^^I^ 

 In the North the water aura god (Mercury) ft 2f ?fc 3i M. H" 

 In the Middle the earth aura god (Saturn) ^^±ilt 

 The five dragons and planets have an intimate con- 

 nection with the five cardinals as used by the secret societies. 

 Besides the foregoing there is a tablet of a more general 

 nature which is as follows : 



± Iff 1i <£k l& & it ft This is the general tablet for the 

 worship of the god of springs, and pacifying the five corner 

 dragon. The two characters t'u fu il ftf seems to include 

 the whole family of earth, while the two characters kiu lui 

 •L H or nine piles is said to refer to the nine continents. 



