Author Archives: Emma Yuan

Proverb: If you marry a chicken follow the chicken; if you marry a dog follow the dog

Text:

Interviewee:

There is a custom in parts of China in which a bride-to-be holds a chicken. In Chinese, “chicken” (ji 鸡) is a homophone for (ji 吉), which means good fortune. There is also an old saying that goes: “if you marry a chicken follow the chicken, if you marry a dog follow the dog” (Jia ji sui ji, jia gou sui gou嫁鸡随鸡，嫁狗随狗). This saying means that no matter how her husband acts, a good wife should always follow and obey him. In addition, the hen is a symbol of fertility, implying that it is a wifely duty to have children early and often.

Context:
This informant was told of this proverb in her hometown, a rural village in China. She thinks of this proverb as a very out-dated idea about marriage and a woman’s destiny being defined by marriage.

Analysis:

This Chinese proverb reflects a deeply patriarchal ideology that was widely spread in last century China—a time when the informant referred to as “outdated.”
It reinforces unconditional wifely submission to her husband regardless of the husband’s character. The use of animals, chicken and dog—animals instead of humans— is a metaphor that suggests that a wife must follow even a low-status or undesirable husband.

Structurally, this proverb uses parallelism and antithesis—chicken/dog, marry/follow, which makes it easy to spread orally and be remembered.

Chang’e Journey to the Moon, and the Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival

Age: 51

Interviewee:

Hou Yi is an ancient mythical hero who shot down nine of the ten suns in the sky and rescued the entire humanity (in the myth “Hou Yi Shooting Down the Sun”). Because of Hou Yi’s bravery, the ruler of heaven—who we call [Yu Hang Da Di] or “The Jade Emperor”—and his wife decide to give Hou Yi a bag of elixir that could make him immortal. Taking half of the bag would make him immortal, and taking the whole bag would make him transcend the mundane and ascend to heaven to be alongside the Jade Emperor and his wife.

Hou Yi has a wife whom he loved very deeply. Her name is Chang’e. He didn’t want to go to the heaven on his own and leave Chang’e alone in the human world. Therefore, Hou Yi gave Chang’e this bag of elixir for safekeeping. They had a simple and sweet plan: that they would both take a half, and they could live forever with each other on this earth.

However, unluckily, word got out about the elixir. One of Hou Yi’s disciples whose name was Peng Meng was extremely greedy. One day when Hou Yi was away from home hunting, Peng Meng faked an illness and talked his way into staying at Hou Yi’s house. Chang’e kindly let him in, not knowing Peng Meng’s intention was to steal the elixir.  That night, Peng Meng drew his sword and threatened Chang’e, asking her to hand over the elixir.

Chang’e knew that there was no way for her to escape, but she refused to let the elixir fall into the hands of someone wicked and greedy. So she made a split-second decision: she swallowed the entire packet. The elixir took effect immediately, and Chang’e floated to the moon.

Hou Yi was devastated to find this out when he went home. The moon was so far away, and there was nothing he could do to bring her back or revert the effect of the elixir. Therefore, Hou Yi would look up at the night sky all the time, missing Chang’e.Especially when there was a full moon, he would try to figure out Chang’e silhouette on the moon. If you look at the shadows on a full moon, it actually looks like a rabbit—that’s what people believe Chang’e turned into on the moon.

And so, every August 15th on the lunar calendar became the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is the day when the moon is the brightest and the fullest. On this day, Hou Yi would set up an altar in his garden and lay out Chang’e’s favorite fruits and snacks. Over time, ordinary people began to follow his example. They would make offerings to Chang’e by making mooncakes and pray for peace and reunion or togetherness of their families.

(This myth was told in Chinese and translated.)

Context:

The interviewee learned of this myth from both participating in the Mid-Autumn Festival herself and also learning about this myth more systematically at elementary school. She interprets this myth as a warm one about missing someone you love, and she points out that the Mid-Autumn Festival is actually a quite romantic festival—it’s just that, as it was turned into a ritual, many people have now forgotten about the romantic aspect to this traditional festival.

Analysis:

  • This myth is an etiological myth—it looks at natural phenomena using a humanistic lens, explaining that Chang’e lives on the moon, as well as explaining that the shadows on the moon are the contours of this person Chang’e.
  • Greed as the antagonist / villain: in this myth, the antagonist, Peng Meng, is explained as someone who is “very greedy.” This shows the cultural attitude toward “greediness” in Chinese society.
  • Myth as an explanation of ritual: Chang’e’s myth explains the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated by the Chinese annually in September. The exact date of the Mid-Autumn Festival echos the “day when the moon is the brightest and the fullest,” which also gives this festival a deeply humanistic and emotional—explaining that this isn’t just a normal day, it’s the day when Hou Yi can see Chang’e the clearest. This myth thus gives the festival an emotional touch, making it a festival where people who practice the rituals can resonate with Hou Yi’s longing for reunion and family, even across space and time.

Hou Yi Shooting Down the Sun

Interviewee:

According to Chinese mythology, in ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky. With all ten blazing at once, human life was nearly impossible. The land was scorched, crops couldn’t grow, and rivers and streams had dried up. People were barely surviving under this condition.

Then, a legendary character Hou Yi stepped up. Witnessing the suffering of the people, he decided to climb to the top of Mount Kunlun and, with incredible precision, shot down nine of the ten suns all at once, leaving only the one sun we know of today. Yeah, it’s the sun that rises in the east and sets in the west. I was told that he wanted to keep one of the suns because humans need light and heat to survive.

Because of Hou Yi, humanity was saved, so people revered him and called him a hero.

(This myth was told in Chinese and translated.)

Context: I learned this myth as a child when my father told me of it. My interpretation is that every culture has their own hero, and this (Hou Yi) is like the Chinese deity of the sun. I think Hou Yi’s story explains why we only have one sun in the sky now, and society needs to have somebody to be that “heroic” figure to kind of pay our respect to, without whom we couldn’t have our lives now. I think people’s attitudes towards Hou Yi are often quite grateful and positive, even till today.


Analysis:

Myth as an explanation of nature: This myth is an etiological myth—it looks at natural phenomena using a humanistic lens, naming the person who has done something that has led to a natural phenomenon to occur. Every time someone watches the sun rise in the east and set in the west, this myth of Hou Yi shooting down the other nine suns provides a human explanation for it, bridging humanity and nature. In addition, Hou Yi’s choice to keep one sun because humans need sun and light adds a personal and emotional texture to this myth that makes him revered as a “savior” of humanity or a hero.

Restoration of Energy and Cosmic Order: In Chinese culture, it is emphasized to restore energy and order—having “too much” of anything is considered a bad thing, compared to having “just the right amount.” This myth exemplifies this cultural belief. Hou Yi, by shooting down excessive suns that have led to natural disasters, restores the cosmic order, and this “restoration of energy” is praised in this myth.

Tomb Sweeping Day [Qingming Festival] Rituals

Age: 19

Text:

Tomb Sweeping Day, or [Qingming Festival] in Chinese, is a traditional, nation-wide festival that usually takes place in April. It is typically when we would go to sweep the tombs of our deceased ancestors and honor the family members who passed away by just cleaning their tombs, bringing food to their tombs, and sometimes burning fake money in front of their tombs.

These acts related to this traditional festival carry their own symbolic meanings. For example, burning money—typically, it will be fake paper money—is a gesture of providing basic needs in life, or ensuring the material needs, for our ancestors. We will also put food like fruits, desserts, and nuts, or anything that the deceased loved to eat, on top of their tomb. This, symbolically, allows them to enjoy the food they like to eat and enjoy the material well-being we as descendants provide for them in the afterlife. I think that through these acts of giving, or offering, of material things, we are trying to give back to our ancestors who passed away the way they took care of us before. And so our ancestors wouldn’t have to worry about not having enough food to eat or money to spend in their afterlife.

This, to me, is also a way of expressing reassurance—a way of telling them (the deceased ancestors) that we are having a good, decent, and dignified life, and we are making genuine efforts in our lives as independent and capable individuals—so here’s the proof: we are making our own money, and we are buying you food, so no need to worry about us!

Family members typically gather together to visit the tombs of their ancestors. Some families, like mine, would typically talk to our deceased loved ones in front of the tomb. We would update them about our recent lives, like our progress at school or at work, just like having an everyday chat with them when they were here, right in front of us. Finally, at the end of this tomb sweeping ritual, we express kind words and blessings to them in their own world.

Context:

The informant learned this ritual by participating in this festival every year, visiting the graves of ancestors with his family since he was a child. As time passes by, he begins to remember the important steps of this ritual, such as burning paper money and talking to the graves as if speaking to ancestors. He thinks that this festival is meaningful in the sense that it allows everyone who participates in its rituals to remember their loved ones who have passed away, and show them care.

Analysis:

  • Death and afterlife: The Tomb Sweeping Day (Qingming) rituals reflect the Chinese’s beliefs about death and afterlife in their culture—people believe that when someone passes, they don’t end their life entirely, and instead, they are just living in a different space and dimension, in their afterlife. This belief in “afterlife” has many cultural origins, including, possibly, Buddhism’s impact in China.
  • Performance: This ritual is performed by a family, with all family members, as a group. This makes tomb sweeping on Tomb Sweeping Day almost a familial thing. This reflects unity and family harmony’s importance in the Chinese culture. In addition, the performance of this ritual—showing up, bringing food, and burning money—is an act of showing respect for the deceased ones in a symbolic (not material) way. Even though the “food” and “money” cannot get to the deceased ones on a material level, on an emotional level, it is an effective way of showing love and care.

The Monster Nian, Chinese New Year, and Red

Age: 19

Text:

Interviewee:

On the first day of Chinese Spring Festival (New Year’s Eve), my family and I would set off firecrackers and fireworks, and it’s best if they are very loud ones. It was then that I was told about the myth of a monster named Nian. The physical appearance of Nian looks like a lion, with pointed teeth and a scary, ugly face. According to the myth, on the first day of the Chinese Spring Festival, Nian will come out from the mountains to the neighborhoods of every Chinese family. Nian will be hunting for children to eat.

In the past, people had no idea what to do when Nian came, until one day, someone set off a firecracker exactly when Nian visited their house. It was then that the firecracker brought out “fire,” and Nian was very scared of fire, so it ran away.

There are other sayings about what drove Nian away. Some people say that Nian is very scared of the color red. Therefore, during Spring Festival, everyone will wear clothes in red in order to drive the monster away and protect themselves and their families. For instance, I was born in the Year of the Pig, and my grandmother always tells me to wear red socks during the Year of the Snake, because the two zodiac signs conflict (snake eats pig), according to Chinese traditional beliefs.

Red also became a symbol of good luck in the context of the Lunar Chinese New Year. For instance, people will hang up red lanterns to decorate the house, elders will prepare red envelopes to give out Lucky Money or [压岁钱 ya sui qian] to children in the family, and the window papercut we use specifically to celebrate Chinese New Year is always red.

Context:

The interviewee learned the myth of monster Nian as a child, around 6 or 7 years old. This myth was shared by the elders of his family when they were celebrating the Chinese New Year together. The interviewee’s thoughts: he found Nian a scary figure as a child, but got used to this belief (and the rituals around wearing clothes in Red during Chinese New Years) gradually as he grew up.

Analysis:

Myth as an explanation for ritual: Monster Nian’s story is an example of how a myth has led to the emergence of a ritual, long practiced by the Chinese when celebrating the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) every year.

Temporal Liminality: New Year is a threshold moment, marking the end of the old year and the beginning of a new year, and Nian comes exactly on New Year’s Eve. This is representative of liminality being a time when the line between the human world and the supernatural world gets blurred. Nian’s presence on New Year’s Eve makes the distance between the human world and the supernatural world closer and thinner.

Development of a set of rituals, including ones related to fireworks and the color red: The development of a set of rituals following Nian’s story is representative of a growing Communitas: a community spirit or “togetherness” that grows from a ritual or being in a liminal zone together. This applies to the practice of setting off fireworks or putting on clothes in red when it’s Chinese New Year—as this became a ritual, everyone around is doing the same, and going through the same “liminal” phase of entering the new year.