Beliefs Of The Nine Emperor Gods

Beliefs

Bei Dou·Dou Mu·Nine Emperor Gods
“The “Nine Emperor Gods” were originally the product of star worship in China. The ancients have long recognized that the Big Dipper is not only an excellent symbol to indicate the direction at night, but also its movement pattern is very useful in formulating the calendar. Therefore, the worship of the Big Dipper plays a prominent role in the worship of the stars. status. At that time, people believed that the Bei Dou had nine stars, seven visible and two hidden. This view was very possible according to astronomical research. This was the wisdom of the ancients. The two hidden stars in ancient times once gave off a faint light and then gradually disappeared. , became a veritable “hidden star””.

Describe the Nine Emperors

Lidou·Jiuhuangzhai·Jiuhuangfaith
In the Nine Emperors belief, the custom of “Jiuhuangzhai” has a very wide influence, and Jiuhuangzhai developed from the custom of ritual fighting.
In China, the custom of ritual fighting has a long history. “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms” Chapter 103 “Wuzhangyuan Zhuge Jianxing” describes: Kongming sent troops to attack Wei and fought with Sima Yi on the Weishui River. When Kongming’s army was stationed at Wuzhangyuan, his old illness relapsed because he had little food and trouble, so he came to watch the sky at night. After receiving the revelation and knowing that Yang’s life was about to end, he followed Jiang Wei’s advice and used the method of “prayer” to pray for the Beidou. If the main lamp does not go out within seven days, his life will be increased by one year (twelve years). If the lamp goes out, he will die. . Kong Ming fought on foot every night. On the sixth night, Wei Yan suddenly reported the military situation. He walked too hastily and extinguished the main lamp praying for peace. The prayer failed, and Kong Ming died soon after. The novelist said that it has its own exaggerations and fictions, but judging from the era when the novel was written, at least the Yuan Dynasty already had the custom of praying for the Beidou. Along with the ritual fighting custom, the Jiuhuangzhai belief developed. For example, the Qing Dynasty’s “Records of the Years in the Imperial Capital”: “In September, each Taoist temple will set up an altar to perform rituals, called the Nine Emperors Meeting. From the dark day of August (the last day of each month), they will fast until the Double Ninth Festival to celebrate Dou Mu’s birthday and perform performances. People who light lanterns to worship are very popular.” Various parts of China, such as Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Beijing, etc., still continue the custom of Jiuhuangzhai. It is said that practicing Jiuhuangzhai can eliminate fasting, relieve misfortune, eliminate karma and illness, thereby achieving the purpose of longevity.

In Southeast Asia, the custom of “Nine Emperors Fasting” has also been flourishing for a long time, and combined with the special local belief in the Nine Emperor Gods, it has formed a set of grand and strict celebration ceremonies.

Folk Legend

The Nine Emperors are nine legendary figures in ancient China – Fuxi, Shennong, Huangdi, Shaohao, Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Yao, Shun and Yu.
These nine figures are the ancestors in myths and legends of ancient China. They were once the leaders of the Chinese nation, and therefore they were also revered as “emperors”. This statement only occasionally appears in literati’s works and is rarely spread among the people. Although they are revered as the ancestors of the Chinese nation, these nine emperors have a large generation gap with popular culture because they have such a strong literary flavor. Literally speaking, it makes sense that the nine emperors are collectively called the Nine Emperors. But this Nine Emperors is not the other Nine Emperors. The Nine Emperor Emperors, which had a profound influence in Southeast Asia, are actually closely related to the development history of the local Chinese.

The Nine Emperor Gods are revolutionary martyrs of the Qin Dynasty.
Hu Hai, the second son of the First Emperor of Qin, with the support of Li Si and Zhao Gao, killed his brother Fu Su and ascended the throne (207 to 209 BC). Later, due to Zhao Gao’s dictatorial power, he imposed severe punishments on the people and killed them wantonly. The people could not bear his tyranny and revolted one after another. Before the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising, there were nine sworn heroes who planned to rebel against the Qin Dynasty. However, because the incident was not kept secret, they were killed by the Qin soldiers, their heads were taken away, and their bodies were abandoned. The local residents felt pity for their righteousness and privately offered nine pottery to them. Urns were used to contain his remains, and then the nine pottery urns were placed in the river and allowed to float out to sea. A few years later, with the rise of the Han Dynasty, the remains of the Nine Urns floated back to their original place. The local residents knew the circumstances of his death but did not know his name, so they specially collected the remains and buried them properly. Because they deeply felt that the matter was very supernatural, they sympathized with them at the same time. He sacrificed his life for the people and built a temple to worship the nine martyrs. Later, every time the nine people appeared as saints to protect the people, the local officials followed the public opinion, reported to the court, and granted them the title of “Prince”. The people have always called him “Nine Emperors”, but it has been called “Nine Emperors” ever since.

This statement has not been widely circulated among the people, and is as popular as the first legend. This story took place in the Qin Dynasty, more than 2,000 years ago, which is too far away. Singaporeans may lack imagination about such a time and place; although the saying of nine pottery urns is different from the word “nine” in the Nine Emperor Gods. They coincided with each other, but the title of “Prince” may have been confused with the belief of “Prince” (who patrols the sky on behalf of the sky). It can be seen that the fact that the legend is not spread is not in line with local people’s sentiments and cannot resonate with the people. Let’s read it as a story.

It is also said that the “Hanliu” organization, the predecessor of the Hongmen Society, can be traced back to the Qin and Han Dynasties. In the early days, the Hongmen Society was a secret gang organization that fought against the Qing Dynasty and restored the Ming Dynasty. It relied on “righteousness” and “loyalty” to maintain its members. Due to its private nature, most information about the Hongmen Society is kept secret, and because of its many branches, descriptions of its history vary. This legend may be another historical explanation for the origin of the Hongmen Society.

The Fifth Patriarch of Hongmen and the White Incense Burner
The first five Shaolin ancestors in the Hongmen legend: Cai Dezhong, Fang Dahong, Ma Chaoxing, Hu Dedi, and Li Shikai were hunted down by Qing soldiers for organizing anti-Qing and restoration activities. After they defected to Zheng Chenggong, they were sent to Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi. Promote revolution along the way. After they arrived at the Jiulianshan Shaolin Temple in Putian County, they were taken in by the abbot, monk Zhitong, to practice martial arts and conspire against the Qing Dynasty. Later, the incident was revealed and the Shaolin Temple was burned down by Qing soldiers. After they escaped, they went to live in Gaoxi Temple, Shicheng County, Huizhou, Guangdong. One day something floated in the river nearby. When I picked it up and looked at it, I found it was a white ingot incense burner. Take a closer look at this furnace. It is made of green granite, has two ears and three legs, and weighs 52 kilograms and 13 taels. On the bottom of the incense burner, there are four words “Reverse Qing Dynasty and Fu Ming Dynasty”.

According to “Witnessing the Three Hundred and Thirty Years of Hongmen” written by Liu Huijin, the “Master of the Five Sacred Mountains of Hongmen in China”: “One day, the fifth ancestor Cai Dezhong and others were walking by the river and saw a ‘white stone incense burner’ with the bottom of the furnace It was engraved with the four characters “unintelligible” and the words “fifty-two pounds, thirteen taels”. He felt strange, so he took the incense burner back and told Chen Jinnan about this strange thing. Chen Jinnan knew that the four characters at the bottom of the furnace were The secret code of ‘Hanliuwen’ means ‘Reverse the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty’, and ‘Fifty-two Jin, Thirteen Liang’ means ‘Five Lakes, Two Capitals in the North and South, and Thirteen Provinces’…”

This description is basically consistent with the legend above, except that the “white ingot incense burner” is replaced by the “white stone incense burner”. The meaning of “fifty-two catties and thirteen taels” is not the weight but the Hongmen secret code.

(Note: Chen Jinnan, one of the ancestors of Hongmen, was originally a Hanlin bachelor in the Qing Dynasty. He later abandoned his official position and founded “Jingzhongshan” with the “Hanliu” organization, calling himself “White Crane Taoist”. He also collaborated with Wan Yunlong and the Hongmen Five Zu and others became sworn brothers in Honghuating, changed “Hanliu” to “Hongmen”, and conspired to rebel against the Qing Dynasty.)

The important prop “incense burner” in this story is consistent with the custom of worshiping only incense burners in the Nine Emperors belief. The early Hongmen Gang, under the banner of “anti-Qing and restoration of Ming”, did many spectacular things and left many legendary stories. As a secret society, the Hongmen Society must adopt a special set of behavioral methods to cover up people’s eyes and ears. Mysterious and intimidating temples and gods are one of the methods of concealment. In the legend of the early founding of the Hongmen Society, many important figures were related to Buddhism.

Wan Yunlong, leader of the Hongmen Tiandi Society
The first five Shaolin ancestors in the Hongmen legend: Cai Dezhong, Fang Dahong, Ma Chaoxing, Hu Dedi, and Li Shikai were hunted down by Qing soldiers for organizing anti-Qing and restoration activities. After they defected to Zheng Chenggong, they were sent to Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi. Promote revolution along the way. After they arrived at the Jiulianshan Shaolin Temple in Putian County, they were taken in by the abbot, monk Zhitong, to practice martial arts and conspire against the Qing Dynasty. Later, the incident was revealed and the Shaolin Temple was burned down by Qing soldiers. After they escaped, they went to live in Gaoxi Temple, Shicheng County, Huizhou, Guangdong. One day something floated in the river nearby. When I picked it up and looked at it, I found it was a white ingot incense burner. Take a closer look at this furnace. It is made of green granite, has two ears and three legs, and weighs 52 kilograms and 13 taels. On the bottom of the incense burner, there are four words “Reverse Qing Dynasty and Fu Ming Dynasty”.

According to “Witnessing the Three Hundred and Thirty Years of Hongmen” written by Liu Huijin, the “Master of the Five Sacred Mountains of Hongmen in China”: “One day, the fifth ancestor Cai Dezhong and others were walking by the river and saw a ‘white stone incense burner’ with the bottom of the furnace It was engraved with the four characters “unintelligible” and the words “fifty-two pounds, thirteen taels”. He felt strange, so he took the incense burner back and told Chen Jinnan about this strange thing. Chen Jinnan knew that the four characters at the bottom of the furnace were The secret code of ‘Hanliuwen’ means ‘Reverse the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty’, and ‘Fifty-two Jin, Thirteen Liang’ means ‘Five Lakes, Two Capitals in the North and South, and Thirteen Provinces’…”

This description is basically consistent with the legend above, except that the “white ingot incense burner” is replaced by the “white stone incense burner”. The meaning of “fifty-two catties and thirteen taels” is not the weight but the Hongmen secret code.

(Note: Chen Jinnan, one of the ancestors of Hongmen, was originally a Hanlin bachelor in the Qing Dynasty. He later abandoned his official position and founded “Jingzhongshan” with the “Hanliu” organization, calling himself “White Crane Taoist”. He also collaborated with Wan Yunlong and the Hongmen Five Zu and others became sworn brothers in Honghuating, changed “Hanliu” to “Hongmen”, and conspired to rebel against the Qing Dynasty.)

The important prop “incense burner” in this story is consistent with the custom of worshiping only incense burners in the Nine Emperors belief. The early Hongmen Gang, under the banner of “anti-Qing and restoration of Ming”, did many spectacular things and left many legendary stories. As a secret society, the Hongmen Society must adopt a special set of behavioral methods to cover up people’s eyes and ears. Mysterious and intimidating temples and gods are one of the methods of concealment. In the legend of the early founding of the Hongmen Society, many important figures were related to Buddhism.

King Sun Lu of the ninth generation of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty
The most well-founded legend is that the Nine Emperor Gods are actually King Lu, the ninth generation grandson of Ming Taizu.

After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the remaining inflammation of the Qing Dynasty still occurred in various places. The ninth grandson of Luhuang Wang Tan, the ninth son of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, is also a nine-generation king. Folks call him the Nine Princes, also known as King Lu. A group of Ming ministers supported King Lu as emperor in Shaoxing, and the country was named Jianguo. Later, he was chased by Qing soldiers, and King Lu defected to Zheng Chenggong and lived in Kinmen. Legend has it that Zheng Chenggong did not treat King Lu politely and instead drowned him in the sea to death. His subordinates were angry at Zheng Chenggong, so they came south from the sea and built a temple to worship him. Because the Ninth Prince sank into the sea and there was no body, only a god statue was erected instead of an idol. Legend has it that the ninth day of the ninth lunar month was the birthday of the prince. On that morning, an incense burner floated out of the sea to welcome King Lu ashore from the water.

The death of King Lu has always been a mystery. King Lu was the ninth-generation grandson of Taizu of the Ming Dynasty. He later died in a shipwreck in the Kinmen Sea, and his body could not be found. His deeds are consistent with the fact that the Nine Emperor Gods have no real body.

Until August 22, 1959, an ancient tomb was discovered on Kinmen Island. The stone tablet in the tomb was the Zhizhi of King Lu of the Ming Dynasty. It was recorded that the cause of death of King Lu was “The king had asthma. He died of phlegm on November 10th in Renyin. He was born on the 15th day of the fifth month of Wanli, and he was only forty-five years old, so painful.” That is to say, King Lu died of asthma, not Zheng Chenggong’s persecution. Only then did the truth of this public case come to light.

Prince Zheng Chenggong
uring the Qing Dynasty, in order to resist the foreign rule of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, martyrs from all over the country revolted and raised the banner of anti-Qing and restoration of the Ming Dynasty. In particular, Prince Zheng Chenggong actively summoned heroes from all walks of life and secretly gathered in the Zhangquan area of Fujian Province, and cooperated with the Southern Shaolin monks. All the martyrs gathered together in the “Doumu Palace” on the coast to discuss the plan to fight against the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty. For fear of being pursued by the Qing court’s hawks and dogs, the martyrs used the eternal birthdays of the gods in the palace as a cover to recruit troops and horses in the palace for nine consecutive days. He also held high the banner of “Nine Emperors” (save the kings and emperors) as a call to action, “meaning to save the land of the Ming Dynasty”, and wrote the sun and moon (i.e. Ming) on the left and right hands of the statue of Dou Mu Empress in the palace.

After careful arrangements, on the last night of the eighth lunar month, we went to sea to welcome Prince Zheng Chenggong who came to preside over the overall situation. Since Prince Zheng Chenggong was wanted by the Qing court, he needed to be covered with a parasol from the time he got off the ship to the Jin Palace to avoid danger. After his identity was exposed, another room was set up at the back of the palace for him to live in. The “Holy Virtue Hall” was erected to strictly prohibit the entry of ordinary people at will. After the nine-day uprising work was arranged, Prince Zheng Chenggong had to live elsewhere to call for righteousness. At midnight on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, Prince Zheng Chenggong was sent to sea again. At the same time, a “king ship” was prepared for him and all daily necessities and food were provided. wait. The Qing Dynasty was still very powerful at that time, so the uprising ultimately failed and suffered heavy casualties.

From then on, in order to commemorate the historical relics of Prince Zheng Chenggong and the martyrs, the villagers in Zhangquan area worshiped Prince Zheng Chenggong and many national heroes who sacrificed their lives for nine consecutive days from the last day of August to the ninth day of September of the lunar calendar every year. Traditional customs and habits, as the villagers gradually came south, incense came to the Nanyang area. It is said that it has a history of more than 300 years.

Note: Zheng Chenggong’s original name was Sen, and he was the son of Zheng Zhilong. He was appreciated by the King of Tang Dynasty in the Southern Ming Dynasty and gave him the surname “Zhu” and the name Chenggong. He was also honored as “Guo Surname Ye”. When his father surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, he refused to comply and instead raised troops to rebel against the Qing Dynasty. Since the Qing government cut off the food supply, he decided to find another base and sailed eastward to Taiwan. After fierce fighting, Zheng Chenggong defeated the Dutch colonists and regained Taiwan in 1662 AD. Soon after, he died of illness in Taiwan, and his descendants successively ran Taiwan. In 1683, the Qing government launched a massive attack on Taiwan. Taiwan was included in the territory of the Qing Dynasty. In the second year, the Qing Dynasty established Taiwan Prefecture, which was subordinate to Fujian Province. At this point, the Qing Dynasty unified all of China.

Several main steps in the Nine Emperors belief ceremony in Doumu Palace have been reflected, such as “welcoming the gods”, “inviting water”, “sending the gods back to the sea”, “king ship” and so on. However, it is difficult to distinguish which one is earlier, the legend or the ritual. Whether the legend was fabricated to match the ritual, or whether the ritual was formed because of the legend. The cooperation of rituals and legends provides a certain basis for the spread of faith, and also adds a strong mysterious color to faith activities.