Offerings of various kinds - food; incense; paper money; and figures - have been central to Chinese culture for millennia; and as a public; visual display of spiritual belief; they are still evident today in China and in Chinatowns around the world. Using Hong Kong as a case study; Janet Scott looks at paper offerings from every conceivable angle - how they are made; sold; and used. Her comprehensive investigation touches on virtually every aspect of Chinese popular religion as it explores the many forms of these intricate objects; their manufacture; their significance; and their importance in rituals to honor gods; care for ancestors; and contend with ghosts.Throughout For Gods; Ghosts and Ancestors; paper offerings are presented as a vibrant and living tradition expressing worshippers' respect and gratitude for the gods; as well as love and concern for departed family members. Ranging from fake paper money to paper furniture; servant dolls; cigarettes; and toiletries - all multihued and artfully constructed - paper offerings are intended to provide for the needs of those in the spirit world.Readers are introduced to the variety of paper offerings and their uses in worship; in assisting worshippers with personal difficulties; and in rituals directed to gods; ghosts; and ancestors. We learn of the manufacture and sale of paper goods; life in paper shops; the training of those who make paper offerings; and the symbolic and artistic dimensions of the objects. Finally; the book considers the survival of this traditional craft; the importance of flexibility and innovation; and the role of compassion and filial piety in the use of paper offerings.
#1132304 in Books 1987-07-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.34 x 6.00l; 1.59 #File Name: 0295964952532 pages
Review
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Essential reading for the student of Tlingit cultureBy GendunThis outstanding collection of Tlingit legends were painstakingly recorded and transcribed; then translated for this book. They appear in the original language with facing translation into English; and the introduction includes notes of vocabulary and grammar which will be invaluable to the student of the Tlingit language; no doubt. I myself am not one of them.The care with which they have been presented verbatim gives an intimate sense of the material and how it was conveyed as an oral tradition. Some of the legends recounted here will be familiar to the student of Tlingit culture; but you get quite a different sense of the material reading it with its immediate roughness; will is smoothed out by most second-hand accounts of the stories. The dialogical sense of aliveness gets smoothed out along with the ums and repetitions; though; which makes this book a rare and important contribution to the literature.The prolog sets out an extremely insightful and informative commentary on the nature of the legends and their context in Tlingit society.The stories contained herein deal; as the book's title suggests; with various ancestors of the speakers; and they are primarily of a legendary cast; as opposed to a strictly mythological flavor. That is to say; we have protagonists who encounter extraordinary events; but you won't find pure mythology of the "Raven Steals the Sun" variety.My one minor quibble is that the font is archaic - it looks like the book was produced by a typewriter.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Roberta BennettWill take me awhile to get thro this0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I love itBy Judy Jones-LawrenceAs described - veery pleased!
