household deity / household god – Zhiguai Translations

Zhu Zizhi 朱子之

Zhu Zizhi, from Dongyang Prefecture, had a spirit which had long visited his household. When Zizhi’s son fell ill with heart pains, the spirit told them: “I will seek a treatment for you.” It then said: “Bake a tiger pellet; if he drinks it, then he will recover. Give me a large halberd, and I will fetch one for you.” The family quickly fetched a halberd and gave it to the spirit. The spirit hefted the weapon and departed. After a little while it returned, laying the halberd down in the courtyard. It threw a tiger pellet onto the floor, and they heated it immediately.[1]

From Qixieji.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 318.2517:

朱子之

東陽郡朱子之。有一鬼。恒來其家。子之兒病心痛。鬼語之。我為汝尋方。云。燒虎丸飲即差。汝覓大戟與我。我為汝取也。其家便持戟與鬼。鬼持戟去。須臾還。放戟中庭。擲虎丸著地。猶尚暖。出齊諧記

[1] Translation amended with the help of Ofer Waldman. Thanks Ofer!

The Lord of Profound Heaven Manifests 玄帝現像

Wang Daozhi was known as Lay Scholar Free of Knowledge, and lived to the west of Anfu. In his household were collected eighteen of the very finest statues of arhats, and every month he had monks perform rites and make offerings to them. They had a plum blossom [129] that fruited in its porcelain vase, and people thought this an auspicious sign. One day, his family fell ill, and he dreamed that two scrolls were offered before the arhats, saying: “You should go north in person, and ask the Profound Emperor to provide healing.” The following day, a monk came to the gate and asked: “Why do you not attend the immortal?” He replied: “I have no image.” The monk said: “You should invite an artist.” An image of the emperor then appeared on the table, face like a full moon, black robes and golden armour, feet treading on turtles and serpents, five generals to his right and left, holding knives, grasping banners held erect and surrounded by streamers. Known as the Five Dragons, their might and grandeur was far beyond that which one might usually see. When the image was finished it was traced by hand and then vanished. The illness was then cured, and his household treasured the icon.

Anon., Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 後1.128-29 (Tale 223):

玄帝現像

王道之，號無識居士，住安福之西。其家蓄十八羅漢像最精妙，月月命僧禮而供之。有梅花 [129] 結實於甆瓶，人以為瑞。一日，其家病作，羅漢前兩軸獻夢云：「待自去北方，請玄帝來救治。」明日，一僧登門曰：「如何不奉真聖？」答曰：「無像。」僧曰：「可邀畫匠（「匠」原作「像」，據明刻本、明抄本改。）來。」就桌上現（此處原衍「像」字，據明刻本、明抄本刪。）出帝像，面如滿月，皁袍金甲，足踏龜蛇，左右五將，持刀執纛樹幡，號五龍，猛烈雄偉，非尋常所有者。描訖，像隨手而沒。後病癒，其家寶藏之。

Yuan Haowen 元好問, Chang Zhenguo 常振國 (ed), Xu Yijian zhi 續夷堅志 (Continued Records of the Listener), and Anon., Jin Xin 金心 (ed.), Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi 湖海新聞夷堅續志 (Continuation of Records of the Listener with New Items from the Lakes and Seas) (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1986).

An Elm Demon 榆木為怪

Lü Yijian, Duke Shen, served several times as a magistrate in Shu, but the name of his prefecture has been forgotten. The government office had long experienced a ghostly manifestation, named Great Aunt Yu, who was an elm spirit. In form she looked like an ancient and ugly woman, and she frequently emerged in the kitchen, encountered among a crowd of maids, who often saw her. The household, having seen her over a long period, did not think her strange. The Duke called out a question to her, at which she bowed low and said: “Your servant has long been resident in this hall, and though not human, I dare not cause misfortune.” The Duke then laid the matter aside and asked no more questions. She often predicted that he must later become very influential. One day she suddenly announced that she was pregnant, and the maids mocked her. She herself said that she would soon give birth, and then disappeared for over a month. Then, all of a sudden, her voice was heard, saying: “I have given birth; [264] please come and look. In the back garden, to the southwest of the elm tree, there’s another, and that’s my child.” They looked, and it was true.

Anon., Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 後2.263-64 (Tale 477):

榆木為怪

呂申公夷簡常通判蜀中，忘其郡名。廨宇中素有鬼物，號俞老姑，乃榆木精，其狀一老醜婦，常出廚間與羣婢為偶，或時見之。家人見之久，亦不為怪。公呼問之，即下階拜（「階拜」原作「拜階」，據抄配本改。）云：「妾在於（抄配本無「於」字。）堂府日久，雖非人，然不敢為禍。」公亦置而不問。常謂公他日必大貴。一日忽懷妊，羣婢戲之。自言非久當產，遂月餘不見。忽出云：「已產矣， [264] 請視之，後園榆木西南生大贅乃是。」視之，果然。

A Household God Brings Property 家神送物

The family of Zhang Shuiyuan, of Yongfeng Stone Well in Xinzhou, served their household god with great reverence. The [lacuna] household god was an ancestor. The [lacuna] household had very little property, and later, due to the exhaustion of their property, the family prayed from dawn to dusk, hoping for assistance from the nether world. One day, when dusk was approaching, an old woman was seen walking straight in, carrying a bamboo box which she placed on a table in the ancestral hall. The family rushed out to meet her, but she was nowhere to be seen. When they looked at the portrait of a female ancestor in the ancestral hall, however, there was a close resemblance; the family were astonished and confused, and hesitated to look at the box. After a night had passed they finally opened and examined it, and all the contents were items of silver and gold. The Zhangs sold this and managed their property, and from this initial wealth became an important lineage. The old woman was their ancestress.

Among these ancestral spirits there are none who do not watch over their descendants from the nether world, cherishing people who live in ignorance, instead revering and praying to lascivious demons from dawn to dusk, calling them deities and divinities. When other people pray for their ancestors, this can be called auspicious and prosperous. If one pays no heed to one’s ancestors, failing to observe the seasonal offerings, not revering the tombs, even when there are descendants, how does this differ to the extinction of a lineage? If people can shift their reverence from lascivious demons to respectful service of their ancestors, it would not only be the Zhangs who receive protection and reward, and the deities of heaven and earth too would extend their generosity and protection.

Anon., Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 後2.219 (Tale 389):

家神送物

信州永豐石井張稅院者，家事家神甚謹。[ ]家神者，祖先也。[ ]薄有貲產，後因破蕩，家人朝夕禱之，以冀陰相。一日將暮，忽見一嫗攜一小竹合子直入，置家堂中几案上，急出迎之，亦不見矣。但瞻家堂中所畫先世祖婆者如之，家人疑異，留不啟視。經宿啟視，皆黃白之物。張鬻之治產，（「產」，明刻本作「生」。）因此貲產甲於〔一〕（據明刻本補。）族。蓋嫗者，祖婆也。夫祖宗英靈毋有不陰相子孫，惜人未之知，但朝夕奉祀淫鬼，指為神明。為他人祀祖宗，謂可徼福，反以本生祖宗置之度外，歲時不祭，墳墓不登，雖有子孫，絕嗣何異？儻能移祀淫鬼之心敬事祖宗，非惟如張氏之獲報，而天地神明亦加垂佑焉。