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In late imperial China, sailors often carried [[effigy|effigies]] of Mazu to ensure safe crossings.<ref name=crook/> Some boats still carry small shrines on their bows.{{sfnp|Giuffrida|2004}} Mazu charms are also used as medicine, including as salves for blistered feet.{{sfnp|Zhang|1993|p=145}} As late as the 19th century, the [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] government officially credited her divine intervention with their [[Battle of Tamsui|1884 victory]] over the [[French Third Republic|French]] at [[Tamsui District]] during the [[Sino-French War]] and specially honored [[Fuyou Temple|the town's temple to her]], which had served as General Sun Kaihua's headquarters during the fighting.<ref name=bfw>{{citation |title=The Battle of Fisherman's Wharf |url=http://danshuihistory.blogspot.hk |contribution-url=http://danshuihistory.blogspot.hk/2009/07/blog-post.html |contribution=翌天昭佑 |date=2009 |location=Hong Kong |publisher=Blogspot }}. {{en icon}}</ref>
In late imperial China, sailors often carried [[effigy|effigies]] of Mazu to ensure safe crossings.<ref name=crook/> Some boats still carry small shrines on their bows.{{sfnp|Giuffrida|2004}} Mazu charms are also used as medicine, including as salves for blistered feet.{{sfnp|Zhang|1993|p=145}} As late as the 19th century, the [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] government officially credited her divine intervention with their [[Battle of Tamsui|1884 victory]] over the [[French Third Republic|French]] at [[Tamsui District]] during the [[Sino-French War]] and specially honored [[Fuyou Temple|the town's temple to her]], which had served as General Sun Kaihua's headquarters during the fighting.<ref name=bfw>{{citation |title=The Battle of Fisherman's Wharf |url=http://danshuihistory.blogspot.hk |contribution-url=http://danshuihistory.blogspot.hk/2009/07/blog-post.html |contribution=翌天昭佑 |date=2009 |location=Hong Kong |publisher=Blogspot }}. {{en icon}}</ref>


Today, Mazuism is practiced in about 1500 temples in 26 countries around the world, mostly in the [[Sinosphere]] or the [[overseas Chinese]] communities. Of these temples, almost 1000 are on [[Taiwan]],<ref>{{citation |contribution-url=http://thingstodo.viator.com/taiwan/mazu-matsu-chinese-goddess-of-the-sea/ |contribution=Mazu (Matsu), the Chinese Goddess of the Sea |title=Things to Do |url=http://thingstodo.viator.com/ |publisher=Viator |first=Erin de |last=Santiago |accessdate=23 September 2014 }}.</ref> representing a doubling of the 509 temples recorded in 1980 and more than a dozen times the number recorded before 1911.<ref>{{harvp|Boltz|1986|p=211}}.</ref> These temples are generally registered as Taoist, although some are considered Buddhist.<ref name=bolo/> There are more than 90 [[Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong|Mazu Temples in Hong Kong]]. In [[Mainland China]], Mazuism is formally classified as a cult outside of [[Buddhism in China|Buddhism]] and [[Taoism in China|Taoism]], although numerous Buddhist and Taoist temples include shrines to her. Her worship is generally permitted but not encouraged, with most surviving temples concentrated around Putian in Fujian. Including the twenty on [[Meizhou Island]], there are more than a hundred in the prefecture and another 70 elsewhere in the province, mostly in the settlements along its coast. There are more than 40 temples in [[Guangdong]] and [[Hainan]] and more than 30 in [[Zhejiang]] and [[Jiangsu]], but many historical temples are now treated as museums and operated by local parks or cultural agencies. The [[A-Ma Temple]] on [[Macao Island]] is the probable source of its name in Portuguese and English; the [[heritage conservation in Hong Kong|historic and protected]] [[Tin Hau Temple, Causeway Bay]] in Hong Kong is the source of the [[Tin Hau, Hong Kong|Tin Hau area]]'s name from the Cantonese pronunciation of one of Mazu's titles, "Empress of Heaven". The Mazu temple in Melbourne is the largest [[Chinese temple]] in [[Australia]].
Today, Mazuism is practiced in about 1500 temples in 26 countries around the world, mostly in the [[Sinosphere]] or the [[overseas Chinese]] communities. Of these temples, almost 1000 are on [[Taiwan]],<ref>{{citation |contribution-url=http://thingstodo.viator.com/taiwan/mazu-matsu-chinese-goddess-of-the-sea/ |contribution=Mazu (Matsu), the Chinese Goddess of the Sea |title=Things to Do |url=http://thingstodo.viator.com/ |publisher=Viator |first=Erin de |last=Santiago |accessdate=23 September 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923080819/http://thingstodo.viator.com/ |archivedate=23 September 2014 |df= }}.</ref> representing a doubling of the 509 temples recorded in 1980 and more than a dozen times the number recorded before 1911.<ref>{{harvp|Boltz|1986|p=211}}.</ref> These temples are generally registered as Taoist, although some are considered Buddhist.<ref name=bolo/> There are more than 90 [[Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong|Mazu Temples in Hong Kong]]. In [[Mainland China]], Mazuism is formally classified as a cult outside of [[Buddhism in China|Buddhism]] and [[Taoism in China|Taoism]], although numerous Buddhist and Taoist temples include shrines to her. Her worship is generally permitted but not encouraged, with most surviving temples concentrated around Putian in Fujian. Including the twenty on [[Meizhou Island]], there are more than a hundred in the prefecture and another 70 elsewhere in the province, mostly in the settlements along its coast. There are more than 40 temples in [[Guangdong]] and [[Hainan]] and more than 30 in [[Zhejiang]] and [[Jiangsu]], but many historical temples are now treated as museums and operated by local parks or cultural agencies. The [[A-Ma Temple]] on [[Macao Island]] is the probable source of its name in Portuguese and English; the [[heritage conservation in Hong Kong|historic and protected]] [[Tin Hau Temple, Causeway Bay]] in Hong Kong is the source of the [[Tin Hau, Hong Kong|Tin Hau area]]'s name from the Cantonese pronunciation of one of Mazu's titles, "Empress of Heaven". The Mazu temple in Melbourne is the largest [[Chinese temple]] in [[Australia]].


A major project to build the world's tallest Mazu statue at [[Tanjung Simpang Mengayau]] in [[Kudat]], [[Borneo]], was officially launched by [[Sabah]]. The statue was to be 10 stories high, but was canceled due to protests from Muslims in Sabah and political interference.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.malaysia-today.net/the-mazu-statue-controversy-should-not-only-be-resolved-at-the-negotiation-table/|title=The Mazu statue controversy should not only be resolved at the negotiation table|author=Lim Kit Siang|publisher=malaysia-today.net|date=December 31, 2007|accessdate=2014-09-21}}</ref> In its absence, the [[list of tallest statues|world's tallest statue]] of the goddess is the {{convert|42.3|m|sp=us|adj=on}} [[Mazu of Tianjin]] that was erected in 2012.
A major project to build the world's tallest Mazu statue at [[Tanjung Simpang Mengayau]] in [[Kudat]], [[Borneo]], was officially launched by [[Sabah]]. The statue was to be 10 stories high, but was canceled due to protests from Muslims in Sabah and political interference.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.malaysia-today.net/the-mazu-statue-controversy-should-not-only-be-resolved-at-the-negotiation-table/|title=The Mazu statue controversy should not only be resolved at the negotiation table|author=Lim Kit Siang|publisher=malaysia-today.net|date=December 31, 2007|accessdate=2014-09-21}}</ref> In its absence, the [[list of tallest statues|world's tallest statue]] of the goddess is the {{convert|42.3|m|sp=us|adj=on}} [[Mazu of Tianjin]] that was erected in 2012.

Revision as of 09:57, 23 January 2018

For other uses, see Mazu (disambiguation).
"Tin Hau" redirects here. For other uses, see Tin Hau (disambiguation).
Mazu
Hanyu Pinyin
Lín Mòniáng
Wade–GilesLin Mo-niang
Southern Min
Hokkien POJLîm Be̍k-niû
Popular names
Hanyu Pinyin
Tiānhòu
Wade–GilesT'ien-hou
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingTin¹ Hau⁶
Vietnamese name
VietnameseThiên Hậu
Heavenly Consort
Hanyu PinyinTiānshàng ShèngmǔWade–Giles
T'ien-shang Sheng-mu
Formal titles
Lady of Numinous Grace
Hanyu Pinyin
Zhāoxiào Chúnzhèng Fú Jì Gǎnyìng Shèngfēi
Wade–GilesChao-hsiao Ch'un-cheng Fu-chi Kan-ying Sheng-fei

Mazu, also known by

fishermen and sailors, her worship spread throughout China's coastal regions and overseas Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia. She was thought to roam the seas, protecting her believers through miraculous interventions. She is now generally regarded by her believers as a powerful and benevolent Queen of Heaven. Mazuism is popular on Taiwan; her temple festival
is a major event in the region, with the largest celebrations around her temples at Dajia and Beigang.

Names and titles

In addition to Mazu[1][2] or Ma-tsu, meaning "Maternal Ancestor"[3] "Mother",[4] "Granny", or "Grandmother",[5] Lin Moniang is worshipped under various other names and titles:

  • Mazupo ("Granny Mazu"),[6][1] a popular name in Fujian[6][1]
  • A-Ma, also spelled Ah-Ma ("Mother" or "Grandmother"), a popular name in Macau[7]
  • Linghui Furen[6] ("Lady of Numinous Grace"), an official title conferred in 1156.[6][8]
  • Linghui Fei[6] ("Princess of Numinous Grace"), an official title conferred in 1192.[6]
  • Tianfei ("Princess of Heaven"),[1][9] fully Huguo Mingzhu Tianfei[6] ("Illuminating Princess of Heaven who Protects the Nation"), an official title conferred in 1281.[6][10]
  • Huguo Bimin Miaoling Zhaoying Hongren Puji Tianfei ("Heavenly Princess who Protects the Nation and Shelters the People, of Marvelous Numen, Brilliant Resonance, Magnanimous Kindness, and Universal Salvation"), an official title conferred in 1409.[8]
  • Tianhou (天后, literally meaning: "Queen/Empress of Heaven"),[2] an official title conferred in 1683.[10]
  • Tianshang Shengmu ("Holy Heavenly Mother")[10] or Tianhou Shengmu
  • Tongxian Lingnü ("Worthy & Efficacious Lady")[11]
  • Shennü ("Divine Woman")[12]
  • Zhaoxiao Chunzheng Fuji Ganying Shengfei[6] ("Holy Princess of Clear Piety, Pure Faith, and Helpful Response"), an official title conferred during the reign of the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming.[6]

Although many of Mazu's temples honor her titles Tianhou and Tianfei, it became customary to never pray to her under those names during an emergency since it was believed that, hearing one of her formal titles, Mazu might feel obligated to groom and dress herself as properly befitting her station before receiving the petition. Prayers invoking her as Mazu were thought to be answered more quickly.[13]

History

Very little is known of the historical Lin Moniang.

sinicized by influxes of refugees fleeing invasions of northern China and Mazu's cult may represent a hybridization of Chinese and local culture.[17] The earliest record of her cult is from two centuries later, an 1150 inscription that mentions "she could foretell a man's good and ill luck" and, "after her death, the people erected a temple for her on her home island".[3]

Legend

The

legends around Lin Moniang's life were broadly established by the 13th century.[3]

She was said to have been born under the reign of the

Chinese lunar calendar[11][b] in AD 960, the first year of the Song.[c] The late Ming Great Collection of the Three Teachings' Origin and Development and Research into the Divine (三教源流搜神大全, Sānjiào Yuánliú Sōushén Dàquán), however, placed her birth much earlier, in 742.[20]

The early sources speak of her as "Miss Lin"; her

Records of Research into the Divine made him Putian's chief military inspector.[10] The family was helpful and popular within their village.[4] Late legends intended to justify Mazu's presence in Buddhist temples held that her parents had prayed to Guanyin for a son but received yet another daughter.[4] In one version, her mother dreamt of Guanyin giving her a magical pill to induce pregnancy and woke to find the pill still in her hand;[4] rather than being born in the conventional way, Mazu shot from her mother at birth in the form of a fragrant flash of red light.[21] Guanyin was said to have been especially devoted to Mazu or even to have been incarnated as Mazu;[22][23] for her part, Mazu was said to have been entranced by a statue of Guanyin at a temple she visited as a child, after which she became an ardent Buddhist.[21]

She is now often said to have studied religious literature,

demons, to heal the sick,[5] and to avert disasters.[21] She was also said to be a rainmaker during times of drought.[24]

Mazu's principal legend concerns her saving one or some members of her family when they were caught offshore during a typhoon, usually when she was 16.[24] It appears in several forms. In one, the women at home feared Lin Yuan and his son were lost but Mazu fell into a trance while weaving at her loom. Her spiritual power began to save the men from drowning but her mother roused her, causing her to drop her brother into the sea. The father returned and told the other villagers of the miracle; this version of the story is preserved in murals at Fengtin in Fujian.[23] One variant is that her brothers were saved but her father was lost;[24] she then spent three days and nights searching for his body before finding it.[13] Another version is that all the men returned safely.[24] Another is that Mazu was praying to Guanyin; another that she was sleeping and assisting her family through her dream.[22] Still another is that the boats were crewed by her four brothers and that she saved three of them, securing their boats together, with the eldest lost owing to the interference of her parents, who mistook her trance for a seizure and woke her.[20]

In earlier records, Mazu died unmarried at 27 or 28.

Nangan Island
, which preserves a gravesite said to be hers.

Myths

In addition to the legends surrounding her earthly life, Mazu figures in a number of

Chinese myths
.

In one, the

martial arts skills, however, she subdued them both and, after becoming friends, hired them as her guardian generals.[26]

In a book of the

Laojun, the divine form of Laozi, to show his compassion for those who might be lost at sea. She is incarnated as Mazu and swears not only to protect sailors but to oversee all facets of life and death, providing help to anyone who might call upon her.[8]

Legacy

Worship

Main article: List of Mazu temples

Mazuism is first attested in

s 圣墩庙, Shèngdūn Miào) was raised in 1086 after some people in Ninghai saw it glowing, discovered a miraculous old raft[27] or stump,[28] and experienced a vision of "the goddess of Meizhou".[27][e] This structure had been renamed the Smooth Crossing Temple by Emperor Huizong of Song in 1123 after his envoy Lu Yundi (路允迪, Lù Yǔndí) was miraculously saved during a storm the year before while on an official mission to pay respects to the court of Goryeo upon the death of its king, Yejong,[27] and to replace the Liao dynasty as the formal suzerains investing his successor, Injong.[32][f]

Her worship subsequently spread: Li Junfu's early-13th century Putian Bishi records temples on Meizhou and at Qiaodou, Jiangkou, and Baihu.[33] By 1257, Liu Kezhuang was noting Putian's "large market towns and small villages all have... shrines to the Princess" and that they had spread to Fengting to the south.[31] By the end of the Song, there were at least 31 temples to Mazu,[34] reaching at least as far as Shanghai in the north and Guangzhou in the south.[31]

The power of the goddess, having indeed been manifested in previous times, has been abundantly revealed in the present generation. In the midst of the rushing waters it happened that, when there was a hurricane, suddenly a divine lantern was seen shining at the masthead, and as soon as that miraculous light appeared the danger was appeased, so that even in the peril of capsizing one felt reassured and that there was no cause for fear.

— Admiral Zheng He and his associates (Changle inscription) about witnessing the goddess' divine lantern, which represented the natural phenomena Saint Elmo's fire [35]

As Mazuism spread, it began to absorb the cults of other local shamanesses such as the other two of

the Dutch; she was later said to have personally aided some of Shi Lang's men in defeating Liu Guoxuan at Penghu in 1683, ending the independent kingdom of Koxinga's descendants and placing Taiwan under Qing control.[25] The Ming prince Zhu Shugui's palace was converted into Tainan's Grand Matsu Temple, the first to bear her new title of "Heavenly Empress".[37]

In late imperial China, sailors often carried effigies of Mazu to ensure safe crossings.[24] Some boats still carry small shrines on their bows.[5] Mazu charms are also used as medicine, including as salves for blistered feet.[38] As late as the 19th century, the Qing government officially credited her divine intervention with their 1884 victory over the French at Tamsui District during the Sino-French War and specially honored the town's temple to her, which had served as General Sun Kaihua's headquarters during the fighting.[13]

Today, Mazuism is practiced in about 1500 temples in 26 countries around the world, mostly in the

Chinese temple in Australia
.

A major project to build the world's tallest Mazu statue at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau in Kudat, Borneo, was officially launched by Sabah. The statue was to be 10 stories high, but was canceled due to protests from Muslims in Sabah and political interference.[41] In its absence, the world's tallest statue of the goddess is the 42.3-meter (139 ft) Mazu of Tianjin that was erected in 2012.

Informal centers of pilgrimage for Mazu's believers include Meizhou Island and the Zhenlan Temple in Taichung on Taiwan.

Festivals

The primary

Lukang.[43] Depending on the year, Mazu's festival day may fall as early as mid-April or as late as mid-May:[44]

  • 2011: April 25
  • 2012: April 13
  • 2013: May 2
  • 2014: April 22
  • 2015: May 11
  • 2016: April 29
  • 2017: April 19
  • 2018: May 8
  • 2019: April 27
  • 2020: April 15

The anniversary of her death or supposed ascension into Heaven is also celebrated, usually on the Double Ninth Festival (the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar).[10]

In art

Detail of an 18th-century painting depicting Mazu during her rescue of the Song embassy to Goryeo of 1123 on the high seas

After her death, Mazu was remembered as a young lady who wore a red dress as she roamed over the seas.[6] In religious statuary, she is usually clothed in the attire of an empress, and decorated with accessories such as a ceremonial hu tablet and a flat-topped imperial cap (mian'guan) with rows of beads (liu) hanging from the front and back.[45] Her temples are usually protected by the door gods Qianliyan and Shunfeng'er. These vary in appearance but are frequently demons, Qianliyan red with two horns and two yellow sapphire eyes and Shunfeng'er green with one horn and two ruby eyes.[26]

TV series, was a dramatization of Mazu's life as a mortal. Mazu (海之傳說媽祖, 2007) was a Taiwanese animated feature film from the Chinese Cartoon Production Co. depicting her life as a shamaness and goddess. Its production director Teng Chiao admitted the limited appeal to the domestic market: "If young people were our primary target audience, we wouldn't tell the story of Mazu in the first place since they are not necessarily interested in the ancient legend[;] neither do they have loyalty to made-in-Taiwan productions". Instead, "when you look to global markets, the question that foreign buyers always ask is what can best represent Taiwan". Mazu, with its story about "a magic girl and two cute sidekicks [Mazu's door gods Qianliyan and Shunfeng'er] spiced up with a strong local flavor" was instead designed with an intent to appeal to international markets interested in Taiwan.[46]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ She may have been born on the mainland as well.[16]
  2. ^ This is sometimes mistakenly translated into English as "March 23", for example by Fuzhou University's overview of the Meizhou Temple.[18]
  3. ^ The coincidence of the date, only attested in late sources, is often doubted by modern scholars such as Clark.[19]
  4. Li family genealogy (百塘李氏族譜, Baitang Lishi Zupu) and its legitimacy is sometimes questioned.[28] It was translated in its entirety into English by Klaas Ruitenbeek.[30]
  5. ^ A similar story later circulated regarding the establishment of the temple at Fengting.[31]
  6. God of Yanyu in Fuzhou", the deified form of the eldest son of Chen Yan, a 9th-century warlord in the region.[27] However, it's believed that the legendary account of Mazu saving only one of Lu's ships was mistaken and most or all of them survived, with their Fujianese merchant crews crediting their survival to different local deities, including the "Divine Lady" of Ninghai[12] on Li Zhen's presumably Putianese ship.[33] The Yanyu Temple received the title "Manifesting Merit" (zhaoli) from the Song court around the same time it honored the Ninghai shrine.[12]

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Boltz (1986), p. 211.
  2. ^ a b Irwin (1990), p. 62.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Clark (2007), p. 203.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Yuan (2006), p. 122.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Giuffrida (2004).
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Duyvendak (1938), p. 344.
  7. ^ Bosco & Ho (1999), p. 9
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Boltz (2008), p. 743.
  9. ^ Dreyer 2007, 148.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Boltz (2008), p. 741.
  11. ^ a b Soo (1990), p. 31.
  12. ^ a b c Clark (2007), p. 205.
  13. ^ a b c "翌天昭佑", The Battle of Fisherman's Wharf, Hong Kong: Blogspot, 2009. Template:En icon
  14. ^ Clark (2007), p. 209.
  15. ^ Clark (2006), p. 224.
  16. ^ Clark (2015), p. 126.
  17. ^ Clark (2015), pp. 131–2.
  18. ^ "Mazhu Temple in Meizhou", Fujian Province, Fuzhou: Fuzhou University, 1999, archived from the original on 2005-02-18 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help).
  19. ^ Clark (2015), pp. 130–1.
  20. ^ a b c d Boltz (2008), p. 742.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Yuan (2006), p. 123.
  22. ^ a b Irwin (1990), p. 63.
  23. ^ a b Ruitenbeek (1999), p. 316.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i Crook (2014), p. 32.
  25. ^ a b c Yuan (2006), p. 124.
  26. ^ a b Ruitenbeek (1999), p. 319.
  27. ^ a b c d e Clark (2007), p. 204.
  28. ^ a b c Clark (2015), p. 127.
  29. ^ a b Clark (2015), p. 129.
  30. ^ Ruitenbeek (1999), pp. 312–5.
  31. ^ a b c d Clark (2007), p. 207.
  32. ^ Schottenhammer, Angela; et al. (2006), The Perception of Maritime Space in Traditional Chinese Sources, East Asian Economic and Socio-cultural Studies: East Asian Maritime History, Vol. 2, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, p. 81.
  33. ^ a b Clark (2007), p. 206.
  34. ^ Shu (1996).
  35. ISBN 0-521-05801-5
    .
  36. ^ a b c Clark (2007), p. 208.
  37. ^ Bergman, Karl (2009), "Tainan Grand Matsu Temple", Tainan City Guide, Tainan: Word Press.
  38. ^ Zhang (1993), p. 145.
  39. ^ Santiago, Erin de, "Mazu (Matsu), the Chinese Goddess of the Sea", Things to Do, Viator, archived from the original on 23 September 2014, retrieved 23 September 2014 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help).
  40. ^ Boltz (1986), p. 211.
  41. ^ Lim Kit Siang (December 31, 2007). "The Mazu statue controversy should not only be resolved at the negotiation table". malaysia-today.net. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
  42. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, p. 375
    .
  43. ^ Keeling, Stephen (2013), "Mazu's Birthday", The Rough Guide to Taiwan, Rough Guides.
  44. ^ "Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table", Hong Kong Observatory, Hong Kong: Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 2015.
  45. ^ Ruitenbeek (1999), p. 318.
  46. ^ Ho, Yi, "The Good, the Bad, and the Divine", Taipei Times {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help).

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mazu (goddess).
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