Page 121 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

FABULOUS AND OTHER ANIMALS. 89

in the is an of a white
governor's yarnun city (Fuhchau) image
cock, which is worshipped in connection with a certain goddess.
Some that the is the deified of a
say goddess daughter governor
of the who lived in the time of and who killed
province Kanghi,
himself during a local tumult or rebellion which he could not
She had a white cock, of which she was very fond, and
quell.
which seemed exceedingly attached to her. On hearing of the
death of her father, this girl threw herself into a well and was
drowned. This cock, seeing his mistress leap into the well,
in also, and order
leaped perished. She afterwards became, by
of some emperor, an object of worship, and an image of the
faithful cock was made, and in connection with his
worshipped
mistress. When is before her shrine,
worship performed
incense and candles are always burned in honour of the white
cock."
"
P. 163 : A singular custom prevails in this part of China
in connection with to the residence of his
transporting family
the of one who dies, while from home. When
corpse away
still at a distance, some of the family go forth to ^meet the
coffin, taking with them a living white cock, or an image of
a white cock, made as as life out of bamboo and
large splint
paper, coloured so as to appear quite natural. The Chinese
that one of the three of the dead comes into the
say spirits
cock at the time of meeting the corpse, and that the spirit is
thus allured back to the residence of the Some
family. explain
the use of a white to the exclusion of other coloured
purely any
that white is the
cock on such occasions, by saying badge of
mourning ; others by saying that the white cock is a ' divine '
or fowl."
spiritual
P. 571 " The of a hen is considered ominous of
crowing
:
something unusual about to happen in the family to which it
belongs. If the hen crows while her head is towards the out-
side or the front of the it is an
premises, unpropitious prognos-
tication, foreshadowing poverty or ill-luck of some kind ;
whereas, if her head is pointing toward the rear of the premises
while crowing, it is an omen of good, indicating a more pros-
state of the
perous family."
" ' "
At marriages (p. 60) part of the ceremony is called
1 the other there
worshipping tablets.' Among things are
placed on the table two miniature white cocks made of sugar.