A few days ago I went for a walk and I saw a stone, yes, a stone, a huge stone in front of the entrance of an apartment. It is covered in yellow paint. Three words are written on it: 石敢當.
Maybe you've never heard of it. I haven't seen it for a long time either, especially in residential areas.
So today's video: The story of 石敢當.
泰山石敢當
泰山(Mount Tai) is a mountain in 中國山東省 (Shandong Province, China.)
石敢當 is actually the name of a man. In 部首6, we mentioned that 石 means stone. It can also be used as a family name.
According to the legend, a woodcutter named 石敢當 lived on the 泰山. He is a wonderful man and people say that he probably has the ability to subdue demons.
At the foot of the mountain live a rich man and his daughter. Unfortunately, his daughter was being haunted by a demon, she made strange noises every day, and strange phenomena were occurring in his home.
At the foot of the mountain live a rich man and his daughter. Unfortunately, his daughter was being haunted by a demon, she made strange noises every day, and strange phenomena were occurring in his home.
He is perturbed about it, and a neighbor tells him: "The woodcutter 石敢當 may be able to help you. You should ask for his help." The rich man immediately sent servants to invite 石敢當.
When 石敢當 came to the rich man's house, he knew what was happening when he saw the lady. He said to her: "Please don't worry, I will help you." As soon as they finished talking, he waved his ax around the lady, muttering words. The demon was frightened away, and the lady returned to normal.
The news of 石敢當 exorcising the demon spread quickly. From then on, people went to 泰山 to ask for his help when they had problems.
The news of 石敢當 exorcising the demon spread quickly. From then on, people went to 泰山 to ask for his help when they had problems.
Later, people began to put up a stele at the entrance and exit of villages with the words 泰山石敢當 engraved on it to let the demon know that this area is under his protection, don't try to violate it.
This custom has been passed down and was brought to Taiwan by immigrants.
石敢當 in Taiwan
石敢當 is a kind of folklore religion 民間信仰. Its introduction to Taiwan can be traced back to the 明鄭時期 (Zheng family of the Ming Dynasty, 1628-1683), when it was brought by immigrants 移民.
Taiwanese will place 石敢當 --- at dangerous intersections, at the head of a bridge over fast-flowing rivers, on mountain roads with many curves --- to pray for safety.
This means that where such stones are placed, there is a high probability of traffic accidents. So if you see this kind of stone, remember to slow down your vehicle. If you encounter it while walking, watch out for the car that suddenly appears.
This story shows how common 神格化 deification is in our folklore religion.
Deification is the elevation of a person to the status of a god. This practice can be traced back to ancient times when people began to worship their ancestors and heroes as deities.
I think one of the interesting examples of deification is 豬八戒(Zhu Bajie), a character from the classic novel 《西遊記》(Journey to the West).
Some people in special industries will worship 豬八戒 to pray for wealth or business prosperity. But 豬八戒 is a character in a novel, not even a real person, so I think it is interesting.
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