DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0274
262 Hero-worship and Saint-worship.
often a representation of her foot-prints, which are wor-
shipped with the greatest veneration.
Of course jealousies and rivalries occasionally spring up
between the adherents and admirers of various departed
saints or heroes, especially if much expense has been in-
curred in erecting shrines and monuments in the hope of
attracting pilgrims to particular localities. Nor is there any
dominant ecclesiastical authority in India capable of arbi-
trating between competing claims or fixing the relative rank
of fresh accessions to the celestial sphere.
It seems that such things are managed better in China.
In that country, according to Sir A. Lyall, ' The Emperor
—himself a sacred and semi-divine personage—seems to
have gradually acquired something like a monopoly of dei-
fication, which he uses as a constitutional prerogative, like
the right of creating peers.' In fact, ' The government not
only bestows on deceased persons its marks of posthumous
approbation and rank in the State Heaven ; it also deco-
rates them with titles.' The Gazette of May, 1878, contains
a decree conferring a great title upon the dragon spirit
of Han Tan Hien, in whose temple is the well in which
the iron tablet is deposited. ' This spirit has from time to
time manifested itself in answer to prayer, and has been
repeatedly invested with titles of honour. In consequence
of this year's drought prayers were again offered up, and
the provinces (mentioned) have been visited with sufficient
rain. Our gratitude is indeed profound, and we ordain that
the Dragon Spirit shall be invested with the additional title
of the Dragon Spirit of the Sacred Well.' Another spirit
had already obtained the title of ' Moisture-diffusing, bene-
ficial-aid-affording, universal-support-vouchsafing-Prince,' and
received additional titles in a Gazette of 1877 \
It might have been conjectured that in India a crafty
1 'Asiatic Studies,' by Sir A. Lyall (John Murray), pp. 138, 139.
often a representation of her foot-prints, which are wor-
shipped with the greatest veneration.
Of course jealousies and rivalries occasionally spring up
between the adherents and admirers of various departed
saints or heroes, especially if much expense has been in-
curred in erecting shrines and monuments in the hope of
attracting pilgrims to particular localities. Nor is there any
dominant ecclesiastical authority in India capable of arbi-
trating between competing claims or fixing the relative rank
of fresh accessions to the celestial sphere.
It seems that such things are managed better in China.
In that country, according to Sir A. Lyall, ' The Emperor
—himself a sacred and semi-divine personage—seems to
have gradually acquired something like a monopoly of dei-
fication, which he uses as a constitutional prerogative, like
the right of creating peers.' In fact, ' The government not
only bestows on deceased persons its marks of posthumous
approbation and rank in the State Heaven ; it also deco-
rates them with titles.' The Gazette of May, 1878, contains
a decree conferring a great title upon the dragon spirit
of Han Tan Hien, in whose temple is the well in which
the iron tablet is deposited. ' This spirit has from time to
time manifested itself in answer to prayer, and has been
repeatedly invested with titles of honour. In consequence
of this year's drought prayers were again offered up, and
the provinces (mentioned) have been visited with sufficient
rain. Our gratitude is indeed profound, and we ordain that
the Dragon Spirit shall be invested with the additional title
of the Dragon Spirit of the Sacred Well.' Another spirit
had already obtained the title of ' Moisture-diffusing, bene-
ficial-aid-affording, universal-support-vouchsafing-Prince,' and
received additional titles in a Gazette of 1877 \
It might have been conjectured that in India a crafty
1 'Asiatic Studies,' by Sir A. Lyall (John Murray), pp. 138, 139.