Chopsticks

One can trace many things back to China itself and the first chopsticks are said to been not only of ancient China but apparently from five thousand years ago but nobody is too sure of when chopsticks first came to be.

Its thought that as the population of China grew and resources became limited, people cut up their meat, vegetables and whatever else they would have put in their cooking pot. Food was cooked quicker and there wasn’t a need to cut up their food again with knives, so the branches used for fishing ended up being turned into chopsticks.

Many know who the philosopher Confucius is and it is this man who is likely to have made chopsticks even more popular with his teachings. Confucius himself was a vegetarian who held the belief that knives would remind people of slaughterhouses and therefore too vulgar for use at the dinner table.

Confucius himself lived from 551 to 479 BCE it wasn’t until around 500 AD that the use of chopsticks were used all across China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam with chopsticks still used by many to eat.
Japanese chopsticks are notably shorter then the Chinese counterparts along with being rounder and sharp at the end. Chinese chopsticks can be recognised by being rectangular and straight at the end.

Besides the differences in the shape of Chinese and Japanese chopsticks there are absolutely many kinds of materials people have made chopsticks with, people have made chopsticks out of wood, metal, bone, stone, bamboo, plastic, coral and even jade. Aluminium from recycled cans are also used to make chopsticks which are both light in weight and easy to clean.

King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty is actually thought to have once ordered his craftsman to make chopsticks out of elephants teeth.

In the past silver chopsticks were commonly used due to the belief that the chopsticks would turn black if they came into contact with poisonous food which was later disproved. It even was this belief that had Emperor’s using silver chopsticks specifically and silver chopsticks today are passed down as family heirlooms.

There are many Chinese proverbs out there, one is “We sit at the dinner table to eat, not cut up carcasses.” This dictated not to use knives at tables while at the same time to eat already cut up food in which chopsticks come in useful. While Europeans were cutting up their meat at the table the Chinese for centuries considered this practice barbaric.

There are some taboos with the use of chopsticks, such as stretching out the index finger while using chopsticks due to that being seen as an accusation  to another. While using chopsticks there is a taboo of inserting the chopsticks vertically into the food as the Chinese insert chopsticks vertically into food during the time of giving sacrifice to the dead.

In Chinese culture it is also taboo to suck on chopsticks as it is considered as impolite and a way to show a lack of education.
People avoid hitting the side of a bowl or plate with chopsticks for the very reason as it is said that only beggars do this while begging for food.

Chopsticks as they are called in English may have came from “chop chop” meaning “quickly quickly” in what is known as Chinese Pidgin English. In Chinese chopsticks are known as kuaizi, with “kuai” meaning “quickly” and “zi” meaning “baby” so it is not uncommon for newlyweds to be given chopsticks as a wedding gift.

Nine

Nine in itself seems to have a lot around it in symbolism, and it is partly due to it being the highest single digit number.

The Emperor of China has been associated with the number nine seeing as it is the greatest single digit number and the Emperor’s robes often had nine dragons. It is even said that dragons always have nine children. Not only that but in China, the number nine is a homophone for the word for “longlasting” and this number is often used in weddings due to this.

There are many cultures that have some sort of symbolism to this one number. Such as with Hebrew’s nine symbolizes pure intelligence and truth while with the Mayan’s there are nine underworlds each ruled by a god. It is even said that the Norse god Odin hung for nine days and nights on Yggdrasil to win secrets of wisdom for mankind.

Nine in itself is considered a sacred number and there is much about it. There is Cloud Nine, cats having nine lives, three multiplying by itself to give eternity, completion and fulfilment. A nine pointed star is even used by the Baha’i as the symbol of their faith.

Gods And Goddesses: Pan Gu

Pan Gu is the creator born from a cosmic egg that Pan Gu slept in for 18,000 years. By separating the heavy and light parts of the egg Pan Gu created Heaven and earth, separating the two while he grew for another 18,000 years. After separating Heaven and earth, Pan Gu died, his breath becoming the wind and clouds, his head, arms, feet and stomach becoming mountains, his voice thunder and his eyes the sun and moon.
Another story tells how Pan Gu was born of the five elements, and created heaven and earth with a chisel and hammer.

It is even said that the first humans developed from fleas and parasites that lived on Pan Gu, another story state that Pan Gu created humans by creating them from clay and leaving them in the sun to dry. Credit also goes to the goddess Nu Wa for the creation of mankind.

Pan Gu is worshipped at a number of shrines in China and depicted as a caveman like figure wearing leopard skin tunics and with long hair.

Jade

Usually when I hear the mention of jade I think of the gemstone that is said to bring luck when carried around. Jade itself is a symbol of purity and serenity, while also the ancient symbol of love. Jade also inspires the mind to make quick and precise decisions. When carved into the shape of a scarab, jade is said to bring the owner a long and prosperous life.

Wearing jade while gardening improves the health of the plants, with small pieces of jade buried around the perimeter of the garden is for the same purpose.
It is also worn for protection when doing defensive magical work. When placed under one’s pillow it is said to help in lucid dreaming. Jade also helps create peace, harmony, tranquillity through emotional turmoil. Jade itself have the powers to bring healing, longevity, protection, wisdom, money and prosperity, but to also aid in meditation.

Jade does quite a lot, but it is just to show the magical properties of jade. Jade itself is sacred to the Mayans and Chinese, even said to bless everything it touches. Chinese tradition says that jade symbolizes the five virtues of humanity (wisdom, compassion, justice, modestly and courage) and symbols for these virtues have been carved into jade. In China it has been believed that jade protected infants and certain jade designs warded off evil. Confucius himself saw jade as the symbols of harmony, humanity, intelligence and justice.

Hell Notes

Hell notes are well known and used by many as an offering to their ancestors. Most hell notes have the ruler of Heaven and the worlds below (the world of Man and of Hell), the Jade Emperor, depicted on it. Some notes display the Eight Immortals, Buddha or dragons.

The popular story of hell notes and how they became called as they are today is all thanks to misinterpretation.  The story in question tells that zealous Christian missionaries went to China to convert the Chinese telling these people that all non-Christian Chinese will go to a place called Hell when they die. The Chinese thought that this English word ‘hell’ meant ‘afterlife’, thus the mix-up came to be.
Interestingly, there is a place called Feng-Du which is also called the ‘Chinese Hell’ due to the place being where one re-pays their wrong-doings, or ‘sins’, in life before being reborn.

What you can expect to see on a hell note is Chinese symbolism such as a carp (due to the Chinese word for ‘fish’ sounds similar to ‘have something left over’. as in extra cash for spending), often carps will be shown in pairs or held by children as symbols of good luck. Bowls filled with coins, red coral and gold ingots can also be seen on some notes, while others may have a lotus on it.

The traditional times to burn hell notes are The Festival of Pure Brightness and Hungry Ghost Festival. One may toss these notes in the air during funeral procession or leave it on a persons grave.  Interestingly, people use hell notes as symbolic money when doing money spells and some even use it to try to attract or even pay spirits when engaging in such things as necromancy.

You can get hell notes in Chinese based stores, particularly in major cities, but remember if that there are none in the store it is always good to ask where one can get hell notes. However, to the Chinese it is highly offensive to give a hell note to a living person as a gift as it can be seen as wishing death upon the person.

Bottle Gourds

The calabash, or bottle gourd, is one plant that is considered quite lucky and has had much appreciation from the Chinese. It has a hard shell which can be used as a bottle and traditionally used to carry medicine, wine, water and elixirs. Not only was the gourds shell used to carry medicine but the plant has been used as medicine itself, and from what I have heard, makes a good eating.


Gourds is popular as use as a charm for warding off evil spirits and disease thanks to its Chinese name, hulu, which the character hu in itself means ‘protect’ or ‘guard’, but not only that but also ‘blessing’. Also, hu sounds like fu to which fu means ‘good fortune’ or ‘happiness’.

The legendary Sun Wukong himself once got word that demon were on their way to capture him with their magic gourd, so he disguises himself as an immortal before meeting them. These demons were unaware that this immortal was really Sun Wukong and these demons showed off their magic gourd to which Sun Wukong himself shows an ordinary gourd to these demons but claims it can hold the entire universe within it. These demons on hearing such a claim wanted to trade their gourd for this apparent universe containing one but on the condition that it is proved that it can be done. Sun Wukong, under permission from spirits, blocks out the light of the sun, moon and stars for a single hour and is able to trick these demons into thinking that the disguised Sun Wukong has bottled up the Heaven’s, thus being able to get a magic gourd for an ordinary one. This little story about Sun Wukong and these demons also is a good story to tell about how easily people can be fooled.

Gourds are also associated with old age and charms. Interestingly enough, old men many, many years back would frequently be seen carrying gourds on their backs. One old god known as Shou, also known as the Star of Longevity, is often seen carrying a Peach of Immortality and a staff of peach wood. Shou also carries a gourd himself to which people have disagreements on what is actually in it. Some say water, others nectar, I also have heard a couple claims of Shou carrying an elixir within his gourd.

The bottle gourd itself has many tales surrounding it within China and it is also a symbol of Heaven and Earth or the universe. It is also amusing as bottle gourds tend to be in the shape of the number eight, which is considered a highly lucky number in China.