중국 산석신앙-태산석감당(泰山石敢當)

Abstract

Shígandang, a charm against evil influence of street corners, bridge mouths and houses based on nature worship of mountain and stones as folk religion, has functions of peace, prosperity and protection of houses and towns. What quality, letters, pictures and signs of Shígandang symbolize are applications of customs of belief in mountain spirits. Most of Shígandangs had letters “Tàishanshígandang” inscribed, and this was the proliferation of faith in Dongyuetàishan. Tàishan was originally called “hiding place of ghosts,” because from old times souls gathered there and knew lifespan of people. Also,Tàishan was regarded as a dwelling place for Cheonson, the grandson of the Great Jade Emperor, who was the god of presiding souls and authenticity about Tàishan spirit, the nature worship, was added to it. Among the national list of intangible heritage Chinese State Council designates registers “Customs of Tàishanshígandang,” and it’s the manner integrated by symbolism Tàishan has and universal psychology of people who pursue good luck and peacefulness of Tàishan stones. Since Tàishan was a holy mountain, people considered that stones, part of the mountain, also had a full of miraculous charms. In this way, as worship of holy mountains was added to spiritual stone worship, the belief of Tàishanshígandang came to develop. Tàishanshígandang was an advanced form of Shígandang, and once it was an offshoot of personification from nature worship of spiritual stone, it was again transmitted to complicated process of reuniting. Although there have been many opinions on Shígandang, it is basically a spiritual stone, meaning of repelling all disasters. As Tàishanshígandang faith was peppered throughout the country,regional culture and religions were combined to bring a new form of Tàishanshígandang, reflecting characteristics of each region into being. Tàishanshígandang belief propagated in the whole country had cultural homogeneity, and this was originated from the belief widely accepted by folks for which Tàishan pursued health and peace of a country and peacefulness of people. Other than China, Tàishanshígandang faith was spread to Japan, Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries in different forms of Tàishanshígandang for each country.