She Chi

She Chi
/shu" jee"/
(in popular Chinese religion) the gods of the earth and the harvest.

* * *

▪ Chinese deity
Pinyin  She Ji 

      (Chinese: “Earth and Millet”), ancient Chinese compound patron deity of the soil and harvests. China's earliest legendary emperors are said to have worshiped She (Earth), for they alone had responsibility for the entire earth and country. This worship was meant to include the five spirits of the earth that resided in mountains and forests, rivers and lakes, tidelands and hills, mounds and dikes, and springs and marshes. Later Chinese emperors worshiped the gods of the soil as a more particularized cult than that offered to sovereign earth. The ceremony took place inside the Forbidden City, Peking, on an altar covered with soil of five colours.

      Since ordinary people had no part in this sacrifice, they gradually created such gods as Hou Chi to protect their land and grain. Small communities, or even single families, thus also came to have their local gods or T'u-ti. Throughout the country countless small shrines or temples were constructed, each with two images. Originally meant to represent the god of soil (She) and the god of grain (Chi), these images eventually were considered man and wife.

      The great Han dynasty emperor Kao Tsu (reigned 206–195 BC) was but one of many Chinese rulers who encouraged the local populace to sacrifice to their particular T'u-ti, even though the limited jurisdiction of these gods placed them under the authority of Ch'eng Huang, the spiritual magistrate of the city.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • she|chi|ta — or she|chi|tah «shuh khEE tuh», noun. the Jewish method of slaughtering animals according to rabbinical law. ╂[< Hebrew sh ītāh] Also, shehita, shehitah …   Useful english dictionary

  • she|chi|tah — she|chi|ta or she|chi|tah «shuh khEE tuh», noun. the Jewish method of slaughtering animals according to rabbinical law. ╂[< Hebrew sh ītāh] Also, shehita, shehitah …   Useful english dictionary

  • She-Chi — o She Ji Antigua deidad mixta china de la tierra y las cosechas. Los legendarios primeros emperadores de China adoraban a She (Tierra), ya que sólo ellos eran los encargados de toda la tierra y el país. Como la gente común no tomaba parte en esta …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • She Chi — /shu jee / (in popular Chinese religion) the gods of the earth and the harvest …   Useful english dictionary

  • chi — chi1 /kuy/, n., pl. chis. 1. the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet (X). 2. the consonant sound represented by this letter. [ < Gk] chi2 /chee/, n. the vital life force in the body supposedly regulated by acupuncture. [ < Chin qì breath] * * * (as …   Universalium

  • Chi — /chuy/, n. Chicago. [by shortening] * * * (as used in expressions) Chi lin Chi nan Dian Chi Ho Chi Minh Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh Trail Ch iu Ch u chi She Chi Tai Chi Chuan t ai chi ch üan * * * …   Universalium

  • Chi — (as used in expressions) Ho Chi Minh Ho Chi Minh, carretera Ho Chi Minh, Ciudad She Chi Tai Chi Chuan t ai chi ch üan …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • she — bol·she·vism; bol·she·vi·za·tion; bol·she·vize; men·she·vik; men·she·vism; men·she·vist; she·ba; she·bang; she·bat; she·been; she·bek; she·chem·ite; she·der; she·du; she·getz; she·he·he·ya·nu; she·hi·tah; she·kar; she·ki·nah; she·mi·ni;… …   English syllables

  • She — Los She son un grupo étnico, uno de los 56 oficialmente reconocidos por el gobierno de la República Popular China. Son la minoría más amplia en la provincia de Fujian. También están presentes en Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Guangdong y Anhui. Viven en… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • She-Ji — or She Chi Ancient Chinese compound deity of the soil and harvests. China s earliest legendary emperors worshiped She (earth), for they alone had responsibility for the entire earth and country. Since ordinary people had no part in this courtly… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”