In China, eighteenth century and earlier:

Possibly because of feng shuei, carpenters and masons were associated with sorcerers. Proper ritual construction of homes was essential. It was believed that bridge-builders could steal a man's soul by clipping off his queue, or take a woman's soul by clipping a piece of her collar; the stolen soul was placed on a piling of a bridge under construction and hammered into the river-bed, killing the victim but ensuring a sturdy bridge. Soulstealers were believed to operate in gangs, paying petty thieves to collect pigtails, with evil sorcerers lurking somewhere to use the stolen souls.

The Lu-pan-ching was a popular carpentry manual in Ch'ing times; it contained rules for proper ritual construction, but also baleful charms for builders to hide atop rafters or under floors; and also charms to be used against such evil builders. This manual was thought so powerful that when a copy was sold, the bookseller always faced away from the book; anyone who opened the pages had to inflict magical harm on someone, or else himself suffer. From this book:

1. "A drawing of a broken tile inscribed with "Ice melts" <half of an expression 'Ice melts, tiles scatter' eg collapse, dissolution?>. Appended is a charm: 'A piece of broken tile, a jagged edge, hidden in joint of roof-beam, husband die and wife remarry, sons move away, servants flee, none will care for the estate.'" (To be hidden in a joint of the main roof-beam.)

2. "A drawing of an ox-bone. The charm: 'In center of room hide ox-bone, life-long toil, life's end death but no coffin, sons and grandsons will shoulder heavy burdens.'" (Bury under center of room.)

3. "A drawing of a knife among coils of hair. The charm: 'A sword worn in the hair. Sons and grandsons will leave and become monks. Having sons who found no families, perpetual misery. Widow and widower, orphaned and childless, do not forgive each other.'" (Bury under threshold.)

4. "When building a house, various kinds of carpenters, masons, and plasterers will plot to poison, curse, and harm the owner. On the day when the roof-beam is raised, offer a sacrifice of the three types of animal, laid out on a horizontal trestle, to all the gods. Then recite the following secret charm of Master Lu Pan <patron saint of carpenters>: 'Evil artisans, do you not know that poisons and curses will rebound upon yourselves, and bring no harm to the owner?' Then recite seven times: 'Let the artisan meet misfortune.' <Then say> 'I have received the proclamation of the Supreme Ruler ordering that I shall suffer no harm from others, and that all will redound to my good fortune: an urgent decree.' Burn copy of charm in private place, especially where no pregnant woman can see you. Mix ashes with blood of black and yellow dog, then dissolve in wine. On day main roof-beam is raised, serve to builders <three cups to boss>. He who is plotting sorcery will himself receive the harm. <Copy in vermilion ink and paste atop roofbeam>."

Credits

Source: Philip Kuhn, Soulstealers

Art For This Website Courtesy of Moyra:

Return to Myths Table of Contents

Last Updated August 21, 1999 by Sylvia