How to domesticate your demon

Like the West's rabbit's foot, charms were often used in traditional Chinese culture to bring good luck and keep malevolent powers at bay

A variety of amulets and objects have been reputed to have otherworldly powers in traditional Chinese culture, and some of them have survived to modern times, often as curiosities.

Treasure gourd 宝葫芦

In the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West, a demon defeated the mighty Monkey King with his magic gourd, which sucked our hero into captivity with almost no effort at all. In traditional Chinese folklore, the gourd possesses even more magical powers than simply swallowing bad spirits and is believed to have health benefits due to its ancient use as a holder of medicines. It is also associated with fortune and good luck due to its "esthetic" shape. It is believed that harmony and health comes to the family that puts a gourd near the bed, hangs it behind the door or places it in the kitchen near the stove.

Three-legged toad 三脚蟾蜍

OK, it looks a bit hideous, but it's good for business an amphibian curiosity often seen in restaurants, hotels, and teahouses. Legend has it that this unassuming toad was originally a demon that could devour all the money in the world; an immortal tamed this demon and kept it as a pet that, wherever it appeared, produced coins from its mouth and gave them to the poor. Businesses displaying this ancient monster hope to benefit from its legendary largess.

Bagua mirror 八卦镜

Taoists once believed that bronze mirrors were capable of fending off bad spirits, as explained by Ge Hong in his book Baopuzi (《抱朴子》, [Book of] Master Who Embraces Simplicity): "Demons deceive by transforming themselves into humans, and only the bronze mirror can reflect their true forms." Bagua mirrors evolved from ancient bronze mirrors and are surrounded by the bagua pattern (the Eight Diagrams in I Ching, an ancient Chinese book of divination). Some modern versions replace the mirror itself with a symbol of the universe from tai chi, an ancient philosophy and martial art often practiced for health benefits. For the best chance of warding off bad juju, it is often hung high, normally under the eaves of a home.

Feng shui compass 风水罗盘

This compass is an essential part of the tool kit of any master of feng shui, the ancient Chinese philosophical system of harmony with the surrounding environment. Telling the direction is only a small part of its magic. It is mainly used to hunt down evil spirits, expose nasty neighbors, find buried treasure, uncover household diseases, and even provide advice on how to avoid future disasters. But, for ordinary folks most of whom cannot even read the characters it serves as a pretty little good luck charm to ward off malevolent spirits.

Brave stone 石敢当

This little good luck charm exists because, believe it or not (probably not), your house or apartment is teeming with evil spirits. In feng shui theory, a good house should be square with no more than four corners in order to keep out evil spirits, and with modern architecture it's a wonder today's metropolitan cliff dwellers aren't hounded day and night by all manner of demons. So, if you find yourself having constant bad luck or endless spats with your spouse, it could be due to "incomplete corners" (缺角) hiding all manner of bad spirits. Well, not to fear because the brave stone is meant to keep those otherworldly monsters at bay.

Courtesy of the World of Chinese, www.theworldofchinese.com

The World of Chinese

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/03/2014 page27)