Chuangshen
Chuángshén (床神, "Bed God") is a Chinese folk deity associated with the bed and bedroom. It is represented as a male and female pair, Chuángmǔ (床母, "Bed Mother") and Chuánggōng (床公, "Bed Lord"). In Taiwanese folk belief, the pair is associated particularly with the protection of children and their healthy growth.[1][2]
Origin
[edit]According to legend, a scholar named Guo Hua (郭華), who was traveling to take an examination when he met a woman who sold fans. The two fell in love, but Guo Hua died suddenly while staying with her. Fearing that others would discover his death, the woman buried his body beneath her bed. She later became pregnant and gave birth to his son. To comfort Guo Hua's spirit, she regularly placed food and wine on the bed as offerings. When people asked what she was doing, she said that she was worshipping Chuang Mu to protect her child and help him grow. Others began to imitate her, and the practice was said to have spread from this story.[3]
Other traditions give different explanations for Chuang Mu's origin. The National Museum of History notes traditions identifying her with the 三十六婆姐 (Thirty-six Pojie), female figures associated with Zhusheng Niangniang, as well as another legend in which the spirit of a woman who died after giving birth becomes a protector of her child.[4]
Worship
[edit]In Taiwanese folk belief, Chuang Mu is regarded as a protective deity who watches over children. According to the Taiwan Folk Cultural Relics Dictionary, she is believed to protect children from birth until around the age of 15 or 16. Offerings are traditionally placed on or beside the child's bed and may include oil rice, chicken and wine, paper offerings, and Chuang Mu clothing (床母衣). Children are traditionally worshipped on the third day after birth and on certain festivals and other occasions. The seventh day of the seventh lunar month, Qixi, is particularly associated with the worship of Chuang Mu.[5]
The Taiwanese Ministry of Education's dictionary defines Chuang Mu as a bed deity believed to protect infants and young children as they grow. It also records the belief that birthmarks are marks made by Chuang Mu.[6]
References
[edit]- ↑ "床公床婆". 教育百科 (in Chinese). Ministry of Education, Taiwan. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ Auset, Priestess Brandi (2009). Brandi Auset. The Goddess Guide: Exploring the Attributes and Correspondences of the Divine Feminine. Llewellyn Worldwide. ISBN 9780738715513. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ↑ "七夕拜床母 寶寶受保護". NOWnews (in Chinese). 2017-08-28. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ "兒童的守護神─床母". National Museum of History (in Chinese). Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ "床母衣". 臺灣民俗文物辭典 (in Chinese). 國史館臺灣文獻館. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ "床母". 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 (in Chinese). Ministry of Education, Taiwan. Retrieved 2026-09-05.