Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

Kubaba 165The most powerful figure in the pantheon, thegod is based on an historical figure who lived AD162-220. He was a general in the imperial armyand came to prominence after a successful battlewith the warlord Tung Cho. He was subsequentlydeified.The epitome of austerity, loyalty and integrity,he is worshiped as the personification of thesacred principles of the hsieh or knightly warrior.He was the tutelary deity of the Chung emperorsand is the god of the military, but also of restaurants,pawn shops, curio dealers and literature.He is a guardian of secret societies, including Triads,and brotherhoods, particularly in HongKong, but also of the police, thus many CIDoffices possess an altar to Kuan Ti, as Kuan Kung.He is depicted seated on a tiger skin, sometimeswith the face of a tiger on the breast of his robe.His magical sword is the “black dragon” and hishorse is the “red hare.” His festivals are celebratedon the fifteenth day of the second moon and on thethirteenth day of the fifth moon. He thus presidesover the light half of the year—spring and summer.Images of Kuan Ti are kept by most householdsin China, facing the entrance of the building, tofrighten away evil influences.KUAN YIN (hearer of cries)ORIGIN Taoist (Chinese). Benign guardian goddess.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa AD 100, thoughin various forms, until present.SYNONYMS Guan Yin; KWANNON (Japanese).CENTER(S) OF CULT throughout Chinese culture.ART REFERENCES paintings and sculptures.LITERARY SOURCES Various philosophical andreligious texts, mostly inadequately researchedand untranslated.An essentially foreign deity, derived from theBuddhist god AVALOKITESVARA, and thereforeprobably of Indian origin. Introduced intoChina as a male deity until circa AD 600 whenthe transition to a goddess began; it was completedby circa AD 1100. Although accepted intoTaoism, in contrast to all other Chinese deities,she is not provided with the normal offerings offood and wine.An alternative tradition places her in a mortalexistence as the princess Miao Shan whocommitted suicide by strangling herself and wassubsequently taken by the BUDDHA to an island,P’u T’o, where she spent nine years perfectingherself.Kuan Yin enjoys a major popularity as a pureand benevolent spirit whose influence haseclipsed that of the historical Buddha incarnation,SAKYAMUNI, in China. Her name is invokedif danger threatens and she has strong fertilityconnotations—newly married couples pray to herfor children.Several other Chinese goddesses are consideredby some authors to be manifestations ofKuan Yin. She frequently shares sanctuaries withthe queen of heaven, TIN HAU, and has takenover part of her area of influence. She is thustitled Goddess of the Southern Sea, which is technicallyan accolade due to Tin Hau.Kuan Yin is depicted seated upon a lotus withattributes including a vase filled with the dew ofcompassion and a willow branch. Her attendantLung Nu may stand behind her with otherobjects, including a peacock-like bird, pearls anda rosary.KubabaMother goddess. Anatolian and northern Syrian.She was worshiped particularly at Carchemishand seems to equate with the Hittite goddessŠAUŠKA. Attributes include pomegranate and mirror.Also Gubaba, Kupapa.