Manchurian Sacred Crows.

Site Library Library of Rome

Manchurian Sacred Crows.

Associated to Place: AncientWorlds > The Orient > Manchuria > Mukden > Mukden Imperial Palace. > articles -- by * Sementawy Horemheb (10 Articles), General Article

At the crows nest the mountains rend
themselves apart, the rivers wend
a lawless course about their feet,
and breaking into torrents beat
in useless fury where they blend
by the crows nest.
The nesting crow, wise, discreet,
wings up the gorge's lone retreat
and makes some barren crag her friend
and attends the crows nest.
Uncertain clouds, half-high, suspend
their shifting vapours and contend
with rocks that suffer not defeat;
and snows and suns and mad winds meet
to battle where the cliffs defend
around the crow's nest.

Teka Hion Wake.

Why did the Manchus offer sacrifices to the crow?

Manchu legend has it that, long ago three spirit girls come down from heaven to bathe in the Lake of Heaven of the Changbai Mountains. The youngest of the three, whose name was Fokulun accepted and ate a magical red berry carried to her by a little black coloured bird - a crow. Thanks to her encounter with the bird, Fokulun became pregnant and later gave birth to Aysinjoro Bukuliyongshun (Aisin Gioro, or the 'Golden') who was able to speak the moment he was born and who grew quickly into a man. At the behest of his mother, he sailed downstream on a raft and came to a place known as Yilihada where he successfully stopped a mutually destructive conflict amongst three Manchu tribes and was voted the chieftain of all three. He established his capital at Otoli near the Changbai mountains.

Sadly his reign was short and his descendants began to lead an extravagant and dissipated life, mercilessly exploiting and squeezing the common people dry. The people rose against their rulers and murdered every one, except Aisin Gioro's youngest son Fancha, who escaped the slaughter. When the insurgents discovered Fancha's escape, they followed on horseback, in hot pursuit.

In the wilds and close to dusk, as Fancha frantically ran away from his hunters, he stopped at a clump of reeds to catch his breath and await his death, stretching his arms wide in surrender. At this critical moment, a black crow landed on his head. The lone crow was joined by others who completely covered his body. Fancha stood motionless and when his pursuers come near, they saw only the black crows and in the clump of weeds, a decayed tree stump. Blaming each other for loosing their quarry, the pursuers left the scene, riding off in the wrong direction. Fancha, the only survivor of the genocide of his tribe was saved and with him the Aisin Gioro clan which grew and thrived. Fancha, convinced the crow was sacred and sent from heaven, was grateful to the bird and in doing the crows honour, believed the birds continued to bring him happiness and good fortune.

To show their gratitude to the crow for saving their common ancestor, the reigning household of Qing emperors decreed it an inviolable practice to have a spiritual post set up before their residence for crows. Generations of Manchu consider crows, ravens and magpies a symbol of happiness and luck. The Manchu culture has since been assimilated into Han culture and the belief that crows bring happiness is now shared by most Chinese Han people.

Return to Manchuria's Main Neighbourhood Page.

Citation: Twitchett, D & Fairbank, J.F., 'The Cambridge History of China' - 10 vols. Cambridge University Press, 1979 -.

Villa

~ Table of Contents ~

Indonesia or the Dutch East Indies
Brigantes Abu!
Clan Mulrian
A Walk Through the Temple of Amun
The Precinct of Mut at Ipet-Isut
The First Gods
The First Kings
The First Queens
The First Cities
The First Artefacts
Image Overview of the Abydos Area
Chocolate — I can't live without it!
Hewitt and O'Direain's Thoughts
Joyce Vs. O'Conaire
Agriculture: A Choice
The Gods at Abydos: Ptah
The Temple Building in Ancient Egypt
title
Ancient Egyptian Religion 2: Ma'at and Divine Kingship
Ancient Egyptian Religion 5: The Levels of Priesthood
Ancient Egyptian Religion 4: The Conditions of Priesthood
Ancient Egyptian Religion 6: The Service of Priesthood
Abusir, The Realm of Osiris
Ancient Egyptian Religion 3: Temples and Priests
Castrum Moguntiacum
Ancient Egyptian Religion 1: Ma'at and the Eternal Return
Fauces
The Festival of Opet at Waset
Ovid on Salmacis & Hermaphroditus
Vedic Astronomy
Oracle of Wadjet

Manchurian Sacred Crows.

The Trade in Tigers.
Bhutanese Sources.

Posted Jul 18, 2009 - 07:41 , Last Edited: Jul 19, 2009 - 08:31