Hey people. I'll need to bare with it for this 3 weeks.. I can't sleep properly, do my homework properly and my routine is interrupted! Well, I do expected it already, because that kid, yeah my this cousin, is only 4 years old, and super naughty and noisy. No doubt he will make noise. I hardly able to take my nap just now.. I had to move into my parent's bed to sleep, cos he's going in and out of my room, running around with his slippers on, making noise, etc. any usual things that a young kid does.
Today's physics test. Sigh. Don't talk about it, I'll either fail, or pass barely. I seriously need to boost my physics man.. I'm gonna promise myself to do the physics TYS once I receive it.
About maths test, it was alright. Almost everyone's gonna get full mark, like what Mr. Ang always said. Cos during the test, he went out of the class for a short period of time, and we're all like talking across the classroom, confirming our answers. Lol! And Mr. Yong was cool.
Tomorrow, Bio test! Though there's only 2 lessons, there's still bio! There's already quite a lot of homework for the 2 days weekend and the 1 day public holiday. There's Chinese 公函, Social Studies SBQ, Biology TYS, Chemistry worksheet...
OK anyway, here is some info about supernatural stuffs. xD
Moths as Human Souls
Our old cultural belief that passed down from generations may tell us that killing a moth will bring ill-luck because they are transformed from human souls. The guilt is on par with killing your own ancestors. Such old wives tales warn us to stay away from moth should it fly into our house for unknown reason. During Qing Ming or Hungry Ghosts Month, generally regarded as festivals of death, it would be common to have moths or butterflies appear in our home. Believers interpret this as a supernatural mechanism of human souls take physical forms of insect come visit the livings. Are these all just plain superstitions or having some elements of truth? SPI research and shed some light on this myth.
1.1 Why moths are more likely to be seen during Qing Ming and Hungry Ghost Months?
Legend has it that moth are human souls transformed. During Qing Ming and Hungry Ghost Festival, the souls will take the form of flying insects like butterflies and moths, to pay the living a visit. Indeed, moths and butterflies have been primarily described as physical manifestations of spirits that are visiting our homes. Spirits are believed to have either transmuted into a physical form or possessed a physical being. At times they might even land on the photo of the deceased and hide behind the photo frame reinforcing the idea that they are somehow connected to the deceased. Children are often warned not to disturb it or else ill-luck will come upon the family. Adults often set the example by leaving the moth alone, sometimes in fear and anxiety. Woe betides those who kill an insect that is actually a vessel of a soul. It is a crime that is nearly as grave as killing one's ancestors.
Is this supernatural tale a fact? Or is it a popular belief passed down through time? Does it have any connection with the shamanism or animalism? SPI investigated each element of the tale, in search for an explanation.
1.2 Chinese cultural origins of the myth
The belief that flying insects like moths and butterflies embodying a human soul has its origins in Taoist beliefs (Note: There is a distinction between religious Taoism and Taoist beliefs.) According to the Book of Transformation (
), written by Tan Qiao of the Five Dynasties, it has 110 essays in 6 volumes about six forms of transformations: (
) Way Transformations, (
) Techniques Transformations, (
) Potency Transformations, (
) Humaneness Transformations, (
) Food Transformations, and (
) Frugality Transformations. Combining Taoist theory with Confucian thought, it holds that the world is rooted in the Emptiness. The Emptiness transforms into spirit, spirit into breath, breath into form, and form returns to the void. The void is the root and destiny of all things.For example, a maple tree can transform turn into a human, wheat can turn into butterflies, a lady can turn into virgin rock, and earthworms into flower lilies. But it is likely that the scriptures were referring to a metaphysical and philosophical interpretation of the world around us rather than a literal one. Shamanic beliefs since the time of ancient China holds the mystical belief that the material and physical is interchangeable with spiritual beings. Observation in natural change of matters and life (birth to death, water to rain, e.g.) escalated into imagination of supernatural interchanges of animals and plants, rocks and substances. Using only observations and spiritual interpretations rather than scientific knowledge as their means to explain the world around them, many were convinced that shamanic beliefs hold the truth about how the world works.
In general, we suppose form-shifting is also popular in other ancient cultures. Chinese polytheism is one of the most fascinating systems of belief that carries a wide range of bizarre folk tales.
1.3 Popular symbolism of butterflies
In Chinese culture two butterflies flying together is a symbol of love. There is a famous Chinese folk story called Butterfly Lovers (
), the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet.In Taoist philosophy, a Taoist philosopher called Zhuangzi once had a dream of being a butterfly flying about without any care or concern for the world, however when he woke up and realized it was just a dream. But the experience left a remarkable impact on him, making him ask himself, "Was I before a man who dreamt about being a butterfly, or am I now a butterfly who dreams about being a man?"
According to a chapter in Kwaidan titled "Butterflies" in Stories and Studies of Strange Things, by Lafcadio Hearn, a butterfly was regarded as the personification of a person's soul; whether they are living, dying, or already dead. One Japanese popular belief says that if a butterfly enters your guestroom and perches behind the bamboo screen, the person whom you most love is coming to see you. But while one butterfly is a sign of good things, a horde of butterflies are regarded viewed as ill omens. When Taira no Masakado was secretly preparing for his famous revolt, there appeared in Kyoto a vast a swarm of butterflies. The commoners were frightened believing that it butterfly swarm was a herald of evil.
The symbolism of butterflies is not only confined to the Eastern cultures. The Ancient Greek word for "butterfly" is
(psyche), which primarily means "soul", "mind". According to Mircea Eliade's Encyclopedia of Religion, some of the Nagas of Manipur trace their ancestry from a butterfly. Other old cultures believed that butterflies symbolize rebirth. They took this idea from observing how a caterpillar transforms into a new being after being inside a cocoon for a period of time. There is another myth of butterfly associating with a famous Taoist deity called "
", Xuan Tian Shang Ti - High Heavenly Xuan God, which also takes other names such as Xuan Wu (
), Di Gong (
) or Teh Kong in Hokkien dialect. The image of this deity is known as the dark lord of the north, in which the black color symbolizes North direction in the belief of the five elements. He was a warrior capable of powerful magic-craft and colloquially impersonalized the Big Diper, The seven brightest stars of the constellation Ursa Major in the Northern hemisphere, in the context of idol worship.The legend was popular in Taiwan, that says one day Xuan Tian Shang Ti (XTSI) met a butterfly fairy when he was doing spiritual cultivation in Wudang Mountains for attaining his immortality. The butterfly transformed deliberately into a very beautiful girl and attempted to seduce XTSI in the hope of getting him to marry her. The plot was to test his mortal lustfulness and see whether he would abandon his religion.
By this legend, it is propagandised that a Taoist temple in Alishan, Taiwan, a mystical moth would fly into that temple, about a week before 3 March (lunar calendar) every year. Bear in mind that 3 March lunar date is right in Spring season where hibernation from Winter was over in the nature world. As incredible as it gets, the mystical moth is believed to come for celebrating the birthday of XTSI, it would stay in its temple till his birthday is over. This tale is quite consistent enough with the legend to make most folks believe it is real. In this episode, the butterfly fairy instead of transforming into a butterfly (why?), she becomes a moth, a local moth that is unique in the habitats of Alishan mountain regions. The appearance of such moth in the temple seems to support the legend of XTSI and to probably evangelise some religions.
Adapted from Singapore Paranormal Investigators>>http://www.spi.com.sg/