At the end of the Qing Dynasty, there were four murder cases in Taiwan, including "Sister Lin Tou", "Chen Shouniang's Appearance", "Burning Gold in Lu Zu Temple", and "Zhou Cheng's Passage to Taiwan". These cases are all related to ghosts and legends. Due to the suspense of the plot and the addition of folklore , collectively known as "Taiwan's Four Strange Cases".
Today’s theme is not about ancient times, but about three folk legends that may be true or false, including “suicide in red clothes and turning into a ghost to take revenge”, “a hanged ghost will spit out a long tongue with hatred”, and “holding a black umbrella to prevent the soul from flying away”. They are all related to folklore, so let’s call them the “three major mysteries” for the time being!
Wear red clothes to commit suicide and become a ghost to take revenge?
First let’s talk about committing suicide by wearing red clothes. I always think this thing is very funny. Just think about it, how could you suddenly have such a strong ability to take revenge after committing suicide in red clothes?
I have a silly friend who likes to play cards. Especially during the Chinese New Year, he will wear new red underwear to play. However, he almost always loses when he bets. So is the folklore of wearing red underwear to win when gambling believable? If four people are playing cards around the table and all wear red underwear, who wins and who loses?
Although the rumors are not credible, we still have to investigate and listen to what the ancients said.
There is a record in Ji Xiaolan's "Yuewei Thatched Cottage Notes/Huaixi Magazine": "…There was another time when the honest man was staying at his uncle's house in Yangzhou, a red-clothed ghost . In the dim light, he saw a woman in red pushing the door open. He knew it must be a ghost and raped her. After getting up and scolding it, the woman didn't panic. She knelt on her knees as if she was telling something. After saying that, she walked out of the house. The next day, Lian Fu asked the owner if he knew the reason. There was indeed a woman who hanged herself and died, and sometimes she would come out to cause trouble."
The "woman in red" appears here, but she is also asking for help! Therefore, the only thing that makes sense is that "red is yang, like a soul". Wearing red clothes makes it easier to enter and exit the house, because the "Zhongliu God" who guards the house will not block it, so you can go unimpeded and "scare the enemy to death" the goal of.
The hanged man will stick out his tongue for a long time with hatred?
Next, it would be even more exaggerated to talk about the Hanged Man. People often ask: "Do people who hang themselves stick out their tongues very long?" I ask, how long does it take? He pointed at his chest in an exaggerated manner. Let me ask again, have you seen it? The answer is that movies are all acted like this!
In terms of practical experience, I have never seen a hanged person stick out his tongue so long. I can only say that watching too many movies and TV shows can damage the brain and affect judgment. Let me mention that the handling of hanging cases is more practical.
It is said that the reason why hanging is scary is not only influenced by the legend, but also because hanging on the beam and shaking it is really scary.
I remember that the first time I saw someone hanging was an old lady from my neighbor. She was from the late Qing Dynasty and she had feet bound. One day she hanged herself for some unknown reason. Her thin body hung on the beam, and there was a pair of embroidered shoes on the ground. The adults all ran away when they saw it. I was the only one who kept asking: "How did she get hung up when she is so short?"
Taiwan's traditional custom is that the rope cannot be cut when the hanged person is moved to the ground, but must be carried. This actually complies with the regulations of criminal investigation, because the rope must be handed over to the prosecutor to verify whether it was processed to commit suicide. In addition, it is best to carry the deceased from behind. I heard that if you look at the deceased from the front, the deceased will "think" that you hung him up. To be honest, it is quite weird to hold the hanged person face to face.
Furthermore, the hanging beams must be removed and replaced with new ones. This is partly to avoid the fear of people living in the house in the future, but there is nothing taboo about it. As for the legend that the souls of the dead will cling to the beams to cause trouble, this should be considered a myth.
In the coastal areas of Lukang, there is a custom of "giving meat rice dumplings" to the hanged deceased. This has been mentioned in an article before, so I won't go into details here.
Hold a black umbrella to prevent your soul from falling apart?
Finally, when it comes to the matter of "holding a black umbrella to prevent the soul from flying away", it must be another misunderstanding influenced by the plot of the movie.
Do you still remember the movie "A Chinese Ghost Story"? The love story between the ghost Nie Xiaoqian and the scholar Ning Caichen is very touching. At that time, Ning Caichen held Nie Xiaoqian's ashes and held an umbrella to protect her, just because he was worried that Nie Xiaoqian's soul would disappear.
In most places in Taiwan, it is customary to hold an umbrella during mourning. Coupled with the drama of the movie, this umbrella has become a treasure with boundless power.
If you really ask me whether I should hold a black umbrella, my answer is definitely, because if you don’t hold an umbrella, you will be scolded. If you ask again, would the souls of the deceased without an umbrella be burned to death by the sun? My answer is, you think too much.
Let's be honest, in some seaside areas there are no ghosts in red holding umbrellas on the altar during funerals, and no souls are seen floating out in the form of white smoke!
Comment: Although these folklores are widely circulated, many of them are actually based on misunderstandings and imaginations. They often reflect people's fear of death and supernatural phenomena, as well as their curiosity about the unknown. These stories have enriched Taiwan's culture and folk beliefs to a certain extent, but at the same time they may also lead to some unnecessary panic and superstition. Understanding the truth behind these legends can help us view these phenomena more rationally, and at the same time better understand and respect traditional culture. In modern society, we should treat these legends with a scientific attitude, avoid blind superstition, and at the same time respect and protect traditional customs with historical and cultural value.