Coming with many various names, Zigu or the Girl of the Privy is claimed to hang-out just one place, the bathroom! Though her story began and maybe ended as a ghost story, there was a time she was worshiped like a God.
In the event you thought horror tales had been confined to haunted homes and cursed forests, suppose once more—as a result of in Chinese language folklore, even the lavatory isn’t secure. Meet Zigu (紫姑), often known as Maogu (茅姑), the Girl of the Latrine or the Third Daughter of the Latrine or the Purple Maiden. She’s China’s resident rest room ghost, a tragic spirit lingering in essentially the most unglamorous of locations. Calling her a easy ghost is just not right both, as she has been worshiped as a goddess in Chinese language folks faith.
Learn Extra: Take a look at all ghost tales from China
Whereas some ghosts hang-out grand temples and eerie mansions, Zigu took up residence within the latrine—as a result of apparently, even the afterlife has a darkish humorousness.
And earlier than you write this off as some obscure legend, let’s be clear: rest room ghosts are a complete factor throughout many Asian cultures. From Japan’s Hanako-san to Korea’s Cheuksin, restrooms appear to be prime actual property for supernatural squatters. However Zigu? She’s one of many oldest, most sorrowful, and eerily commemorated rest room ghosts within the recreation. Even perhaps being the spirit all different rest room ghosts are based mostly on?
Rest room Gods Throughout the World
The idea of a bathroom god is just not as uncommon because it appears right this moment maybe. This was a standard family deity in each fashionable and historical cultures. In Japan it was known as Kawaya Kami, usually stated to be an outdated man holding a spear. In Korea the bathroom god was Cheukshin, often known as the younger woman of the bathroom with a perverse humorousness.
In New Zealand you had the atua spirits, specializing in the village latrine because the excrement was seen because the meals of the useless. In historical Rome there was Cloacina, the goddess of Rome’s sewage system, invoking her if the sewers grew to become blocked.
They’re usually related to well being, well-being and fertility. That is due to the historical past and affiliation of human waste and agriculture. The bathrooms additionally was once a darkish and ugly place to be and there was a excessive danger of falling in and drowning, subsequently a deity that will defend you was good to have.
The Legend of Zigu: A Tragic Spirit within the Most Unlikely Place
However in contrast to lots of the different rest room Gods, the Chinese language goddess may learn like a basic ghost story. Zigu’s story, like many ghostly tales, is steeped in betrayal, struggling, and injustice. Some imagine that her cult began within the Shanxi area in North China earlier than spreading in the course of the Tang dynasty (618-907). In accordance with legend, she was a concubine in historical China, caught in a tragic love triangle that led to homicide.
The Concubine’s Curse
As soon as upon a time, Zigu was a gorgeous and kind-hearted younger lady who grew to become a concubine to a high-ranking official or, in some variations, a rich nobleman. However as you may anticipate, his first spouse was not amused. The 2 girls lived beneath the identical roof, with Zigu because the youthful, extra favored companion. Naturally, the spouse, seething with jealousy, determined to take away the competitors—completely.
One fateful day, the spouse accused Zigu of misconduct, disobedience, or witchcraft, relying on the model of the story. The punishment? She was brutally murdered—however not in a grand corridor or a hidden chamber. No, the primary spouse selected the latrine as the positioning of her demise, a ultimate act of humiliation meant to degrade Zigu even in demise. Her physique was both drowned, strangled, or left to rot there, guaranteeing her stressed soul would eternally be certain to the filthiest nook of the family. Some variations say that she died of anger.
And certain she was.
From Tragedy to Worship: The Rise of the Latrine Goddess
However right here’s the place the story takes a flip. In contrast to most vengeful spirits, Zigu didn’t keep confined to whispered ghost tales—she grew to become a deity. Rest room gods have been worshipped because the Six Dynasty Interval, from early third century AD to late sixth century AD in China. The bathroom gods had been very talked-about in the course of the Tang and Music dynasty however have right this moment virtually disappeared.
She was not the one rest room goddess, however she was actually the preferred one. Over time, individuals started to worship her as a bathroom goddess, searching for her blessings for cleanliness, good well being, and even fortune-telling.
Sure, you learn that proper—individuals used to summon Zigu for divination. This was usually finished by Fu Ji, usually known as the Chinese language Ouija Board.
On the fifteenth day of the primary lunar month, girls, particularly servants and concubines, would carry out rituals to contact her spirit, hoping she would reply their questions concerning the future. She was a relatable goddess for commoners, and ladies beneath the patriarchal society. Some believed she had the facility to foretell misfortune or reveal hidden secrets and techniques.
These rituals usually concerned lighting incense in the bathroom, providing meals, and chanting her title. They might make selfmade dolls for her and pray to the doll. The motions of the doll had been usually manifested as automated writing and used advert fortune telling.
So far as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), girls had been placing faces and skirts on collectible figurines and cleansing the outhouse to welcome right here in Beijing. Her rituals died slowly, largely within the 1930’s within the large cities, then within the 50 and 60s within the extra rural areas.
In Search of the Girl of the Privy’s True Story
Some imagine that the true identification of Zigu was Consort Qi of the Han dynasty (221-206BC). She was born in Dingtao, Shandong and gave Emperor Gaozu a son, Liu Ruyi, who would turn out to be Prince of Zhao. The emperor tried many occasions to switch Liu Ruyi with the crown prince, Liu Ying unsuccessfully. This made the empress Lü Zhi, her mom, livid.
Qi was stated to be lovely, an incredible songwriter and weiqi participant, a recreation she performed with the emperor within the bamboo forest on the north facet of the palace yearly. She would win every time and want for success for the Han dynasty.
After the emperor died, Empress Lü Zhi grew to become the dowager and her son took the throne, she had Qi arrested and imprisoned her, dressing her in jail garb, shaving her head and restraining her in shares.
She ended up killing each her son and Qi, chopping her limbs off, gouging her eyes, chopping off her tongue, nostril, ears and forcing her to drink a poison making her mute and dumb. Then she locked her up in a pigsty and known as her a human swine (人彘).
It’s price noting that many of the details about her comes from not so traditionally correct sources. The story of Empress Empress Lü Zhi, has usually been used as an allegory for the supposed hazard when girls get energy, and subsequently Girl Qi may very well be nothing greater than part of that story. The earliest data of Zigu nonetheless is within the fifth quantity of Yiyuan, A Backyard of Marvels (《异苑》), a guide of supernatural tales” by Liu Jingshu or Liu Music of the Southern dynasties (420–479).
Some say that her title was He Mingmei from Laiyang, Shandong.This was stated to occur throughout Empress Wu Setian rule. The governor of Shouyang, Li Jing killed He Mei’s husband and checked out her as his concubine. This made her jealous of his chief spouse. On the night time of the fifteenth day of the primary lunar month in the course of the lantern Pageant, Li Jing’s professional spouse killed her in the bathroom.
As a result of He Mei died with resentment in her coronary heart, she grew to become a ghost. Li Jing usually heard her crying when he went to the bathroom. The Heavenly Court docket discovered about this and established her because the god of bathrooms, elevating her from a mere ghost to a goddess.
Who is aware of what the origin was. Some say that she was not just one individual, however a collective of all concubines that had suffered and been maltreated.
Why Bogs? The Ghost within the Rest room Trope Throughout Asia
Zigu isn’t the one supernatural resident lurking across the bathroom—Asian folklore is virtually overflowing with toilet ghosts. There’s one thing about enclosed areas, mirrors, and the vulnerability of, nicely, doing your enterprise, that makes bogs the proper setting for eerie encounters.
Different Well-known Rest room Ghosts in Asia:
Japan’s Hanako-san (花子さん) – A bit of woman ghost who haunts faculty bogs. Knock on the third stall and name her title—if she solutions, you may remorse it.
South Korea’s Cheuksin (厠神, “Toilet Goddess”) – A spirit with lengthy hair who lives in the bathroom and hates it once you have a look at her. She’s identified to assault individuals who disturb her.
Japan’s Aka Manto (赤マント) – a malevolent spirit lurking at school toilet asking when you want pink or blue paper. Both decisions will go away you useless.
Zigu’s Legacy: The Haunting Echoes of the Previous
Zigu’s story is greater than only a spooky legend—it displays the historic oppression of ladies, significantly concubines and servants, who had been usually handled as disposable. Her transformation from a murdered lady to a revered deity highlights a shift in how individuals perceived her struggling. By worshiping her, girls acknowledged the injustices she endured and sought her non secular steerage in a world that not often gave them energy.
Even right this moment, remnants of Zigu’s legacy stay in Chinese language tradition. Whereas her direct worship has pale, older generations nonetheless inform her story, and echoes of her presence linger within the ghost tales handed down by households.
And who is aware of? Possibly, late at night time, when the wind rattles by an outdated home and the pipes groan unexpectedly, Zigu remains to be watching from the shadows of the restroom, ready for somebody to recollect her title.
And when you hear a whisper within the stillness, nicely…
You won’t be as alone as you suppose.
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References:
Consort Qi (Han dynasty) – Wikipedia
