Brian L. Kennedy Posted February 2, 2008 Over the summer here in Taiwan there was an animated movie made which was about the Daoist Goddess Matzu 媽祖. Matzu is extremely popular here in Taiwan and in Fukien Province where many Taiwanese families originally came from. In a basic sense she is the patroness of seafarers. As Taiwan was in the past intimately connected with the ocean, worship of Matzu became widespread. Nowadays she is probably the most popular Daoist deity in Taiwan. So, she was at the premier of her movie a few months back and that is where this picture was taken. I want to mention a couple of things about this picture. First of all, offering her the Coke Cola and the theater snacks (it maybe hard to see but she also has a package of the most popular movie snack food in front of her) is not meant as a gag or to make a funny photo. The people who brought her to the movie premier and who made those offerings to her were very serious, very sincere and really accept the idea that Matsu is a living presence who like any person enjoys Coke Cola! It is not a posed joke photo. And actually the handlers of these Matsu statutes are very, very careful of protecting her dignity and they would never let her be used as a prop for a funny photo. She is treated like living royalty. And that kind of brings me around to one of the reasons I posted this picture and that is to show that Daoism, at least in Taiwan, is always growing, modernizing and staying current. People in the 21st century like Coke, so---Matzu living in the 21st century likes Coke too. Daoism is not frozen in the Han dynasty. That fact is often overlooked by people who study Daoism in a non-Chinese environment. Oh, I should close by saying I did not take this photograph. It is out of the newspaper. The premier of the Matsu movie was a red carpet A-list affair. And people like myself who are not on the A-list of Taiwan society were not invited! Take care, Brian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
minkus Posted February 2, 2008 Thanx very intresting picture Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buddy Posted February 2, 2008 Hey Brian, Thanks for the explanation and it makes sense. Actually I like the idea that if your going to do deity worship, bring up to date. I have to admit it made me smile when I first saw it, though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian L. Kennedy Posted February 3, 2008 Yeah, it amused me too. And I think the China Post (one of the english papers in Taiwan) did run it for kind of its "weirdness" effect. In addition to showing how diety worship has been modernized it also points out something else about Taiwanese Daoism, which is the damn gangster involvement with it. The guy who carried this Matsu into the movie opening and who did the voice over for one of the characters is a major mover in Taiwanese organized crime. Oh, and the sleaze ball is also a legislator. In other words he is a well rounded Taiwanese success story: Matsu Temple Committee + Fucking Gangster + Legislator = Taiwanese success story. Such is life. take care, Brian p.s a lot of my research for my book on Taiwanese Daoism can be done quite conveniently over at the Criminal Courthouse where I am everyday. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oolong Rabbit Posted February 3, 2008 Oh, and the sleaze ball is also a legislator. In other words he is a well rounded Taiwanese success story: Matsu Temple Committee + Fucking Gangster + Legislator = Taiwanese success story. Such is life. take care, Brian p.s a lot of my research for my book on Taiwanese Daoism can be done quite conveniently over at the Criminal Courthouse where I am everyday. Many of the legislators in the west are no better. It's just that the organized crime has become more organized. P.S. It's a well known fact that Matzu is a Pepsi drinker anyhow. She will grant him no favor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
三江源 Posted February 3, 2008 Is she tee total, or does she just like sweet drinks? Many altars to masculine figures of reverence in ancestor worshipping cultures ( their version of Immortals) would be giving bottles of whisky/rum. and tobacco, of course. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian L. Kennedy Posted February 4, 2008 I had never realized that before, but Cat is right, I never see liquor offered to female deities. Now I won't say never, but normally the female deities get tea or fruit juice (or coke!) while the male gods (in particular Kuan Gong) get expensive "high proof" hard liquor (there is a type of liquor here in Taiwan called Kaoliang and it is higher proof than Bacardi 151 Rum! and it is Kuan Gong's favorite). I presume that that is a reflection on the traditional Chinese idea that alcohol is not proper for women. That traditional idea is still quite alive and well in Taiwan by the way. But yeah, no booze for Matsu. take care, Brian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
