The Ritual to Expel Evil Spirits－臺灣文化「譯」起讀

In Changhua County (central Taiwan), there is a special custom. The purpose of the custom is to expel evil spirits. Many people do not understand the unique funeral custom, so the custom is worth an introduction.

【The ritual to expel evil spirits 】
(Taken from Google Graphics.)

According to legend, if a person committed suicide, he needs to find a victim to substitute him. Otherwise, the suicide person cannot enter the reincarnation. Since people commit suicide with a rope, the rope is a symbol of the dead person’s resentment. Thus, the rope should be sent away and is burned as a way of salvation. This ritual aims to expel evil spirits from the village, and allows the dead person to enter the reincarnation earlier. The dead person’s body is like a rice dumpling, so this ritual is a symbol of sending the dead body away. This is the origin of this special ritual.

Before the ritual, the temple owner will announce the route and time of the ritual. Families need to close all doors and windows. If it is not necessary, people should not go out. People sticked amulet on the doors and windows to scare away evil spirits. The ritual is often held late at 23:00 PM, on the day of the funeral . When the ritual is held, there are roadblocks. People cannot enter the area. Thus, people can perform the ritual successfully.

【The sign to tell people not to go out】
(Taken from Google Graphics.)

In Changhua (central Taiwan), local people feel that the ritual helps the suicide person leave the suicide place as soon as possible. Thus, the dead person would not hurt other people. The dead person can get to the heaven, not the hell. This ritual asks people to be merciful and helpful.