Spiritualistic Séances by Pu Songling
Women in Shantung and the capital consult mediums who conduct séances with food offerings, drumming and ritual movements. The account reports disappearing refreshments and a skeptic’s trousers, then describes Manchu séances involving a costumed medium whose spear snatches a peeping observer’s hat while women and girls hop on one leg.
By Pu Songling · Genre: Ethnography, Occult/Paranormal · 1,144 words
First lines
It is customary in Shantung, when any one is sick, for the womenfolk to engage an old sorceress or medium, who strums on a tambourine and performs certain mysterious antics. This custom obtains even more in the capital, where young ladies of the best families frequently organize such _séances_ among themselves. On a table in the hall they spread out a profusion of wine and meat, and burn huge candles which make the place as light as day. Then the sorceress, shortening her skirts, stands on one leg and performs the _shang-yang_,[1] while two of the others support her, one on each side. All this time she is chattering unintelligible sentences,[2] something between a song and a prayer, the words being confused but uttered in a sort of tune; while the hall resounds with the thunder of drums, enough to stun a person, with which her vaticinations are mixed up and lost. By-and-by her head begins to droop, and her eyes to look aslant; and but for her two supporters she would inevitably fall to the ground. Suddenly she stretches forth her neck and bounds several feet into the air, upon which the other women regard her in terror, saying, "The spirits have come to eat; " and immediately all the candles are blown out and everything is in total darkness. Thus they remain for about a quarter of an hour, afraid to speak a word, which in any case would not be heard through the din, until at length the sorceress calls out the personal name of the head of the family[3] and some others; whereupon they immediately relight the candles and hurry up to ask if the reply of the spirits is favourable or otherwise. They then see that every scrap of the food and every drop of the wine has disappeared. Meanwhile, they watch the old woman's expression, whereby they can tell if the spirits are well disposed; and each one asks her some question, to which she as promptly replies. Should there be any unbelievers among the party, the spirits are at once aware of their presence; and the old sorceress, pointing her finger at such a one, cries out, "Disrespectful mocker! where are your trousers? " upon which the mocker alluded to looks down, and lo! her trousers are gone -- gone to the top of a tree in the court-yard, where they will subsequently be found.[4]
Genres
- Ethnography — The account describes séance customs in Shantung and the capital, distinguishing Manchu practices and explaining ritual gestures and naming conventions.
- Occult/Paranormal — Mediums purportedly summon spirits, deliver their answers and identify skeptics through extraordinary incidents involving missing clothing.
Tags
spiritualism · séances · mediums · ritual offerings · Manchu customs
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Spiritualistic Séances is listed on Textopian as an essay by Pu Songling, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Essay
- Author: Pu Songling
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Ethnography, Occult/Paranormal
- Length: 1,144 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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