A Joss is an English term used to refer to a Chinese

deity A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...

or idol. It generally describes a Chinese religious statue, object (such as

joss paper Joss paper, also known as incense papers, are papercrafts or sheets of paper made into burnt offerings common in Chinese ancestral worship (such as the veneration of the deceased family members and relatives on holidays and special occasions). Wo ...

), or idol in many Chinese folk religions.

Etymology

The English designation "joss" first appeared in the 18th century as a reference to a Chinese idol. The term is usually explained as a borrowing from Portuguese ''deus'' or ''deos'', meaning "god". The main objection to this connection with Portuguese ''deus''/''deos'' is that it does not address the linguistic routes that would have allegedly led to the appearance of "joss", with its Chinese religious connotation. Most likely, the English form does describe an actual Chinese divinity, viz. the Di Zhu Shen 'Landlord Deity' ( 地主神), being the tutelary deity of the land (and heaven) and its inhabitants. Known under various epithets and names, this paternal god, who confers luck and wealth to his loyal worshippers, occupies a central position in the folk beliefs of many (overseas) Chinese communities. A similar form is also attested in Dutch as "joos" or "josie", which is a taboo form for the devil (often "corrected" to the less offensive sounding, personal name ''Joost''). This was already noticed by Samuel Hull Wilcocke who translated the travelogues of the Dutch captain and explorer John Splinter Stavorinus.

Uses

Josses serve multiple functions in traditional Chinese religious customs, varying by the specific tradition. Although the word directly translates to "god", the term "joss" is used to describe a physical statue that is believed to be the dwelling place of a specific deity. Josses are often decorated with golden plaques, which are given by the worshippers as a sign of reverence and respect. Josses are used as a symbolic representation of a particularly important god or goddess. They are often used as a means of

divination Divination (from Latin ''divinare'', 'to foresee, to foretell, to predict, to prophesy') is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Used in various forms throughout histor ...

. Depending upon the tradition, josses will be found in family homes, be communally shared, and appear in temples across China and Taiwan.

Taiwanese tradition

Josses belong to specific villages and are considered to be owned by the village temple. Most josses are passed throughout the homes of the village, where they reside for a time. The temple altars host at least one joss, which represents the village's main god. Josses will be placed at the center of an altar in the worshipper's home, where they make offerings to them, and are used to communicate to the deity.

Southern Chinese tradition

Statues of deities, such as

Guanyin Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...

(the goddess of mercy) and Guangong (the god of justice), are placed on altars in every new business and restaurant. Josses play an important role in ritual ceremonies. The spiritualization ceremony for new temples involves inviting the spirits into statues made of clay, and in doing so, creates a joss. If the invitation ceremony is successful, the spirit lives inside the statue indefinitely. Significantly more women than men visit the temples and make offerings to the josses. Different deities in the temples have their own special abilities and characteristics. Many worshippers will have josses of a particular deities that can bring about good health or good fortune at home or at work.

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