Tu'er Ye on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Tu'er Ye (), also known as the Rabbit God, is a
Lord Rabbit Worshipping Returns to Yuetan Park
Jade Rabbit, Lord Rabbit
Chinese deities
Tu'er Ye (), also known as the Rabbit God, is a 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 ...
of Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled ...
unique to Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, where his sculptures are traditionally crafted. He is related with moon worship, as he is considered the moon rabbit
The Moon rabbit or Moon hare is a mythical figure in East Asian and indigenous American folklore, based on pareidolia interpretations that identify the dark markings on the near side of the Moon as a rabbit or hare. In East Asia, the rabbit is ...
of the goddess Chang'e
Chang'e ( ; , alternatively rendered as Chang-Er or Ch‘ang-o), originally known as Heng'e, is the Chinese goddess of the Moon. She is the subject of several legends in Chinese mythology, most of which incorporate several of the following elem ...
. A frequent misnomer is "Tuye Er" (兔爺兒, "Rabbit God (as a) Youth"). Based on the correct Beijing dialect, it should be "Tu'er Ye" (兔兒爺).
In his traditional iconography
Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...
, he rides a tiger, a dragon or a horse, but he is represented standing alone as well. The cult of the Rabbit God started in Beijing in 1906, later in the 20th century disappeared, and was resumed only in the late 2000s. He has a female counterpart, Tu'er Nainai ({{zh, c=兔兒奶奶, p=Tù'ernǎinai, l=Lady Leveret). However the two could be one and the same deity since in some legends, Tu'er Ye changed his appearance depending on what human clothing was donated to him by the people he helped. So Tu'er Nainai could simply be a cross-dressing Tu'er Ye. He is not to be confused with Tu'er Shen
Tu'er Shen (, The Leveret Spirit) or Tu Shen (, The Rabbit God), is a Chinese deity who manages love and sex between men. His name literally means "rabbit deity". His adherents refer to him as Ta Yeh (, The Master).
In a folk tale from 17th cent ...
, a different cult of perhaps the same deity.
See also
*Lunar deity
A lunar deity or moon deity is a deity who represents the Moon, or an aspect of it. These deities can have a variety of functions and traditions depending upon the culture, but they are often related. Lunar deities and Moon worship can be found ...
* Chang'e
Chang'e ( ; , alternatively rendered as Chang-Er or Ch‘ang-o), originally known as Heng'e, is the Chinese goddess of the Moon. She is the subject of several legends in Chinese mythology, most of which incorporate several of the following elem ...
* Tuershen
Tu'er Shen (, The Leveret Spirit) or Tu Shen (, The Rabbit God), is a Chinese deity who manages love and sex between men. His name literally means " rabbit deity". His adherents refer to him as Ta Yeh (, The Master).
In a folk tale from 17th cen ...
External links
Lord Rabbit Worshipping Returns to Yuetan Park
Jade Rabbit, Lord Rabbit
Chinese deities