return to Home Page
or move on to Goddess Xochiquetzal, next chronologically,
or use Her Cyclopedia Index

Sheng-Mu, Holy-Mother.
$]Ñ-MW
Alternate meaning: The-Saintly-Mother.
[to Whom the thirteenth day of June, day 164, is dedicated]


Geography/Culture: China: Taoist.
Description: Goddess of birth; She Who is present at every child-birth with Her six attendants for every stage of labour; Protectress of mothers; Bringer of health, intelligence and good fortune to the new born; Matron of prostitutes.
Two of Her assistants are 'The-Lady-Whose-Function-it-is-to-Bring-Children', and 'The-lady-of-Good-Sight', Who preserves children from eye maladies.
To Whom Sacred: three birds; jade.
Iconography: She is usually represented sitting, wearing a headdress of three birds with outstretched wings.
Male Associates: consort, Mao-Ying, or 'The-Son-of-the-Western-Sea'. Source: NLEM 387.
Sung-Tzu-Niang-Niang, The-Lady-Who-Brings-Children.
SUÑ-TSW-NE@Ñ
Alternate meaning: The-Matron-Who-Brings-Children.
Geography/Culture: Chinese.
Pi-Hsia-Yuan-Chun, Princess-of-Blue-and-Purple-Streaked-Clouds.
PI-$Y1-YU*N-CUN
Alternate meaning: The-First-Princess-of-Purple-and-Azure-Clouds.
Geography/Culture: Chinese. She Who presides at confinements and childbirths. Notes:
There are two principal Goddesses:
Pi-Hsia-Yuan-Chun of Fukien.
In Fukien She is more especially called Ch'en-Fu-Jen, Dame-Ch'en, and Chu-Sheng-Niang-Niang, The-Matron-of-Generation.
Ch'en-Fu-Jen, is said to have been Ching-Ku, was also called Lin-Shui-Fu-Jen, {Dame-Lin-Shui} (after the village where She lived). She was taught mysterious spirit controlling incantations by Her brother the magician Ch'en-Shou-Yuan (who was at the court of a ruler who died CE 935, and canonized Her as "the perfect Matron"), She went to live in "the middle of the seas" and nothing more is known of Her. Or She a Fukienese called Chin-Ku, born CE 767, credited with the performance of numerous prodigies. Or She is the Spirit Who appeared at and aided someone's confinement stating She was the Lady Ch'en of Ku-T'ien. She was recognized from Her image in the temple and subsequently worshipped and prayed to by women at the time of their child-bearing.

and
Pi-Hsia-Yuan-Chun of T'ai Shan, Mount T'ai.
In the north She is known as T'ai-Shan-Niang-Niang, The-Matron-of-T'ai-Shan and Yu-Nu, The-Jade-Maiden.
A legend is recorded of Her which makes reference to a time period of around 1200 BCE. Worship of the five sacred mountains dates from at least 2357 BCE and probably from as early as 2700 BCE.
When She travels She is usually escorted by winds and rain.

Male associates: She is the daughter of the God of T'ai Shan, a famous sacred mountain in the east of China, Shantung (possibly 26n x 116e). Her consort is a Spirit of the Western Ocean. Source: Werner DCM 373-374.
worked on: June 13, 1990; July 30, 1991
Return to the top of this document.