Goddess
After her death, the families of many fishermen and sailors began to pray to Mazu in honour of her acts of courage in trying to save those at sea. Worship of her spread quickly. Much of her popularity in comparison to other sea deities resulted from her role as a compassionate motherly protector in contrast to authoritarian father figures like the Dragon Kings. However Mazu is unique as she is portrayed as both an authoritative deity and a compassionate being. She is usually depicted wearing a red robe, and sitting on a throne. As often happens to revered folk heroes in Chinese culture, she became an empress figure during the Yuan Dynasty.
Read more about this topic: Mazu (goddess)
Famous quotes containing the word goddess:
“Mother,
strange goddess face
above my milk home,
that delicate asylum,
I ate you up.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“The Minoan Snake Goddess is flanked by a Chardin still-life, somber
and tranquil, and by Mohammedan angels
brilliantly clothed and with multicolored wings....”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)
“The difference of the English and Irish character is nowhere more plainly discerned than in their respective kitchens. With the former, this apartment is probably the cleanest, and certainly the most orderly, in the house.... An Irish kitchen ... is usually a temple dedicated to the goddess of disorder; and, too often, joined with her, is the potent deity of dirt.”
—Anthony Trollope (1815–1882)