The Secularization of Religious Figures: A Study of Mahoraga in the Song Dynasty (960–1279)
Mahoraga dolls, a type of figurine showing a child holding a lotus leaf, are sacrifice utensils that were commonly used in the Qixi Festival to pray for reproduction throughout the Song Dynasty in China. Scholars pay great attention to the Buddhistic origins of Mahoraga, relating it to different fig...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/2/177 |
| _version_ | 1797476820131512320 |
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| author | Chen Fan Yanghuan Long |
| author_facet | Chen Fan Yanghuan Long |
| author_sort | Chen Fan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mahoraga dolls, a type of figurine showing a child holding a lotus leaf, are sacrifice utensils that were commonly used in the Qixi Festival to pray for reproduction throughout the Song Dynasty in China. Scholars pay great attention to the Buddhistic origins of Mahoraga, relating it to different figures within Buddhism and discussing its religious artistic values. This paper focuses on the transformation of this cultural appropriation in Chinese society by discussing the localization of Mahoraga as well as the reasons behind the use of Mahoraga in worship in Qixi in particular. We believe that the population crisis and national population policies in the Song Dynasty stimulated Chinese people’s longing for procreation and this desire was responded to by the secularization and popularization of Buddhism in China, together with the increased prosperity of citizen culture, which ultimately promoted the popularity of Mahoraga in Song society. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:09:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5f012325d09f4a5680f7d1f43628b760 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:09:09Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-5f012325d09f4a5680f7d1f43628b7602023-11-23T21:52:20ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-02-0113217710.3390/rel13020177The Secularization of Religious Figures: A Study of Mahoraga in the Song Dynasty (960–1279)Chen Fan0Yanghuan Long1School of Humanities, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, ChinaSchool of Design, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, ChinaMahoraga dolls, a type of figurine showing a child holding a lotus leaf, are sacrifice utensils that were commonly used in the Qixi Festival to pray for reproduction throughout the Song Dynasty in China. Scholars pay great attention to the Buddhistic origins of Mahoraga, relating it to different figures within Buddhism and discussing its religious artistic values. This paper focuses on the transformation of this cultural appropriation in Chinese society by discussing the localization of Mahoraga as well as the reasons behind the use of Mahoraga in worship in Qixi in particular. We believe that the population crisis and national population policies in the Song Dynasty stimulated Chinese people’s longing for procreation and this desire was responded to by the secularization and popularization of Buddhism in China, together with the increased prosperity of citizen culture, which ultimately promoted the popularity of Mahoraga in Song society.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/2/177MahoragaQixi Festivalreproduction worshippingpopulation crisisforeign religion |
| spellingShingle | Chen Fan Yanghuan Long The Secularization of Religious Figures: A Study of Mahoraga in the Song Dynasty (960–1279) Religions Mahoraga Qixi Festival reproduction worshipping population crisis foreign religion |
| title | The Secularization of Religious Figures: A Study of Mahoraga in the Song Dynasty (960–1279) |
| title_full | The Secularization of Religious Figures: A Study of Mahoraga in the Song Dynasty (960–1279) |
| title_fullStr | The Secularization of Religious Figures: A Study of Mahoraga in the Song Dynasty (960–1279) |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Secularization of Religious Figures: A Study of Mahoraga in the Song Dynasty (960–1279) |
| title_short | The Secularization of Religious Figures: A Study of Mahoraga in the Song Dynasty (960–1279) |
| title_sort | secularization of religious figures a study of mahoraga in the song dynasty 960 1279 |
| topic | Mahoraga Qixi Festival reproduction worshipping population crisis foreign religion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/2/177 |
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