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To: alt.lucky.w,alt.satanism.sex,alt.magick,alt.magick.tyagi From: catherine yronwodeSubject: Chinese language question on amuletic jewellry Date: Mon, 05 Aug 2002 09:43:03 GMT I was at a large trade show for importers today and bought a big pile of beautifully hand-carved skull-bead bracelets from Shanghai. The sellers, Chinese, did not speak a lot of English. I asked if the bracelets had any meaning or amuletic use for religion, luck, or magic. They said "no." I asked if they were Taoist, Confucian, Buddhist, etc., and they said "no" to all options. China has a large folk-industry of bone-carving, of course, and these bracelets may well be made in commercial imitation of the popular Nepalese and Tibetan Buddhist bone bead malas, but they are actually far, far nicer. There are 16 large beads per bracelet. Fifteen are strung head-to-neck and the 16th is strung by placing both ends of the cord through the one bead head-to-neck and typing a double overhand knot under the neck, in exactly the same manner as the "medicine gourd" bead that terminates the currently faddishly popular so-called "power bracelets" made of wooden or stone spherical beads. Folkloric provenence aside, i also asked the men what these bracelets were called in Chinese and one of them wrote it down on a business card -- two Chinese charters (i can scan if necessary) and the transliteration "Gu Lian." They did not actually translate the words Gu Lian into English (they may not have been able to) -- and i did not notice that they had not done so until i had gotten home. So, i recall the previous usenet discussion of "Gu" / five verminous animal poison, and i am wondering what "Gu Lian" means. I realize there are many words in Chinese that look alike when spelled out but are enunciated differently, so i am reaching here, perhaps -- but is Gu another word for sorcery, magic, occult power, dreadfullness (schrechlichkeit) ... or ... does Gu Lian simply mean "bone bracelet"? Any help would be much appreciated. I will gladly send a bone skull-bead bracelet to the person who supplies an translation of the Chinese words and offers any help toward understanding what role, if any, these bracelets have in Chinese folklore or culture. cat yronwode Lucky W Amulet Archive --------- http://www.luckymojo.com/luckyw.html
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