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Ghostbusting Goddess

Feathers in Hair

Feathers in Hair

World's Tallest Hobbit
From the excellent article over here...

Who is Mazu?

Mazu, the goddess of the sea, is one of the most loved of all goddesses in Chinese mythology. Also known as Ma-Tsu, A-ma, Tianhou, Motherly Matriarch, Kuan Yin of the Southern Sea, Daughter of the Dragon, and Empress of Heaven, it is said that if you call but one of her names she will appear to help you. If you call her as Empress of Heaven she will be delayed coming to your aid by having to dress in her finery!

She is thought to have been born as Lin Mo Naing. Her mother prayed to the goddess Kuan Yin to provide her with a daughter. Lin Naing was born with a flash of light. She did not cry in her first year and she was a very intelligent young girl with a photographic memory. She first learnt the art of healing then trained as a Buddhist, and later Taoist monk, while training in the martial arts. When she was older she gained her second sight standing in front of a statue of Kuan Yin who imbued her with the power to see in to the future. A second theory is that a sea serpent leapt out of the water as she was standing with a group of friends and presented them with a gold disc. The others ran off, but Lin Naing calmly accepted it and with it she gained her powers.


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It is the miracles she performed for seafarers for which she is best known. She would present herself in red before captains and sailors when she knew that the weather was taking a terrible turn for the worst and prevent them from sailing to their deaths. The most well-known miracle that she performed involved her brother and father. As she sat weaving at home she was suddenly transported out to sea where her family had been washed from their boat and were about to drown. She first lifted her brother back to safety, but as she was rescuing her father, her mother awoke Lin Naing from her trance and he fell back into the sea and drowned.

Two men were said to have fallen in love with Mazu, General Chien-li-yen (Eyes that See a Thousand Miles) and General Shun Feng Erh (Ears that Can Hear the Wind). She told them that she would fight both of them and whoever won she would marry. If they lost they would be at her service for evermore. She killed them both with her exceptional martial arts skills.
At the age of 28 she announced that it was her time to leave and walked to the top of a hill, where she became enwrapped in a cloud and mist that transported her up to heaven. Where she had stood, a rainbow appeared that is associated with the dragon in Chinese legend. Dragons bring good luck and also unite the sea and the air.

Over the last millennia her title has been raised in status no less than twenty times. She has 100 million devotees and there are over 1,500 temples devoted to her.
Click to expand...

I believe this is a picture of a statue of her.

Mazu.jpg
 
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