Sunday, August 23, 2009
祝 玉封聖佛壇 东狱大二爷伯，五殿大二爷伯，七殿大二爷伯 和 十殿大二爷伯 千秋快乐
玉封聖佛壇
The Story of 大二爷伯
If you have read about the story of 大二爷伯 before, you probably have heard of different versions of their story depicting how the two deities died. Not that their stories are inconsistent but because there are actually more than a pair of 大二爷伯 in the netherworld. Now, why is this so? Is it not that there is just one pair? Apparently not. According to our 大爷伯, they are known as 黑白无常 in the netherworld and not 大二爷伯. The names 大爷伯 and 二爷伯 are created by secular folks to describe them as the Big Brother and Second Brother. These names are commonly used by the Chinese Teochews whereas the Chinese Hokkiens frequently address them as 大二哥爷. In the netherworld, the pair of deities is in fact known as 黑白无常. And, this is an appointment like Sergeants in the army. Hence, after reading our story on 大二爷伯, you will realize that some other 大二爷 may not share the same name as ours in the story. This is because 谢必安 and 范无救 are just one of the many pairs of 黑白无常 in the netherworld.
Centuries ago, in a Southern province of China, there were two sworn brothers by the name of 谢必安 and 范无救. Both were loyal *magistrate constables who worked as protectors of the Yamen.
*Magistrate Constables were constables protecting the Yamen just like present day policemen stationed in the Subordinate or High Courts.
At about the same period, opium was introduced into China. Chinese was tricked into believing that opium was 长寿糕, a tonic that could strengthen both body and mind. Hence, many people including 谢必安 and 范无救 were taken in by these lies and became hooked onto them. Soon, price of the opium rocketed. The situation became uncontrollable. Hence, the Chinese government decided to clam down on the drug dealers.
One day, one of the drug lords approached 谢必安 and 范无救 to bribe them into letting them deal with illegal activities in the province while they get free opium. The two constables, who were known for their righteousness, refused the offer. This infuriated the drug lord tremendously and made him turn on 谢必安. He reported to the Yamen that he was taking bribes from people. The Yamen immediately launched investigations on 谢必安 for the allegations against him. To prove his own innocence, 谢必安 decided to hang himself just outside the Yamen as his vouch to the Yamen that he remained loyal and innocent even to the end.
Early next morning, 范无救 was reporting to work when he found the body of 谢必安 hanging at the door of the Yamen. He was devastated by his death and angered by the accusations brought upon his beloved brother. After burying him, he decided to join his sworn brother in death by drowning himself in the sea. As in the Chinese saying, 虽不在同年同月同日生，但愿在同年同月同日死. It is literally translated as “though we were not born in the same year, same month and same day, but vouch to die in the same year, same month and same day”. This was a common undertaking by sworn brothers or sisters in those days. This loyalty and brotherly love displayed by 谢必安 and 范无救 touched the hearts of the deities in the netherworld. Hence, they were conferred as deities and are known as 黑白无常 to this day.
If you have read about the story of 大二爷伯 before, you probably have heard of different versions of their story depicting how the two deities died. Not that their stories are inconsistent but because there are actually more than a pair of 大二爷伯 in the netherworld. Now, why is this so? Is it not that there is just one pair? Apparently not. According to our 大爷伯, they are known as 黑白无常 in the netherworld and not 大二爷伯. The names 大爷伯 and 二爷伯 are created by secular folks to describe them as the Big Brother and Second Brother. These names are commonly used by the Chinese Teochews whereas the Chinese Hokkiens frequently address them as 大二哥爷. In the netherworld, the pair of deities is in fact known as 黑白无常. And, this is an appointment like Sergeants in the army. Hence, after reading our story on 大二爷伯, you will realize that some other 大二爷 may not share the same name as ours in the story. This is because 谢必安 and 范无救 are just one of the many pairs of 黑白无常 in the netherworld.
Centuries ago, in a Southern province of China, there were two sworn brothers by the name of 谢必安 and 范无救. Both were loyal *magistrate constables who worked as protectors of the Yamen.
*Magistrate Constables were constables protecting the Yamen just like present day policemen stationed in the Subordinate or High Courts.
At about the same period, opium was introduced into China. Chinese was tricked into believing that opium was 长寿糕, a tonic that could strengthen both body and mind. Hence, many people including 谢必安 and 范无救 were taken in by these lies and became hooked onto them. Soon, price of the opium rocketed. The situation became uncontrollable. Hence, the Chinese government decided to clam down on the drug dealers.
One day, one of the drug lords approached 谢必安 and 范无救 to bribe them into letting them deal with illegal activities in the province while they get free opium. The two constables, who were known for their righteousness, refused the offer. This infuriated the drug lord tremendously and made him turn on 谢必安. He reported to the Yamen that he was taking bribes from people. The Yamen immediately launched investigations on 谢必安 for the allegations against him. To prove his own innocence, 谢必安 decided to hang himself just outside the Yamen as his vouch to the Yamen that he remained loyal and innocent even to the end.
Early next morning, 范无救 was reporting to work when he found the body of 谢必安 hanging at the door of the Yamen. He was devastated by his death and angered by the accusations brought upon his beloved brother. After burying him, he decided to join his sworn brother in death by drowning himself in the sea. As in the Chinese saying, 虽不在同年同月同日生，但愿在同年同月同日死. It is literally translated as “though we were not born in the same year, same month and same day, but vouch to die in the same year, same month and same day”. This was a common undertaking by sworn brothers or sisters in those days. This loyalty and brotherly love displayed by 谢必安 and 范无救 touched the hearts of the deities in the netherworld. Hence, they were conferred as deities and are known as 黑白无常 to this day.
玉封聖佛壇