The Nianhua Gallery

Stove Gods

Some accounts claim the Stove God to be the spirit of the mythical Emperor Yan, creator of fire. Others say that he is the patriarch Zhang Gong, who is supposed to have maintained peace and harmony in his household despite its being inhabited by nine generations of the same family and one hundred dogs - who were known to wait patiently if any of their number was late for a meal. Yet another legend tells the story of a lecherous man who cast off his virtuous wife favour of a prostitute and was led to ruin before returning home. So taken was he with remorse that on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month he took his own life by leaping into the stove where. Heaven took pity on him and allowed him to become the Stove God.

Interesting as these legends are, however, it has to be recognized that the identity of the Stove God varied widely from place to place and time to time. But while the flexibility of the Stove God's identity means that there was no orthodox interpretation of who or what the Stove God was, Stove God prints were nonetheless successful in promoting orthopraxy - the shared practice of ritual. Virtually all of China observed the fundamental ritual of removing the Stove God print from its place above the stove and burning it on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month. It was presumed that this act would send the deity on his journey to Heaven where he would report on the activities of the family. The picture would be replaced with a fresh image a week later when the Stove God was thought to return from Heaven to bestow his blessings on the family for the remainder of the year.