gs. His rank increases with the
passing of centuries. First he was worshiped as Prince Guan, later as
King Guan, and then as the great god who conquers the demons. The last
dynasty, finally, worships him as the great, divine Helper of the
Heavens. He is also called the God of War, and is a strong deliverer
in all need, when men are plagued by devils and foxes. Together with
Confucius, the Master of Peace, he is often worshiped as the Master of
War.

Note: The Chinese God of War is a historical personality
from the epoch of the three empires, which later joined
the Han dynasty, about 250 A.D. Liu Be founded the
"Little Han dynasty" in Setchuan, with the aid of Guan
Yu and Dschang Fe. Guan Yu or Guan Di, i.e., "God
Yuan," has become one of the most popular figures in
Chinese legend in the course of time, God of War and
deliverer in one and the same person. The talk of the
monk with the God Guan Di in the clouds is based on the
Buddhist law of Karma. Because Guan Di--even though his
motives might be good--had slain other men, he must
endure like treatment at their hands, even while he is a
god.

TALES OF SAINTS AND MAGICIANS

XXVII

THE HALOS OF THE SAINTS

The true gods all have halos around their heads. When the lesser gods
and demons see these halos, they hide and dare not move. The Master of
the Heavens on the Dragon-Tiger Mountain meets the gods at all times.
One day the God of War came down to the mountain while the mandarin of
the neighboring district was visiting the Master of the Heavens. The
latter advised the mandarin to withdraw and hide himself in an inner
chamber. Then he went out to receive the God of War. But the mandarin
peeped through a slit in the door, and he saw the red face and green
garment of the God of War as he stood there, terrible and
awe-inspiring. Suddenly a red halo flashed up above his head, whose
beams penetrated into the inner chamber so that the mandarin grew
blind in one eye. After a time the God of War went away again, and the
Master of the Heavens accompanied him. Suddenly Guan Di said, with
alarm: "Confucius is coming! The halo he wears illumines the whole
world. I cannot endure its radiance even a thousand miles away, so I
must hurry and get out of the way!" And with that he stepped into a
cloud and disappeared. The Master of the Heavens then told the
mandarin what had happened, and added: "Fortunately you did