Mo (religion)

Mo or Moism (Chinese: 麽教; pinyin: Mó jiào)[1] is the religion of most Zhuang people, the largest ethnic minority of China.

While it has a supreme god, the creator Bu Luotuo (布洛陀),[2] numerous other deities are venerated as well.

[3] Mo developed from prehistoric beliefs of the Zhuang people;[3] it also has similarities to Chinese folk religion,[4] and has developed similar doctrines to Buddhism and Taoism, in the process of competition with the influence of these religions on Zhuang culture.

[3] In Mo, Bu Luotuo is considered the supreme god, creator and the founder of the religion.

In Mo, spirits are thought to be present in everything, and even inanimate things such as water are considered to have souls.

People are considered to have three souls after death: One goes to the sky, one to the cemetery and one comes back to the deceased's family.

[3] On February 29 of the peasants' almanac, the goddess's birthday, women pick flowers and pray to her for pregnancy.

[3] People who have died by violence are cremated to prevent the release of potential malevolent spirits.

Mediums, shamans or sorcerers are employed at funerals, to treat disease, and to ward off evil.

[3] Mo has female shamans, who attempt to treat sickness and communicate with ancestors while in trances.

[3] Such halls are also the site of ancestor worship ceremonies for important festivals, weddings, deaths and births.

Sanyuesan is a festival, which takes place on 3 March of the lunar calendar and is considered to be as important as Qingming.

[3] The Frog Festival takes place during the 1st lunar month, when people pray for rain and a good harvest.