PREFACE 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS 11
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 13
Ⅰ．INTRODUCTION 15
The Singapore Background 16
Chinese Social Organisation in Singapore 18
The Significance of Spirit-Medium Cults 21
Ⅱ．THE POSITION OF SPIRIT MEDIUMSHIP IN CHINESE RELIGION 24
THE BACKGROUND OF TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS 24
The Traditional Systems of Thought 24
Folk Religion and Occultism 26
Shenism and the Idea of the Soul 27
CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONS IN SINGAPORE 29
Christianity and other Religious Influences 29
Legends and the Theatre 31
The Calendar and Festivals 33
Household Religion and Ancestor Worship 35
Fortune Telling and Divination 36
THE OIRGANISATION OF TEMPLE WORSHIP 40
Types of Temple Worship 40
Promoters 41
Professional Specialists 43
The Position of the Spirit Mediums 44
Ⅲ．THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF SPIRIT MEDIUMSHIP 46
THEORY AND EQUIPMENT 46
Medium 46
The Meaning of Dang-ki 47
Assistants and Worshippers 48
Spirit-Medium Temples 49
Temple Equipment 51
Processional Equipment 53
Charm Papers 56
Miscellaneous Equipment 58
THE DANG-KI＇S ROLE 59
Training Cermonies 60
The Stages of Development 61
Trance Phenomena 62
CULT ORGANISATION 65
Enumeration and Classification of Cults 66
Ritual Office Holders 67
Promotion of Spirit-Medium Cults 67
The Worshippers 71
Cult Affiliations and Rivalries 72
THE SHEN OF SPIRIT MEDIUMSHIP 73
The Legend of the ＇Great Saint＇ 74
The＂Third Prince＇，Kuan Yin and Kuan Ti 76
Other Shen 77
Ⅳ．THE CULT OF THE ＇GREAT SAINT＇ 80
The Sunday Morning Ceremony 84
Week-Day Performances 93
Exorcism in a Private House 94
The ＇Great Saint＇s＇ Birthday 96
The Second ＇Great Saint＇s＇ Birthday 101
＇General Chao＇s＇ Birthday 106
Ⅴ．COMPARISON OF SPIRIT-MEDIUM CULTS 110
A Buddhist Cult 110
A Sino-Malay Cult 113
Other Tendencies and Comparisons 116
Urban Cults 119
Rural Cults 120
Suburban Cults 123
The Life Cycle of Spirit-Medium Cults 126
Ⅵ．SPECIALISED BRANCHES OF SHENISM 134
The Raising of Souls 134
Automatic Writing 140
Basket Rapping and Plate Turning 145
Ⅶ．SPIRIT-MEDIUM FESTIVALS 147
Processions 149
Knife Beds 150
Sword Ladders 151
Sword Bridges 152
Fire Walking 153
Other Displays 156
Ⅷ．CONCLUSIONS 159
Factual Aspects of Spirit Mediumship 159
Chinese Religious Faith 162
Historical and Economic Factors 164
Sociological Factors 166
The Decline of Spirit Mediumship 167
APPENDICES 170
Ⅰ．EXAMPLES OF INVOCATIONS 170
Ⅱ．STATEMENTS OF A SHEN WRITTEN BY A POSSESSED DANG-KI 172
GLOSSARY 174
BIBLIOGRAPHY 178