Some families in the north don't hit snakes when they see them, saying they are "house immortals"

In rural northern China, there is a custom: if a snake is found in the courtyard or on the roof beams of a house, people generally won't kill it. Instead, they invite someone to "send" it away, or burn some incense and leave some food, letting it leave on its own.

This is because in some places in Northeast and North China, snakes are called "Liu Immortals" or "Chang Immortals," and are considered one of the Five Great Immortals, grouped together with the Fox, Weasel, Hedgehog, and Rat (Hu, Huang, Bai, Hui). Some families even set up a spirit tablet for it, placing it in the corner of the main room, and offering food during holidays and festivals. Some families specifically invite "Chu Ma" immortals to come and see, asking whether this snake is the family's "protector immortal."

According to legend, the snake in the house guards the home, watches over the grain, and helps catch mice. If someone kills it, misfortune will befall the family: minor cases involve livestock falling ill, severe cases involve people falling ill. Some elders say that whoever kills a snake will have bad luck for the rest of their life.

There are also rules for sending a snake away. Place some eggs, a bowl of water or milk beside the snake, light incense, and murmur a few words asking it to leave. Then hide to the side and do not stare at it; wait for the snake to leave on its own.

Some say snakes aren't killed because they eat mice and are genuinely beneficial to farming families. But over time, this reason was wrapped up in the name of a god. The older generation never studied ecology; based on experience, they knew that courtyards with snakes had safe grain, and gradually, this experience became a rule.

Nowadays, there are fewer such families in the countryside. When young people encounter a snake, they mostly call someone to come catch it. But if you truly encounter a venomous snake, don't handle it yourself—find a professional to deal with it.

After the snake is sent away, in some elders' homes, the corner where it was once offered to is still kept.

#Folklore #网络转载 #北方民俗