LIU-HAIAlso known as LIU-HAR, LIU-YUAN-YING, HAI-CHAN, LI-HAI
A [DAO]ist God of Wealth and Prosperity.
LIU-HAI was a civil servant and alchemist in 10th Century China, but somehow became involved with a huge three-legged toad. It was his best friend, his magical pet, and would carry him anywhere he wished.Sometimes the toad would hide in a well and have to be coaxed out with a shiny gold coin. This must have had some deep mystical significance, as LIU-HAI is now revered as a God of Prosperity. Images and carvings of him are everywhere, standing on his toad and juggling gold coins with a beaming grin.
A small statue of him (and his toad) in your house will bring the cash flooding in — and if you stick his image on your wallet you may well become a millionaire. (At least, that's what the New Age stores claim, and they've certainly made a packet out of him.)
As well as doing conjuring tricks with coins, he is also the protector of needlemakers. This really needled us for a while, until we realized that traditional Chinese coins have holes in the middle — and thin string can be invisible from a distance. So we are neatly back to tricks with strings of coins.
That's LIU-HAI neatly sewn up then. Apart from the toad.
Authors: Peter J Allen and Chas Saunders
References: Coming soon.
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Godchecker's article on Liu-hai is based on material from ancient texts, original references and our own research. We strive for accuracy and update regularly with new information. If you spot a mistake please contact us and we'll try to fix it.
Location : China
Gender : Male
Type : Deity
Celebration or Feast Day : Unknown at present
Pronunciation : Lee-yoo Huy
Alternative names : LIU-HAR, LIU-YUAN-YING, HAI-CHAN, LI-HAI
Popularity index : 914
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