This work, originally published in 1988 in French as La Dame-du-bord-de-l'eau, retains the structure of its French original but has incorporated new research since 1988. The book is a fascinating study of the cult of Lady Linshui, or Chen Jinggu, a female shaman whose life story can be traced to the eighth century. As a leading deity of the triad cult of the Three Ladies of Mount Lü sect (Lüshan pai or Sannai pai), which integrated elements of therapeutic and exorcist traditions of several Daoist sects and esoteric Buddhism, Chen Jinggu protects women and children and influences female communities of spirit mediums. Her cult received state canonization during the Song and enjoys popularity in Fujian and Taiwan in the present day. With Chen Jinggu, Baptandier addresses the central questions of what it means “to be a woman” and how we should understand the original prominence of the...

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