Chapter 97: The Frog God by the Lake
“Mirror Goddess, please explain.”
“Have you ever heard of the Frog God by the lake?”
“I have heard something about it.” Song You thought for a moment. “He seems to be an illegitimate god in the mountains. The local people believe that the frogs by the lake will be reborn in the spring and bring many blessings, so they worship the Frog God and pray for good fortune.”
“Have you ever investigated this, Daoist Master?”
“Last time I passed by the lake, I saw many temples dedicated to the Frog God. I went in to have a look and even stayed there for a night. However, I’m not concerned with whether or not a god is legitimate or illegitimate. Seeing that he was not causing trouble, I did not intervene.” Song You paused. “But that was last year.”
“I am quite familiar with this Frog God, so let me explain its background,” the Mirror Goddess said with a smile.
“I’d like to hear more.”
The Mirror Goddess continued, “Originally, there was no Frog God here. As you said, the locals revered the frogs by the lake, believing that their revival in spring brought fertility and prosperity. They worshiped the Frog God to pray for good fortune. At that time, the Frog God’s temples were empty; there was no real god.
“Later, a mountain demon, who resembled the image of the Frog God that the people worshiped, took over the temple. Naively, this demon claimed the temple and its incense offerings for himself. Occasionally, when his true form was revealed, people thought it was the manifestation of the Frog God. More people began to worship him, leading to temples spreading all around the lake.”