Calling of Souls
招魂
In the imagination of ancient humans, diseases were thought to arise from unknown forces, causing the soul to separate from the body, leading to ailments such as fever and the common cold. Within the context of Chinese folk traditions, the ritual of "soul-calling" is believed to harness the power of words to influence the qi that floats in space. Usually, a child's mother performs this ritual at sunset, holding an egg in her hand and repeatedly calling out, day after day, until the egg stands upright. That signifies the qi has recondensed, and the soul will return from afar.