|
1. Photo of the old and
original form of German Girl temple in Ubin. Now the temple
structure is renovated and looks different
2. The old original setting inside the temple; the banners used
were more elaborated than today's.
The four big Chinese words "Na Du Gu Nang" mean "An Important Lady
Goddess"
3. The popular deities became side idols of worship here as the
temple is dedicated to a deceased German Girl
4. This is the Rock-of-Destiny on which German Girl hit her head
and killed.
Incense was offered to the rock which the local believe that is
holy and is the dwelling of the German Girl spirit
1 - 3. This beautiful
porcelain urn is a replica of the original urn in which German
Girl's remain was stored.
It is a centerpiece of worship on the main altar of the temple
representing the 'presence' of the German Girl spirit
Around the urn, many feminine offerings were given, such as
parfume, mirror, flowers, combs, lipsticks, cosmetic make-up
powders, etc.
These offerings are interesting products of local culture. The
people believe the spirit is a young girl hence she would like
these offerings
4. On the right of the altar, there is a 'local' type of statue
known as Na Du, similar to earth deity in Chinese religion.
Na Du is a hybrid of Chinese earth deity and Malay holy person.
Once can tell that the idol is dressed in Malay costume
¡@
How Did a German Girl Become a
Local Deity?
Behind a secluded timber temple located at the northern coast of
Pulau Ubin, there is a tragic urban legend unknown even to many
Singaporeans. Strangely, inside the temple, you will find two
physical objects as the centerpiece of worship. One is a beautiful
porcelain urn placed on top of the altar, the other is merely a
piece of rock of a football size on the floor under the altar.
These two artifacts closely associate with a deceased white German
girl who was mystified as a local deity in almost ninety years
ago.
In August 1914, at the outbreak of WW1, British troops at night
came to raid and prosecute a German merchant who owned a coffee
plantation business and lived in Pulau Ubin. A young German girl
who is the daughter of the merchant became frightened and ran
away. Because it was dark at night, the girl fell down a cliff and
was killed when her head hit on a piece of rock.
The body of the innocent girl, however, was discovered by the
local laborers on the next days, covered by termites. Out of
kindness, they did more than just giving her a proper burial; a
Kramat (a worship shrine) was built for her on the hilltop. Years later, due to the
development of quarry excavation on the hill, her remain was
exhumed and transferred to another temple at the northern coast. What
belonged to her, the remains that were put in a porcelain pot and
this 'rock of destiny' were moved too. The villagers continued to
visit the new temple to pray.
Through the passage of time, the shrine has grown into a popular
place of spirit worship for the villagers because of the allegedly
efficacious supernatural power of the German girl. Many
worshippers especially the gamblers had their wishes granted. One day, the popularity
attracted a wicked thief who stole her bones together with the
porcelain urn away.
Nowadays, a replacement but empty urn and the rock of destiny can
be found in the temple as the icons of worship. A team of
filmmakers, who recently encountered a number of ghostly
experiences at the temple, including possession, sickness and
apparition sightings, approached SPI for help. So does the German
girl spirit still linger around? Since the bones were no longer
there, the next closest relic that relates to the German girl
spirit would be the rock of destiny that physically took her life
away. SPI investigates.
This is the Rock-of-Destiny
being worshipped under the main altar in the temple.
It is an epitome of animism in which people believe the rock is
special and the spirit may dwell inside, therefore it needs to be
worshipped
1. This is a very early photo in the original old temple. Notice
the wall behind the rock is deteriorating
2. This photo is taken just after the temple had been refurbished
in 2004. A oil lamp and tea cups were added too
3. During the filming of the German Girl investigation, a yellow
cloth that represents holiness was suggested to place on top of
the rock
4. This is the most recent photo. Notice that parfume bottles were
added, and the wall behind got ritualistic decoration too
So is the rock holy by itself, or made to be (or dressed up to be)
holy by people with wishful beliefs?
A Caucasian face was
discovered on the wall of the old German girl temple.
It could be seen from different angles and various distance away.
Who is that figurine??
Just a few meters away from the front of temple lies a piles of
granites. They share similar texture and patterns of that of the
rock housed inside the temple. The informant of SPI said that
those rocks were moved from the quarry site where the German girl
fell to death. The rocks were places for memorial purposes. Among
those rocks, the one that the German girl hit her head on and
killed was selected and used for worshipped in the temple. From a
skeptic's view, how did the temple builder know which rock was the
one that took away the German girl's life? Was the rock sorted out
long time ago or conveniently picked because of its small size? Is
the rock-of-destiny, currently in the temple, really a true piece
of forensic article or just a hoax?
1. Years ago, the original
Loyang temple could have looked something like this
¡@
|
Answering
Mysteries
Come
