The Haunting Fetus: Abortion, Sexuality, and the Spirit World in Taiwan

by Marc L. Moskowitz

The Haunting Fetus focuses on the belief in modern Taiwan that an aborted fetus can return to haunt its family. Although the topic has been researched in Japan and commented on in the Taiwanese press, it has not been studied systematically in relation to Taiwan in either English or Chinese. This fascinating study looks at a range of topics pertaining to the belief in haunting fetuses, including abortion, sexuality, the changing nature of familial power structures, the economy, and traditional and modern views of the spirit world in Taiwan and in traditional Chinese thought. It addresses the mental, moral, and psychological aspects of abortion within the context of modernization processes and how these ramify through historical epistemologies and folk traditions.



The author illustrates how images of fetus-ghosts are often used to manipulate women, either through fear or guilt, into paying exorbitant sums of money for appeasement. He argues at the same time, however, that although appeasement can be expensive, it provides important psychological comfort to women who have had abortions as well as a much-needed means to project personal and familial feelings of transgression onto a safely displaced object. In addition to bringing to the surface underlying tensions within a family, appeasing fetus-ghosts, like other dealings with supernatural beings in Chinese religions, allows for atonement through economic avenues. The paradox in which fetus-ghost appeasement simultaneously exploits and assists evinces the true complexity of the issue--and of religious and gender studies as a whole.

Genres: Academic

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Stacia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read on a rabbit trail after reading Whisper, a Taiwanese horror book by Yu-Ko Chang, trans. from the Chinese by Roddy Flagg.

Probably a little dated but interesting information.

[Marsha Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I was walking through the stacks at my university library and I saw a book with the title "HAUNTING FETUS" and I said, "Whatever this book is about, I have to read it."

It turns out it's an interesting ethnographic study of the modern phenomenon of people paying Daoist and Buddhist clergy to get rid of ghosts that seem to be bothering them in Taiwan. Since abortion has been safe and legal since 1985, the cost of childcare and living has skyrocketed, and there's tremendous pressure from society and the government to have only one child and make sure it's a boy, a lot of women have abortions, and then when they have some later issue and go to a monk/priest, he assumes they've had an abortion or someone close to them has had an abortion and the ghost of the fetus is bothering them and they can pay the temple to pray for it to go away. This practice seems to have been imported from Japanese culture in the 1970's.

The book reads a bit like a dissertation, but it's still an interesting topic I knew nothing about.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-balanced, interesting, and thorough study of fetus ghost appeasement in Taiwan. He doesn't fall into the trap of simplifying the issue and only presenting it as a way for temples to make money, though he acknowledges there are profiteers. He also discusses how the rituals help women who regret their abortions find closure. It explains the reasons behind the rituals, how the rituals are conducted, how Taiwan media presents the issue, and what Taiwanese people think about fetus ghosts. He also presents abortion in Taiwan as a social issue, writing about how it affects society. I thought the book was balanced and thorough.

[Amirali Makan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very scary but very informative!

[Shelley Ouderkirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it 3 stars because I liked it, not because I think that other people will like it.

It was amazing to me to learn about the cultural norms surrounding some of those things we usually don't discuss in public. It was surprising, but not uncomfortably shocking.

[Margo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at this topic from a different cultural perspective - thought provoking.