The name of the Five Ghost Kings(Five Plague Messengers) may not be too familiar, but their subordinates in the procession world are influential figures who guarantee the success of the processions, known as the 'Eight Generals.'
Many people only know that the Eight Generals are attendants of deities but are unaware of which deity they belong to. The answer is that they belong to the Five Ghost Kings.
So, who are the Five Ghost Kings? The Five Ghost Kings consist of five deities, namely Xian Ling Gong, Ying Ling Gong, Xuan Ling Gong, Yang Ling Gong, and Zhen Ling Gong. They are collectively referred to as the Five Lucky Deities or Five Ling Officials.
According to legend, during the mid-Qing Dynasty, the spirit statues of the Five Ghost Kings were established by a magistrate within a general's office, Bai Long An, in Taiwan. They were invited from Bai Long An in Fuzhou, Fujian, and were called the Ying Ling Gong. Disciples of Bai Long An in the whole of Taiwan honors them as Ling Gongs, with divisions like Zhang Bu, Zhong Bu, Liu Bu, Shi Bu, Zhao Bu, etc. Each division is represented by a different color: black, white, green, yellow, and red. These five divisions are carved in gold and enshrined in the main hall.
It is believed that the Five Ghost Kings take turns each year to preside over both the mortal world and the spiritual world, with their divine powers renowned for healing numerous ailments. As a result, their reputation has spread across Fujian and Taiwan. According to the historical records of Bai Long An in Taiwan, the history of the Five Ghost Kings dates back to the Yuan Dynasty.
During the reign of Emperor Taizong, five young scholars who had all failed the imperial examinations happened to meet on their way back to their hometown. Through their conversations, they found a common interest and became close friends. In the evening, they sought shelter in a local temple. In the middle of the night, they heard that a plague god was planning to release a plague in the village's well, endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. In the early morning, they quickly stopped the villagers from taking water from the well. However, the villagers considered the five scholars to be acting irrationally, blaming their obsession with books for their strange behavior.
Later, the scholars decided to sacrifice themselves and jumped into the well to prove that it had indeed been poisoned. After the five scholars died in the poisoned well, they appeared in a dream to the villagers, informing them that because of their self-sacrifice, the Jade Emperor had bestowed upon them the title of 'Five Plague Kings.' They were tasked with governing plagues and overseeing all plague gods and their activities, rewarding good deeds and punishing evil. To repay the scholars for their kindness, the villagers built a temple to worship them.
Although the Eight Generals are subordinates of the Five Ghost Kings, after a long period of cultural interaction with the local community, the Eight Generals have become an essential part of many deities' processions when they go on tour."