Asian Hell Notes
These next notes are types of Asian Hell Notes. Though predominately associated with China, they are found in various Asian countries where ancestor worship is common. There is an endless variation of types of Hell money, and they are burned in religious activities to send money to the dearly departed. Some are Heaven notes, some are Hell notes, but Hell is not thought of in the Western connotation, but simply as a borrowed catch all phrase for the afterlife. In addition to notes, paper creations of TV, Cars, Boats, Houses, etc. are also offered. Hell notes are crudely printed on Joss Paper, which is similar to newsprint, but typically made from bamboo paper or rice paper. Most versions of Hell Money depict the Jade Emperor, who is the supreme ruler of all the heavens, underworld, Earth and Universe and presides over the Imperial Court.
Perhaps you can't take it with you, but you just might be able to send it along!
Here are a just a few examples from my collection. The first one depicts Two images of the Jade Emperor.
The following version is a knockoff of the U.S. 100 Dollar Bill with some obvious differences, including the Vietnamese text on the reverse, the denomination increased to $1000 and a Bar Code on the reverse. Copies of other countries money are commonly used as a base for Hell Money designs.
A common simple style
Here is a larger note with the Jade Emperor and the Eight Immortals. These mythological characters represent the Male and Female, the Young and Old, the Rich and Poor, the Noble and Humble. Their talismans are the Hidden Eight Immortals which aid them in their adventures to help those in need and encourage good behavior.
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