ABSTRACT
The wild goose is said to be peculiarly the bird of the Yang(m~ ) or principle of light and masculinity in nature. It always flies in pairs, and hence is used as an emblem of the married state. In the ritual of the Chou dynasty it was enumerated among the betrothal presents, the bird being dyed red for the occasion. There is a Chinese belief that the bird never mates a second time, and a libation is poured out to the geese on the occasion of the bridegroom fetching his bride from her father's house.
