The Three Mao Lords in modem Jiangnan. Cult and Pilgrimage between Daoism and baojuan recitation

Maoshan southeast of Nanjing, is home to the Three Mao brothers Local deities as early as the Han dynasty, they were promoted high up in Heavenly bureaucracy by the Shangqing tradition (fourth century). Yet, when Shangqing Daoism dissolved during the early second millennium, the cult thrived as never before ; it is the object of a massive pilgrimage in the modern period. Therefore, we argue that a new form of the cult formed in and around Maoshan by the Qing period, and that three types of religious specialists have participated in shaping it : Daoists, spirit-mediums and performers of popular narratives, baojuan. Drawing on published sources as well as on manuscripts and fieldwork material, the article argues that while the Daoists have continued to try to shape the cult from Maoshan during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, by far the largest textual production on the cult was that of baojuan. Our survey shows that several versions of the Sanmao baojuan incorporate the Daoist vision of these deities while adding lay and local concerns, thus forming a tradition of vernacular scriptures. One can further compare this situation with other popular cults in Jiangnan. We conclude that understanding the development of modern Jiangnan religious culture requires an analysis of interaction between Daoists, mediums and baojuan performers, who co-operate in ritual activities.