In China, the feminine Mahayana Buddhist bodhisattva 觀音 (guanyin; a Sinified Buddhist-derived mythical goddess) is the deity most frequently worshipped by fishe

In China, the feminine Mahayana Buddhist bodhisattva 觀音 (guanyin; a Sinified Buddhist-derived mythical goddess) is the deity most frequently worshipped by fisherpeople. Representations of her in China prior to the Song Dynasty (~1000AD) were masculine, from the male avalokitesvara of Sanskrit Mahayana Buddhist doctrine of India, specifically सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र (蓮華經; the Lotus Sutra), which is thought to date to around 100-200AD. It would be interesting anthropology to compare (particularly premodern) folk rituals from fishing villages and other frequent seagoing cultures.