Can mahogany stop ghosts?

At present, there are two theories about peach trees to ward off evil spirits.

One view originated from Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica, in which it was recorded that "peach tastes pungent and disgusting, so it is disgusting". The smell of peach wood is very special, which can exorcise evil spirits. Ghosts and monsters don't like this smell, and they flee when they smell peach wood. Therefore, people made peach wooden swords and peach wooden ornaments to wear to exorcise evil spirits.

The second statement comes from an old myth and legend. According to legend, many monsters came to the world to make trouble in ancient times, causing panic and complaints among the people. In order to quell the public anger, the Jade Emperor sent two immortals (I forgot the specific name, so I called them the two immortals) to descend to the earth to kill demons and catch ghosts. The weapons of these two immortals are peach swords. When Erxian came down to kill monsters, all kinds of monsters were afraid to see him, especially the peach wooden sword in his hand. Later, in order to let the people live and work in peace and contentment, Erxian made many exquisite small peach wooden swords for the people, giving them the spirit of immortality and making the monsters afraid to approach. Since then, the world has been peaceful, and peach wooden swords and peach wooden ornaments have been circulated among the people.

Peach trees ward off evil spirits, expressing the ancient people's yearning for peace and happiness. At that time, people were sick or met with natural and man-made disasters, and there was no hospital and other places to save themselves, relying entirely on their own destiny. Therefore, people regard immortals and sacred objects as their safe sustenance. They hope to worship immortals and wear ornaments to ward off evil spirits, which can resolve disasters and ensure their health and safety.

In modern times, although people's health can be guaranteed by drugs, the imperfection of social welfare and people's fear of death still make people believe that these things can ward off evil spirits or give them an important spiritual sustenance for their uneasy life.