The Fantastic Folklore of China
Prompt #1: April’s 13 Days of Dark Lore
With 5,000 years of continuous history and 56 indigenous peoples, Chinese folklore is jam-packed with tales of heroes, villains, gods, spirits, and a mind-boggling array of fantastic creatures. Below are just a few examples to give you a flavor of traditional Chinese mythology, with some links to resources for further study.
Sun Wukong, the Monkey King
One of the most popular and enduring Chinese fictional characters, Sun Wukong is the star of the 16th century novel Journey to the West. Much like modern superheroes, he possesses superhuman strength and incomparable fighting abilities. Sun Wukong can also use magic to command the elements and transform himself, though he’s often given away by his inability to morph his tail. Mischievous and unwieldy, the Monkey King travels to Heaven and Hell alike, outwitting gods and demons alike and pummeling their forces when they try to control him. In modern times, he’s a staple of Chinese television, movies, and video games.
DiYu and Meng Po, the Lady of Forgetfulness
Chinese Hell (Diyu) is an interesting place. Similar to Dante’s conceptions of the afterlife, Diyu contains multiple Courts through which the dead must pass, faced with their sins and doing atonement. Here, “atonement” means torture, specially tailored to the sinner based on the gravity and nature of their sins. Unlike in Western versions of Hell, in Diyu one can die and be reborn, only to undergo your torture again. Yeesh.
However, at the end waits Meng Po. She prepares the newly scoured souls for reincarnation by administering the Five Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness (if that’s not your cup of tea, some translations call it a soup). It wipes away all memory of both your previous life and the subsequent time in Diyu. But this is a double-edged sword, for you maintain your Karma. In effect, you’re still responsible for both the good and bad deeds of your past lives, with no memory of having done either, so one can only hope that you get things right the next go round.
Pixiu
Many Chinese myths and superstitions pertain to luck, usually in the form of financial success. Enter the Pixiu. These mythical creatures have the body of a lion, the head of a dragon, and a voracious appetite for precious metals and jewels. Thanks to an odd lack of a rectum (ahem!), they horde their collected wealth within their ever expanding bellies. They also protect their masters from demons and other evil spirits. These dual roles make them particular favorites among practitioners of Feng Shui.
Mogwai
Though known in Western pop culture from the Gremlins movie franchise, Mogwai (more properly written as Mogui) are quite different from their furry silver screen namesakes. Early depictions of Mogui speak of them as demons who seek to cause harm to humans. They would reproduce during the rainy seasons, most likely giving rise to the “don’t get them wet” rule from the movies. In more modern times, Mogui are the restless spirits of the deceased who seek vengeance on those who wronged them in life. These angry ghouls can be mollified by burning fake paper money in their honor. The act of burning transfers the money to the spirit realm, where the Mogui can use it to enhance their lives, thus buying atonement.
There is so, SO much more to explore, and hopefully these few examples will encourage you to do some digging and get the creative juices flowing. Good luck and happy writing!
Feeling inspired? Check out our Folklore themed challenge for the month of April, and our General Submission guidelines:
