When one of King Zhou’s concubines, the daughter of Lord Jiu, protested, King Zhou had her executed. He allowed the guests to play a cat and mouse game nude in the forest to amuse Daji. He gathered 3000 guests at one party to indulge in his “pond of wine” and “forest of meat”. He also ordered artists to compose lewd music and choreograph bawdy dances to satisfy her musical taste. Daji liked animals so he built her a zoological Xanadu with several rare species of birds and animals. He used any means necessary to ingratiate himself with her and to please her. “King Zhou became extremely infatuated with Daji and started to neglect state affairs in order to keep her company. In the early chapters, she was killed by a thousand-year-old vixen spirit who possessed her body before becoming a concubine of King Zhou. Daji was the favorite consort of King Zhou of Shang – the last king of the Shang dynasty in ancient China – and the daughter of Su Hu. They are also present in Korean traditions ( Kumiho) and Japanese ( Kitsune). One of the most wicked fox spirits was Daji portrayed in the Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi). They were generally female spirits and often depicted as young and beautiful girls. If they received sufficient energy, they became immortal and magical creatures, thanks to the Moon or Sun essence. In Chinese mythology, it was believed these beings were capable to acquire human form. In Chinese tradition, there are legends of miracle births, where a newborn is able to speak because the soul of the baby didn’t drink the Five Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness.įox spirits were generally female spirits and often depicted as young and beautiful girls.įox spirits can be compared to European fairies. Once purified, the spirits are reborn and the cycle begins again. Its ingestion leads to immediate and permanent amnesia. The drink is made to drink the souls before leaving hell. To this end, she collects herbs that grow around ponds and streams to prepare her Five Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness. The Old Lady awaits the dead souls at the entrance of the ninth round (Fengdu). It is her task to make sure that the souls who are ready for reincarnation do not remember their previous lives or their stay in hell. The Old Lady Meng carries out its tasks in Diyu, or the Chinese hell, in the 10th court. Related: Chinese Black Ma gic, Amazing Paintings of Demons and Mythological Creatures of the Chinese Folklore, Hungry Ghost Festival images, Traditional Paintings of Chinese Dragons and other legendary creatures Meng Po, the Lady of Forgetfulness
This circle of torture, death, rebirth, takes place forever or until the soul makes amends for sins and finally is able to reincarnate. Once dead, the soul returns to its original state and starts again the torture. Similar to Dante’s hell, dead souls are suffering the burdens of their sins. The Diyu is generally depicted as an underground labyrinth divided into 18 circles where the soul of sinners receives the right punishment of retaliation. In the two traditions, it has been widened and reinterpreted countless times. It’s essentially based on the Indian Naraka with elements derived from Chinese life after death folklore traditions. Related article: Demons, Monsters, and Ghosts of the Italian Folkloreĭiyu, the Chinese Hell Diyu, the Chinese hellĭiyu or Naraka in Sanskrit. Let’s see below some main demons of Chinese mythology. Many of these demons and ghosts influenced Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore folklore. The five- thousand-year Chinese culture, over the centuries, has produced hundreds of legends about monsters, ghosts, demons, and spirits.
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