Archive for November 12th, 2008

Sun Wu-Kung

Sun Wu-Kung is the given name of the Monkey King. Sun, his family name, is based on the Chinese word for monkey. He is also known as the Handsome Monkey King, Xing Zhe (Traveling Monk), and Pi Ma-Wen, though the latter he considers quite an insult, and its use enrages him. Sun Wu-Kung is the one of the major characters in the classic tale “Journey to the West”, about the Tang Monk Tripitaka and his journey to the Western Heaven to gain holy scriptures from Buddha and bring them back to China. Read the rest of this entry »

Sun Hou-zi

The divine ape in Chinese mythology who was born from an egg which was impregnated by the wind. Being very skilled in the use of magic, he can even trick the gods. Thus he managed to obtain the peach of immortality. He is also known as Sun Wu-kong.

Ssu Ling

The Ssu Ling are the four spiritual creatures of Chinese myth. These creatures are the Ch’i-lin, the Feng-huang, the tortoise Gui Xian, and the dragon Long. The Ch’i-lin has a deer’s body, an ox’s tail, horses hooves, and a single horn. The Ch’i-lin appeared only before the birth or death of a great man. The Feng-huang, or phoenix, was a bird with radiant feathers. It had an enchanting song. The Feng-huang appeared when good fortune was propitious. The tortoise was a symbol of a long life and righteousness. When it was a thousand years old it was able to speak the human language. They were used to foretell the future. The dragon, also bringer of god fortune, was the symbol of the power of the emperor. Dragons ruled the water: seas, rivers, and the rain-clouds.

Each one of the four spiritual creatures of the Chinese myth stands for one of the symbols on the compass. The Ch’i-lin was the western point of the compass. The Feng-huang was the southern point of the compass. The tortoise, along with the snake, ruled the north, and the dragon symbolized the east.

Song-zi niang-niang

In Chinese myth, the “Lady Who Bestows Children”. She is sometimes found in the company of Zhang Xian.

Song Di

The king of the Third Hell of Chinese myth. Here people are punished who were guilty of unfilial behavior, disobedience, disloyalty, and rebellion. He is honored on the eighth day of the Second Moon.