Primate-Based Chinese Martial Arts - Part II by Ghostexorcist, literature
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Primate-Based Chinese Martial Arts - Part II
(see Part I for the first half of the article)
V. Animal mimicry in Chinese medicine and religion
I suggested above that primate-based styles may have arisen during the Ming. But how the styles developed is likely tied to the long history of animal mimicry in China. For example, around the year 60 BCE (during the Han), the courtier Tan Changqing (檀長卿) is said to have been reprimanded for violating ritual norms by performing the dance of the "dog and macaque combat" (wu wei mu hou yu gou dou, 舞為沐猴與狗鬭) while at a drunken party (Harper, 2001, p. 18). This dance may have some
Primate-Based Chinese Martial Arts - Part I by Ghostexorcist, literature
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Primate-Based Chinese Martial Arts - Part I
(see Part II for the rest of the article)
Look up the terms "monkey" or "ape" in the dictionary and you'll find that they serve as verbs meaning to mimic the movements or actions of another. This is because monkeys and apes have a propensity for observation and mimicry. Being primates ourselves, humans are no different. But interestingly this mimicry sometimes mirrors our primate cousins. Chinese martial arts, for example, has developed several primate-based fighting arts, including White Ape Connected Arms boxing (Baiyuan tongbei quan, 白猿通背拳) and several flavors of Monkey boxing (Houquan, 猴拳)
The Magic White Ape and Sun Wukong by Ghostexorcist, literature
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The Magic White Ape and Sun Wukong
The brief Tang-era tale “A Supplement to Jiang Zong’s Biography of a White Ape” (Bu Jiang Zong Baiyuan Zhuan, 補江總白猿傳, c. late 7th-century) tells how the beautiful young wife of General Ouyang He (歐陽紇, 538–570) is kidnapped by a seemingly invisible force while he is engaged in conquering minority groups of the south lands. The general and his men scour the surrounding area for hundreds of miles before discovering a mountain where she and other women are being kept by a magic white ape (baiyuan, 白猿) (fig. 1). The captives caution that his soldie
Sun Wukong and the Qiang Ethnic Group of China by Ghostexorcist, literature
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Sun Wukong and the Qiang Ethnic Group of China
The Qiang (Chinese: 羌; Qiangic: Rrmea) ethnic group have been mentioned in Chinese records as far back as the oracle bones of the Shang Dynasty (17th to 11th-century BCE). Originally inhabiting the northern reaches of China, these sheepherders and warriors were driven southwest over many centuries of conflict with neighboring ethnic groups, as well as the Chinese. Many Chinese dynasties attempted to assimilate them, but the Qiang have resisted up to the present. Today, they live in western Sichuan near the Tibetan border and are listed among the 56 recognized ethnic groups of China (Yu, 2004, pp. 155-156; Wang, 2002, pp. 133-136).
What
Story Idea - The Ape Immortals (Sun Wukong origin) by Ghostexorcist, literature
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Story Idea - The Ape Immortals (Sun Wukong origin)
The following story sketch was originally posted on my external blog on the Historum website. The site recently switched to a new server but the blogs have yet to be migrated. I’m posting it here for posterity. Regular articles will resume after this entry.
As a lover of Chinese mythology and a former primatology major, I've always wanted to create my own primate-based character similar to Sun Wukong. I originally wanted him to be the son of Monkey or the son of one of his advisers or allies during his days as a demon. Either way, I thought he could train under Sun and gain similar powers. But then I decided that I wanted him to be a mo
The Monkey Kings Cosmic Body by Ghostexorcist, literature
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The Monkey Kings Cosmic Body
Sun Wukong is known for his limitless shape-changing powers, capable of taking the form of anything from gods, monsters, and humans to animals, insects, and even inanimate objects like buildings. But his most powerful transformation, that of a cosmic giant, is displayed only three times in the novel. It is used mostly in defense against other powerful characters, namely the god Erlang and the Bull Demon King. In this paper I will introduce the ancient astral-geographical term used to describe this phenomenon, associate the transformation with a divine giant from Chinese mythology, and explore possible ties to Hindu mythology.
I. Episodes from
Sun Wukong's Strength Bestowing Ritual by Ghostexorcist, literature
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Sun Wukong's Strength Bestowing Ritual
In chapter 88, the pilgrims arrive in the lower Indian prefecture of Jade Flower District (Yuhua xian, 玉華縣), which strikes Tripitaka as a spitting image of the Tang Chinese capital of Chang'an. There, the disciples' monstrous appearance rouses the local ruler's three sons to action, respectively wielding two staves and a battle rake against what they think are demons come to harm their father. However, they soon learn Monkey, Pigsy, and Sandy are celestial warriors possessing magical versions of their mere earthly arms. The three princes are later accepted as disciples, the oldest wanting to learn Monkey's techniques and
Is the Monkey King a God? No and Yes. by Ghostexorcist, literature
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Is the Monkey King a God? No and Yes.
This is my answer to the following Quora question: In Chinese mythology, is the Monkey King a god?
No and Yes. No in the sense that Monkey does not maintain an official position within the heavenly hierarchy throughout Journey to the West. He twice forsakes menial or made up positions, the first being the stable boy of the heavenly horses and the second being the guardian of the immortal peach grove. No one worships him in said capacities within the novel.
Yes for two reason. First, the novel actually presents him as more of a protector spirit akin to the wrathful guardians of Esoteric Buddhism, who are themselves worshiped. By protecting a