Wikipedia

Hua Mulan

"Mulan" redirects here. For the Disney franchise, seeMulan (franchise).For other uses, seeMulan (disambiguation).
In thisChinese name,thefamily nameisHua.
Not to be confused withMilan.

Hua Mulan(Chinese:Hoa Mộc Lan) is a legendary Chinesefolk heroinefrom theNorthern and Southern dynastiesera (4th to 6th centuryCE) of Chinese history. Scholars generally consider Mulan to be a fictional character. Hua Mulan is depicted in theWu Shuang Pu(Vô song phổ,Table of Peerless Heroes) byJin Guliang.[citation needed]

Hua Mulan
Hoa Mộc Lan
Mulan as depicted in the albumGathering Gems of Beauty(Họa lệ châu tụy tú) (Qing dynasty;ca 18th century).
First appearance
  • Ballad of Mulan
  • ca 6th century
In-universe information
GenderFemale
OccupationCavalry soldier
OriginNorthern Wei
Hua Mulan
Traditional ChineseHoa Mộc Lan
Simplified ChineseHoa Mộc Lan
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHuā Mùlán
Wade–GilesHua1Mu4-lan2
IPA[xwá mû.lǎn]
Gan
RomanizationFa1Muk6-lan4
Hakka
RomanizationFa Muklan
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationFāa Muhk-làahn
JyutpingFaa1Muk6-laan4
IPA[fa˥ mʊk̚˨lan˩]
Southern Min
HokkienPOJHoe Bo̍k-lân
Middle Chinese
Middle ChineseHwæ Muk-lan
Old Chinese
Baxter–Sagart (2014)*qʷʰˤraC.mˤok-k.rˤan

Overview

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According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as a man. In the story, after prolonged and distinguished military service againstnomadic hordesbeyond the northern frontier, Mulan is honored by the emperor but declines a position of high office. She retires to her hometown, where she is reunited with her family and, much to the astonishment of her comrades, reveals herself as a woman.

First mentions

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The first written record of Mulan is theBallad of Mulan,[note 1]afolk songbelieved to have been composed during theNorthern Wei dynasty(386–535 CE) and included in an anthology of books and songs during theSouthern Chen dynasty(557–589 CE). While this anthology is itself lost, significant excerpts, including the Ballad of Mulan, survive in the Song dynasty anthologyYuefu Shiji [zh;ko;ja](Chinese:Nhạc phủ thi tập).[note 2]

The historical setting of theBallad of Mulanis usually the Northern Wei's military campaigns against the nomadicRouran.A later adaptation has Mulan active around the founding of theTang dynasty(c. 620 CE).[1]

The story of Mulan was taken up in a number of later works, including the 17th-century work of historical fictionRomance of Sui and Tang[zh],[note 3]and many screen and stage adaptations.

Sources

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Painting of Hua Mulan, 18th century, housed in the British Museum.

TheBallad of Mulanwas first transcribed in theMusical Records of Old and New,[note 4]a compilation of books and songs by the monk Zhi gian g in theSouthern Chendynasty in the 6th century. The earliest extant text of the poem comes from an 11th- or 12th-century anthology known as theMusic BureauCollection,[note 5]whose author,Guo Maoqian,explicitly mentions theMusical Records of Old and Newas his source for the poem. As aballad,the lines do not necessarily have equal numbers of syllables. The poem consists of 31coupletsand is mostly composed of five-character phrases, with a few extending to seven or nine.[citation needed]

An adaptation by playwrightXu Wei(d. 1593) dramatized the tale as "The Female Mulan"[note 6]or, more fully, "The Heroine Mulan Goes to War in Her Father's Place",[note 7]in two acts.[2][3]Later, the character of Mulan was incorporated into theRomance of Sui and Tang,a novel written by Chu Renhuo (Chử người hoạch).[4][5]

Over time, the story of Mulan rose in popularity as a folk tale among the Chinese people.[citation needed]

Name

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The heroine of the poem is given different family names in different versions of her story. TheMusical Records of Old and Newstates Mulan's given name is not known and therefore implies Mulan is her surname.[6]As theBallad of Mulanis set in the Northern Wei dynasty when northern China was ruled by ethnicXianbei,aproto-Mongolicpeople, there is some evidence that Mulan was not ethnicHan Chinesebut Xianbei, who had exclusivelycompound surnames.[6]Mulan may have been thesinifiedversion of the Xianbei word "umran" which means prosperous.[6]

According to later books such asFemale Mulan,her family name isZhu(Chu), while theRomance of Sui and Tangsays it isWei(Ngụy). The family nameHua(Hoa;Huā;'flower'), which was introduced byXu Wei,[2]has become the most popular in recent years, in part because of its more poetic meaning and association with the given name "Mulan" (Mộc lan), which literally means "magnolia".[citation needed]

Historicity

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Mulan's name is included inYan Xiyuan'sOne Hundred Beauties,which describes a number of women from Chinese folklore. It is still unclear whether Mulan was a historical person or just a legend, as her name does not appear inExemplary Women,a collection of biographies of women who lived duringNorthern Wei dynasty.[7]

AlthoughThe Ballad of Mulanitself does not expressly indicate thehistorical setting,the story is commonly attributed to the Northern Wei dynasty due to geographic and cultural references in the ballad.[6]The Northern Wei dynasty was founded by theTuobaclan of ethnicXianbeiwho united northern China in the 4th century CE (Conquest dynasty). The Tuoba Xianbei rulers were themselves nomads from thenorthern steppesand becamesinifiedas they ruled and settled in northern China.[6]The Tuoba Xianbei took on the Chinese dynasty name "Wei",changed their own surname from "Tuoba" to "Yuan",and moved the capital from Pingcheng, modern-dayDatong,Shanxi in the northern periphery ofImperial China,toLuoyang,south of theYellow River,in theCentral Plain,the traditional heartland of China.[6]The emperors of the Northern Wei were known both by the sacred Chinese title, "Son of Heaven",and by"Khagan",the title of the leader of nomadic kingdoms.The Ballad of Mulanrefers to the sovereign by both titles. The Northern Wei also adopted the governing institutions of Imperial China, and the office ofshangshulang(Thượng thư lang) the Khagan offered Mulan is a ministerial position within theshangshusheng(Thượng thư tỉnh), the highest organ of executive power under the emperor.[8]This offering indicates Mulan was trained in the martial arts and literary arts as she was capable of serving as a civilian official charged with issuing and interpreting written government orders.[citation needed]

The Xianbei in China also retained certain nomadic traditions, and Xianbei women were typically skilled horseback riders.[6]Another popular Northern Wei folk poem called "Li Bo's Younger Sister" praises Yong Rong, Li Bo's younger sister, for her riding and archery skills.[6]The Ballad of Mulanmay have reflected the gender roles and status of women in nomadic societies.[9]

The Northern Wei was engaged in protracted military conflict with the nomadicRouran,who frequently raided the northern Chinese frontier to loot and pillage.[6]Northern Wei emperors considered the Rouran to be uncivilized "barbarians"and called themRuanruan(Chinese:Nhúc nhích) or "wriggling worms".[10]According to theBook of Wei,the dynasty'sofficial history,Emperor Taiwu of Northern Weilaunched a military expedition in 429 against the Rouran by advancing on the Black Mountain and then extending northward to the Yanran Mountain.[6]Both locations are cited inThe Ballad.The Black Mountain corresponds to Shahu Mountain (Sát hổ sơn), located southeast of modern-dayHohhotin Inner Mongolia. Yan Mountain, the shorthand for Yanran Mountain (Yến nhiên sơn), is now known as theKhangai Mountainsof centralMongolia.[10]

The Northern Wei sought to protect the frontier by establishing a string of frontier garrison commands across what is today Inner Mongolia.[citation needed]

Ballad of Mulan

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Mural of Hua Mulan enlisting; in theDalongdong Baoan TempleinTaipei,Taiwan.

Mulan sighs at her loom.[11][12]TheKhaganis mobilizing the military, and her father is named in each of the conscription notices from theemperor.As the eldest child, she decides to take her father's place. She buys a fine horse from the eastern market,saddleandstirrupfrom the western market,bridleandreinsfrom the southern market and a longwhipfrom the northern market.

She bids farewell to her parents in the morning and leaves for the Black Mountain, encamping by theYellow Riverin the evening, where she cannot hear the calls of her parents due to the rushing waters; only the sounds of the barbarians' cavalry in the Yan Mountains. She advances ten thousandlito battle as if flying past the mountains. The sound of the sentry gong cuts through the cold night air, and the moonlight reflects off her metal armor. A hundred battles take place, and generals die.

After the ten-year campaign, the veterans return to meet theSon of Heaven(Mandate of Heaven), enthroned in the splendid palace, who confers promotions in rank and prizes of hundreds of thousands. He asks Mulan what she would like. Mulan turns down the high-ranking position ofshangshulangin the central government, and asks only for a speedy steed to take her home.

Her parents, upon hearing her return, welcome her outside their hometown. Her elder sister puts on her fine dress. Her younger brother sharpens the knife for the swine and sheep. Mulan returns to her room, changes from her tabard into her old clothes. She combs her hair by the window and, before the mirror, fastens golden yellow flowers. Her comrades are shocked to see her. For twelve years of their enlistment together, they hadn't realized that she was a woman.

In response, Mulan explains. "The male hare has heavy front paws. The female hare tends to squint. But when they are running side-by-side close to the ground, who can tell me which is male or female?"[13][14]

Romance of Sui and Tang

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Chu Renhuo'sRomance of the Sui and Tang[zh](c. 1675) provides additional backdrops and plot-twists.[4]Here, Mulan lives under the rule ofHeshana Khanof theWestern Turkic Khaganate.When the Khan agrees to wage war in alliance with the emergent Tang dynasty, which was poised to conquer all of China, Mulan's father Hua Hu (Chinese:Hoa hình cung) fears he will be conscripted into military service since he only has two daughters and an infant son. Mulan crossdresses as a man and enlists in her father's stead. She is intercepted by the forces of the Xia kingDou Jiandeand is brought under questioning by the king's warrior daughter Xianniang (Chinese:Tuyến nương), who tries to recruit Mulan as a man. Discovering Mulan to be a fellow female warrior, she is so delighted that they becomesworn sisters.[5][15]

In theSui Tang Romance,Mulan comes to a tragic end, a "detail that cannot be found in any previous legends or stories associated Hua Mulan", and believed to have beeninterpolatedby the author Chu Renho.[5]Xianniang's father is vanquished after siding with the enemy of the Tang dynasty, and the two sworn sisters, with knives in their mouths, surrender themselves to be executed in the place of the condemned man. This act of filial piety wins a reprieve fromEmperor Taizong of Tang,and the imperial consort, who was birth-mother to the Emperor, bestows money to Mulan to provide for her parents, as well as wedding funds for the princess, who had confessed to having promised herself to generalLuó Chéng[zh](Chinese:La thành).[16]In reality, Dou Jiande was executed, but in the novel he lives on as a monk.[citation needed]

Mulan is given leave to journey back to her homeland, and once arrangements were made for Mulan's parents to relocate, it is expected that they will all be living in the princess's old capital of Leshou (Chinese:Nhạc thọ,modernXian County,Hebei). Mulan is devastated to discover her father has long died and her mother has remarried. According to the novel, Mulan's mother was surnamed Yuan ( Viên ) and remarried a man namedWei( Ngụy ). Even worse, the Khan has summoned her to the palace to become his concubine.[17]

Rather than to suffer this fate, she dies by suicide. But before she dies, she entrusts an errand to her younger sister, Youlan (Chinese:Lại lan), which was to deliver Xianniang's letter to her fiancé, Luó Chéng. This younger sister dresses as a man to make her delivery, but her disguise is discovered, and it arouses her recipient's amorous attention.[18]

The Mulan character's suicide has been described as "baffling", since she is not in love or engaged to anyone. Some commentators have explained this as an anti-Qingmessage: the author supposedly wanted to suggest that "even a half-Chinese woman would prefer death by her own hand to serving a foreign ruler".[17]In the novel, Mulan's mother was from theCentral Plainof China, but her father was fromHebeiduring theNorthern Weidynasty[19]and presumably of Turkic (Xianbei) origin, which would make her only half-Chinese.[17]

Modern adaptations

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Statue of Mulan being welcomed home, in the city ofXinxiang,China

The story of Hua Mulan has inspired a number of screen and stage adaptations.

Stage

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Films

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Mulan Joins the Armysongbook, Hong Kong, early 1960s
  • Hua Mulan Joins the Army(1927 film) – a silent film released byTianyi Film Companyand directed byLi Pingqian.
  • Mulan Joins the Army(1928 film) –Ming xing Film Companyproduction, directed byHou Yao.The film was unsuccessful, in part due to the Tianyi film that was released the previous year.
  • Mulan Joins the Army(1939 film) (original English titleHua Mu Lan), – Chinese film made during theSecond Sino-Japanese War,directed byBu Wancangand written byOuyang Yuqian.[20]The film also created a large spark of popularity, in terms of literature.[21]
  • Lady General Hua Mu-lan(1964 film) – Hong Kong opera film.
  • Saga of Mulan(1994 film) – Film adaptation of the Chinese opera based on the legend.
  • Mulan(1998 film) – A Disney animated feature, and the basis of many derivative works by Disney. TheMulan character,named Fa Mulan, has appeared in other media and promotions, usually as part of theDisney Princessproduct line.
    • Mulan II(2004 film) – A direct-to-video animated sequel.
    • Mulan(2020 film) – A live action remake.[22]
  • Mulan,Rise of a Warrior(2009 film) – Chinese live action film.
  • Matchless Mulan(Vô song Hoa Mộc Lan) (2020 film) – Chinese live action film.
  • Mulan zhi Jinguo yinghao(Mộc lan chi khăn trùm anh hào) (2020 film) – Chinese live action film.
  • Hua Mulan(Hoa Mộc Lan) (2020 film) – Chinese live action film starring Liu Chuxian (Lưu Sở huyền) as the leading actress.
  • Kung Fu Mulan(Mộc lan: Ngang trời xuất thế) (2020 film) – Chinese CGI animation film.
  • Mulan Legend(Hoa Mộc Lan to lớn mạc nghĩ cách cứu viện) (2020 film) – Chinese live action film.
  • The Legend of Mulan (1998 film) – Dutch animated film.[23]

Television series

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  • A Tough Side of a Lady(1998 series) – Hong KongTVB drama seriesof Mulan starringMariane Chanas Hua Mulan.
  • Hua Mu Lan(1999 series) – Taiwan CTV period drama serial starringAnita Yuenas Hua Mulan.
  • Jamie Chungportrays Mulan in the second, third and fifth seasons of the U.S. TV seriesOnce Upon a Time(2012–2013), this iteration is loosely based on the Disney portrayal.[24]
  • Mu Lan(Khăn trùm đại tướng quân) (2012) – China production withElanne Kongstarring as Mu Lan
  • The Legend of Hua Mulan(Hoa Mộc Lan truyền kỳ) (2013) –CCTVproduction starringHou Meng Yao,Dylan Kuo,Liu De Kai,Ray Lui,Dai ChunrongandAngel Wang.It consists of forty-nine episodes.
  • Star of Tomorrow(2015) – aHunan TVchildren's program which features all-child casts performing classic Chinese tales, produced a two-part adaptation of Hua Mulan in 2017, based largely on the Disney film and featuring Chinese versions of well-known songs fromMulanand other Disney films.
  • Mulan is portrayed in the Rooster Teeth web series RWBY as a young male named Lie Ren. All of the members of his team are based on legendary figures who dressed as the opposite sex in their stories

Literature

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  • Maxine Hong Kingstonrevisited Mulan's tale in her 1975The Woman Warrior.Kingston's version popularized the story in the West and may have led to the Disney animated feature adaptation.[25]
  • The Legend of Mu Lan: A Heroine of Ancient China[26]was the first English language picture book featuring the character Mulan published in the United States in 1992 by Victory Press.
  • In the fantasy/alternate history novelThrone of Jade(2006), China's aerial corps is described as being composed of all female captains and their dragons due to the precedent set by the legendary woman warrior.
  • Cameron Dokeycreated 'Wild Orchid' in 2009, a retelling of theBallad of Mulanas part of theOnce Upon A Timeseries of novels published bySimon Pulse,an imprint ofSimon & Schuster.
  • In the comics,Deadpool Killustrated(2013), Hua Mulan, along withNatty BumppoandBeowulf,is brought together bySherlock HolmesandDr. Watson(usingH. G. Wells's time machine) to stopDeadpoolfrom killing all beloved literary characters and destroying the literary universe.
  • Reflectionby Elizabeth Lim was published in 2018 as an installment in Disney Press' Twisted Tales series. This is an alternate ending to the Disney film in which Mulan must travel toDiyu,the Underworld, to save her captain.
  • InThe Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of MulanbySherry Thomas(2019), Mulan has trained in the martial arts since childhood in preparation for a hereditary duel. When she goes to war in her father's stead, she is shocked to discover her team's captain is also her opponent in the duel.
  • Mulan: Before the Sword,written byGrace Lin(2020) and published by Disney Press, is written as a prequel to the Disney live action movie released in the same year.

Children's books

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  • Wuloom Family(episode 5) – in Chinese
  • The Ballad of MulanbySong Nan Zhang(1998) – in English
  • I am Hua Mulan,byQin Wenjun,illust.Yu Rong(2017)[27]– in Chinese
  • Mulan: The Legend of the Woman Warrior,by Faye-Lynn Wu, illustrated byJoy Ang(2019)

Video games

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  • Kingdom Hearts II– Mulan is an optional party member in the Land of Dragons. Note that this is the Disney version of the character.
  • Smite– Mulan is a playable character
  • Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV– Mulan is an unlockable Legendary officer that can be added at the beginning of new scenarios in the game.
  • Civilization VI– Mulan is a summonable hero in the Heroes and Legends game mode
  • Goddess of Genesis– Mulan is a summonable hero through the game'sgachamechanism
  • Mulan– Mulan video game from 1998, based on the Disney iteration, playable on aGame Boy.
  • Mulan is a playable character in the Mobile/PC GameRise of Kingdoms.

Tribute in astronomy

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The Hua Mulan crater onVenusis named for her.[28][29]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Ballad of Mulan:traditional Chinese:Mộc lan từ;simplified Chinese:Mộc lan từ;pinyin:Mùlán cí;Wade–Giles:Mu-lan tz'u
  2. ^ChineseWikisourcehas original text related to this article:Nhạc phủ thi tập
  3. ^Romance of Sui and Tang:Tùy Đường diễn nghĩa;Tùy Đường diễn nghĩa;Suí Táng Yǎnyì;Sui T'ang Yen-i
  4. ^Musical Records of Old and New:Cổ kim nhạc lục;Cổ kim nhạc lục;Gǔjīn Yuèlù;Ku-chin Yüeh-lu
  5. ^Music BureauCollection:Nhạc phủ thi tập;Nhạc phủ thi tập;Yuèfǔshījí;Yüeh-fu-shih-chi
  6. ^"The Female Mulan":Thư mộc lan;Thư mộc lan;Cí Mùlán;Tz'u Mu-lan
  7. ^"The Heroine Mulan Goes to War in Her Father's Place":Thư mộc lan thế phụ tòng quân;Thư mộc lan thế phụ tòng quân;Cí Mùlán Tì Fù Cóngjūn;Tz'u Mu-lan T'i Fu Ts'ung-chün

References

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  1. ^Kwa & Idema 2010,p. 12n
  2. ^abKwa & Idema 2010,p. xvii
  3. ^Huang 2006,pp. 67–68.
  4. ^abKwa & Idema 2010,pp. xx–xxi, 119–20
  5. ^abcHuang 2006,pp. 120, 124–25.
  6. ^abcdefghij(Chinese)Mộ vũ, "Yến Sơn hồ kỵ minh pi pi 《 mộc lan từ 》 sau lưng Tiên Bi hán hóa cùng Nhu Nhiên chiến tranh"Accessed 2020-09-06
  7. ^Mann 1997,p.208.
  8. ^(Chinese)Triệu quý toàn, "Bắc Nguỵ hưng vong cùng ngươi chu vinh —— Bắc Nguỵ quan chế tóm tắt ( thượng thư tỉnh )" 2019-01-19Archived26 October 2020 at theWayback Machine
  9. ^Suyin Hayes, "The Controversial Origins of the Story BehindMulan",TimeSept. 4, 2020accessed 2020-09-06
  10. ^ab(Chinese)Cố nông "Hai đầu 《 mộc lan thơ 》 dị đồng" 《 văn hội báo 》2019-01-18
  11. ^"Mulan (Original Story)" translation by Yuan Haiwang 2005accessed 2020-09-05
  12. ^'The Ballad of Mulan': A Rhyming Translation by Evan Mantyk, 2008accessed 2020-09-05
  13. ^"The Legendary Warrior that Inspired Disney's Mulan Is Pretty Badass".Archived fromthe originalon 11 December 2016.Retrieved15 December2016.
  14. ^Columbia University (2002)."China for Educators: Primary Sources: China: Ballad of Mulan".China For Educators.Retrieved3 September2020.
  15. ^Ren-Huo Chu.Suei Tang Yan YiatProject Gutenberg,Ch. 56 ( hồi 56 )
  16. ^Ren-Huo Chu.Suei Tang Yan YiatProject Gutenberg,Ch. 59 ( hồi 59 )
  17. ^abcHuang 2006,p. 120.
  18. ^Ren-Huo Chu.Suei Tang Yan YiatProject Gutenberg,Ch. 60 ( hồi 60 )
  19. ^Ch. 56, "Này phụ danh hình cung, tự thừa chi, Thác Bạt Ngụy Hà Bắc người, vì thiên phu trưởng. Tục huyền một thê Viên thị, Trung Nguyên nhân."
  20. ^"Hua Mu Lan mộc lan tòng quân (1939)".Retrieved27 February2021.
  21. ^"Google Ngram Viewer".books.google.Retrieved20 April2017.
  22. ^"Mulan (2020)".IMDb. 27 March 2020.Retrieved11 September2020.
  23. ^The Legend of Mulan(Animation, Action, Adventure), Django Studios Inc., Springboard Communications Inc., Denzel Film Investment, 18 May 1998,retrieved4 June2023
  24. ^Hibberd, James (5 July 2012)."'Once Upon a Time' scoop: 'Hangover 2' actress cast as legendary warrior ".Entertainment Weekly.
  25. ^Kingston 1989,p.40–53.
  26. ^Hu, Eileen."Mulan".heroinesinhistory.Retrieved30 September2016.
  27. ^"33. I Am Mulan".Chinese books for young readers.13 March 2017.Retrieved1 October2018.
  28. ^Russell, Joel F.; Schaber, Gerald G. (March 1993). "Named Venusian craters".In Lunar and Planetary Inst., Twenty-Fourth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference:1219.Bibcode:1993LPI....24.1219R.
  29. ^"Venus Crater Database".Lunar and Planetary Institute of theUniversities Space Research Association.Retrieved6 May2011.

Sources

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Further reading

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