Snakes in Chinese mythology

Snakes(also known asserpents) are an important motif inChinese mythology.There are various myths, legends, and folk tales about snakes.Chinese mythologyrefers to these and other myths found in the historical geographic area(s) ofChina.These myths includeChineseand other languages, as transmitted byHan Chineseas well as other ethnic groups (of which fifty-six are officially recognized by the current administration of China).^[1]

Snakes often appear in myth, religion, legend, or tales as fantastic beings unlike any possible real snake, often having a mix of snake with other body parts, such as having a human head, or magical abilities, such asshape-shifting.One famous snake that was able to transform back and forth between a snake and a human being wasMadam White Snakein theLegend of the White Snake.

Other snakes or snake-like beings sometimes include deities, such asFuxiandNüwaandGong Gong.Sometimes, Fuxi and Nuwa are described as snakes with human heads and sometimes as humans with dragon or serpent tails.

Myth versus history

In the study of historical Chinese culture, many of the stories that have been told regarding characters and events which have been written or told of the distant past have a double tradition: one tradition which presents a more historicized and one which presents a more mythological version.^[2]

Snake-like deities

River deities

In ancient China, some of the river gods which were worshiped were depicted in the form of some sort of snake or snake-like being:^[3]

Directional deities of the north

Depiction on the grounds of the Beijing Ancient Observatory of Xuanwu – the sign for the northern quarter of the sky.

In the ancient China of theHan dynasty(206 BCE – 220 CE), worship of Four Directional deities developed, the directions were east, south, west, and north. With the direction of the middle, there were five major directions, each associated with a divine being or beings, a season, and a color (with the "middle direction" being associated with the emperor and the color yellow). This set of correlations of fivewhateversincluded many more than mentioned here, in the elaborated philosophical system ofWǔ Xíng(Ngũ hành), although some of the basics related to directional deities was much older.

The north was associated with a pair of divine beings, the Dark Warrior (Xuán Wǔ,Huyền võ), a tortoise-and-snake creature, with the season of winter, and with the color black^[4](also often considered to be a deepish shade of blue). Each of the directions was also associated with one of thewǔ xíng,or five "elements" (sometimes also translated as "phases" or "materials" ): that of the north waswater.

According to Anthony Christie, the tortoise-and-snake combination was known as the Black Warrior. And, that although the worship of the other directions was an ancient practice, the worship of the north was usually avoided because the north was considered the dwelling place of a destructive deity of the ocean wind. However, the worship of the north was practiced, with sacrificial ceremonies to the Black Warrior, by the rulers of the Han dynasty, which claimed to rule with the protection of water and the north.^[5]Although the Black Warrior is generally depicted as a snake entwining around a turtle, sometimes, they are viewed as two separable generals.^[6]

Deities from snake

Bai SuzhenandXiaoqingbecame deities from snakes.^[7]

The nine-headed baby

In Chinese mythology,Jiuying( cửu anh, "the nine-headed baby" ) is an ancient monster with nine snake-like heads, capable of spouting water and breathing fire. Its name comes from its cry, which resembles a baby’s wail. During the reign ofEmperor Yao,when ten suns appeared in the sky and caused widespread suffering, Jiuying was among the creatures that terrorized the people. To protect them, Emperor Yao sent the divine archerHou Yi,who shot and killed Jiuying near the fierce waters. The creature is mentioned in ancient texts such as theHuainanzi.^[8]

Culture

In Chinese culture, mythologized snakes and snake-like beings have various roles, including the calendar system, poetry, and literature.

Zodiacal snake

In Chinese culture, years of theSnakeare sixth in the cycle, following theDragonYears, and recur every twelfth year. The Chinese New Year does not fall on a specific date, so it is essential tocheck the calendarto find the exact date on which eachSnakeYear actually begins.Snakeyears include: 1905, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, and 2025. The 12 "zodiacal" (that is, yearly) animals recur in a cycle of sixty years, with each animal occurring five times within the 60-year cycle, but with different aspects each of those 5 times. Thus, 2013 is a year of theyinwaterSnake,and actually starts on February 10, 2013 and lasts through January 30, 2014. The previous year of the yin waterSnakewas 1953.^[9]

In Thai culture, the year of theSnakeis instead the year of the littleSnake,and the year of theDragonis the year of the bigSnake.

According to one mythical legend, there is a reason for the order of the 12 animals in the 12-year cycle. The story goes that a race was held to cross a great river, and the order of the animals in the cycle was based upon their order in finishing the race. In this story, theSnakecompensated for not being the best swimmer by hitching a hidden ride on theHorse'shoof, and when theHorsewas just about to cross the finish line, jumping out, scaring theHorse,and thus edging it out for sixth place.^{[citation needed]}

The same 12 animals are also used to symbolize the cycle of hours in the day, each being associated with a two-hour time period. The "hour" of theSnakeis 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., the time when the sun warms up the earth, andSnakesslither out of their holes.

The reason the animal signs are referred to as "zodiacal" is because a person's personality is said to be influenced by the animal sign(s) ruling the time of birth, together with elemental aspect of that animal sign within the sexegenary (60 year) cycle. Similarly, the year governed by a particular animal sign is supposed to be characterized by it, with the effects particularly strong for people who were born in a year governed by the same animal sign.^[9]

Characters

The usual and general Chinese word and character forSnakeisshé(Chinese:Xà;pinyin:shé;lit.'SnakeorSnakes'). As a zodiacal sign, theSnakeis associated withChinese:Tị;pinyin:sì,a proper noun referring to the 6th of the 12Earthly Branches,or to the double-hour of 9-00-11:00 a.m.

The Five Noxious Creatures

On the fifth day of the fifth month of theChinese calendaris the festival of theDouble Fifth(Duanwu). Many of the activities traditional on this holiday involve expelling various sources of potential evil influences. One of these involves driving away theFive Noxious Creatures(wu du), of which theSnakeis one.^[10]

Real and legendary

Some reports of fantastic snakes may belong more properly to the field ofcryptozoology,legend, or folktale, rather than mythology or religion.

An example of this, is the "sudden striker" snake ofSunzi'sArt of Warthat was supposed to be able to fight with both head and tail, and was used as a simile for how a general who is expert at military deployment does so. The Sudden Striker snake supposedly lived on "Mount Ch'ang": (Roger T. Amesbelieves this to have beenMount Heng,but written with a different character to avoid a naming taboo on the given name ofHan Wendi).^[11]

Other snake-like or reptilian creatures

Other members of certain types ofChinese dragonare considered especially snake-like, such as theTeng,which is sometimes known as the "flying snake-dragon". Some reptilians are not at all snake-like, such as theAo.^[12]

Notes

^Yang, 2005: page 4
^Yang, 2005: pages 12–13
^Eberhard: 2003[1986], page 268
^Christie, 1968: page 46
^Christie, 1968: pages 82–83
^Uschan, Michael V. (9 May 2014).Chinese Mythology.Greenhaven Publishing LLC.ISBN 978-1-4205-1146-8.
^"Toàn đài duy nhất bạch xà miếu tiểu long niên đáo hương hỏa thịnh │TVBS tân văn võng".TVBS(in Chinese). 26 January 2013.
^Hoài nam tử(in Chinese). Nhất cá nhân. 28 July 2015. p. 43.
^^a ^b2016 Snake Feng Shui Guide & Chinese Zodiac Forecast.Book Book.
^Eberhard: 2003[1986], "Noxious Creatures, The Five", pages 208–209
^Ames, 1993: page 158 and note 200 on page 294
^"Guiguzi," China's First Treatise on Rhetoric: A Critical Translation and Commentary.SIU Press. 19 August 2016.ISBN 978-0-8093-3526-8.

References

Ames, Roger,translation, introduction, and comments. (1993).Sunzi,et al.The Art of Warfare: The First English Translation Incorporating the Recently Discovered Yin-ch'üeh-shan Texts.(New York:Ballantine Books).ISBN 0-345-36239-X
Christie, Anthony (1968).Chinese Mythology.Feltham: Hamlyn Publishing.ISBN 0600006379.
Eberhard, Wolfram(2003 [1986 (German version 1983)]),A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought.London, New York: Routledge.ISBN 0-415-00228-1
Hawkes, David,translation, introduction, and notes (2011 [1985]). Qu Yuanet al.,The Songs of the South: An Ancient Chinese Anthology of Poems by Qu Yuan and Other Poets.London: Penguin Books.ISBN 978-0-14-044375-2
Yang, Lihui,et al.(2005).Handbook of Chinese Mythology.New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-533263-6
Yu, Anthony C., editor, translator, and introduction (1980 [1977]).The Journey to the West.Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press.ISBN 978-0-226-97150-6

[1] Yang, 2005: page 4

[2] Yang, 2005: pages 12–13

[3] Eberhard: 2003[1986], page 268

[4] Christie, 1968: page 46

[5] Christie, 1968: pages 82–83

[6] Uschan, Michael V. (9 May 2014).Chinese Mythology.Greenhaven Publishing LLC.ISBN 978-1-4205-1146-8.

[7] "Toàn đài duy nhất bạch xà miếu tiểu long niên đáo hương hỏa thịnh │TVBS tân văn võng".TVBS(in Chinese). 26 January 2013.

[8] Hoài nam tử(in Chinese). Nhất cá nhân. 28 July 2015. p. 43.

[snake-9] 2016 Snake Feng Shui Guide & Chinese Zodiac Forecast.Book Book.

[10] Eberhard: 2003[1986], "Noxious Creatures, The Five", pages 208–209

[11] Ames, 1993: page 158 and note 200 on page 294

[12] "Guiguzi," China's First Treatise on Rhetoric: A Critical Translation and Commentary.SIU Press. 19 August 2016.ISBN 978-0-8093-3526-8.

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v t e Chinese mythology
Overview topics	Creation myth Godly world concepts Astrology Dragons Shenmo fiction Gods and immortals Tian Pangu Ghosts Chinese folk religion
Major personages	Gods and immortals Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors Eight Immortals Youchao Shennong Yellow Emperor Yan Emperor Chiyou Chang'e Hou Yi Kuafu
Mythological creatures	Four Symbols Black Tortoise Azure Dragon White Tiger Vermilion Bird Yellow Dragon Four Holy Beasts Qilin Fenghuang Yinglong Spirit turtle Bixi Huli jing(Fox spirit) Chinese guardian lions Pixiu(Bixie) Nian Horses Hundun Xiezhi Wuzhiqi Yeren Fox spirit Four Perils(Four Evildoers) Peng (mythology) Nine-headed Bird Tianma Nine-tailed fox more...
Places	Buzhou Diyu Eight Pillars Gate of the Ghosts Fusang Jade Mountain Kunlun Mountain Longmen Moving Sands Penglai Red River Weak River Youdu
Items	Gu Peaches of Immortality Xirang
Literary works	Classic of Mountains and Seas Shi Yi Ji Bowuzhi Liexian Zhuan Shenxian Zhuan Shenyi Jing The Peach Blossom Spring The Four Journeys Investiture of the Gods The Sorcerer's Revolt Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio Journey to the West In Search of the Supernatural What the Master Would Not Discuss Heavenly Questions(Chu Ci) Huainanzi Records of the Grand Historian Notes of the Thatched Abode of Close Observations
Other folk tales	Legend of the White Snake Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl The Magic Lotus Lantern Mulian Rescues His Mother