Gan Bao
Gan Bao(orKan Pao) (Chinese:LàmBảo,pronounced[kân.pàu]) (fl.315, died March or April 336[1]), courtesy nameLingsheng( lệnh thăng ), was a Chinesehistorianand writer at the court ofEmperor Yuan of Jin.
Life[edit]
He was a native ofXincai County,[2]in southernHenan.After diligent study of the classics during his childhood and youth, Gan Bao was appointed head of Office of History at the court. Apparently, the position was granted to him in recognition of his skills which he demonstrated in hisChin-chi( tấn kỷ, "Jin-ji" ), presumably a written account of earlier court activities.
Soushen Ji[edit]
Gan Bao subsequently occupied other prominent positions at the court, but today he is best remembered for the bookSoushen Ji,which he probably compiled. An extremely important early example of theZhiguaigenre, the book comprises several hundred short stories and witness reports about spirits and supernatural events.
Gan Bao's biography inBook of Jinrecorded that Gan Bao's father had an affair with a maid. Out of jealousy, after his father died, his mother entombed the maid together with his father's remains. Due to their young age, Gan Bao and his elder brother did not know of this incident. After their mother died more than 10 years later, their father's tomb was opened (presumably to inter their mother together with her late husband). Gan Bao's family found the maid lying on the father's coffin as though she was alive. The maid was taken back to the Gan household, and regained consciousness after a few days. She explained that she survived more than 10 years sealed inside the tomb with the help of the father's ghost, which brought her food and water. The father's ghost also treated her in the same loving way as he did while he was alive. The family confirmed the maid's account by summoning the father's ghost in a ritual. Gan Bao eventually married the maid and had a son with her.[3]
In another incident, Gan Bao's elder brother fell gravely ill and stopped breathing. Yet, his body did not turn cold even after several days. Later, the elder brother regained consciousnesses and commented that events in the supernatural world felt like dreams to him; he did not even realise that he had lost consciousness.[4]His curiosity sparked by these two incidents, Gan Bao then began collecting short stories and witness reports about spirits and supernatural events.
References[edit]
- ^Volume 7 ofRecord of Jiankangrecorded that Gan Bao died in the 3rd month of the 2nd year of theXiankangera of Emperor Cheng's reign. This corresponds to 29 Mar to 26 Apr 336 in the Julian calendar. [( hàm khang hai năm ) ba tháng, Tán Kỵ thường thị làm bảo tốt. ]Jiankang Shilu,vol.07
- ^( làm bảo, tự lệnh thăng, tân Thái người cũng )Jin Shu,vol.82
- ^( bảo phụ trước có điều sủng thị tỳ, mẫu cực đố kỵ, cập phụ vong, mẫu nãi sinh đẩy tì với mộ trung. Bảo huynh đệ năm tiểu, không chi thẩm cũng. Sau mười dư năm, mẫu tang, khai mộ, mà tì phục quan như sinh, tái còn, kinh ngày nãi tô. Ngôn này phụ thường lấy ẩm thực cùng chi, ân tình như sinh, ở trong nhà cát hung triếp ngữ chi, khảo giáo tất nghiệm, mà trung cũng không giác làm ác. Lát sau gả chi, sinh con. )Jin Shu,vol.82
- ^( lại bảo huynh nếm bệnh khí tuyệt, tích ngày không lạnh, sau toại ngộ, vân thấy thiên địa gian quỷ thần sự, như mộng giác, không tự biết chết. )Jin Shu,vol.82
- Gan Bao.In Search of the Supernatural: The Written Record,translated into English by Kenneth J. DeWoskin and James Irving Crump. Stanford University Press, 1996.ISBN0-8047-2506-3
