In Search of the Supernatural

In Search of the Supernatural(traditional Chinese:Lục soát Thần Nhớ;simplified Chinese:Sưu Thần Ký;pinyin:Sōushén Jì;Wade–Giles:Sou-shên Chi;Jyutping:sau2 san4 gei3;lit.'Record(s) of Searching for the Spirits'), is a 4th-centuryChinesecompilation of legends, short stories, and hearsay concerningChinese gods,ghosts,and other supernatural phenomena. Although the authorship of the book is not made explicit in the text, it is believed to have been written and compiled byGan Bao,a historian at the court ofEmperor Yuanof theJin dynastyaround AD350. It was reissued in numerous editions, including in 1593. The book usually consists of 464 stories.

The English translation by Kenneth J. DeWoskin and J. I. Crump, Jr. was published in 1996. The book is also known asIn Search of the SacredandAnecdotes about Spirits and Immortals.

Stories[edit]

Notable stories include:

Gan Jiang Mo Xie〈 can tướng Mạc Tà 〉
Wu Wang Xiao Nü〈 Ngô vương tiểu nữ 〉
Li Ji Zhan She〈 Lý gửi trảm xà 〉a legend about serpent-slaying:Li Ji Slays the Giant Serpent(Li Chi Slays the Serpent), similar to the legend ofChen Jinggu.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]
Han Bing Fufu〈 Hàn bằng vợ chồng 〉

The collection also contains a variant of the story of aSwan Maiden(or Heavenly/Celestial Bride) who marries a mortal man.^[6]

Legacy[edit]

Pu Songlingcites Gan Bao's work as a far greater work than his own, the now famousStrange Stories from a Chinese Studio.

References[edit]

^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. pp. 230-231.ISBN 0-8047-2506-3
^Maeth Ch., Russell (1990)."El cuento de li ji".Estudios de Asia y Africa.25(3): 537–539.JSTOR 40312235.
^Journey of a Goddess: Chen Jinggu Subdues the Snake Demon.Translated, edited, and with an introduction by Fan Pen Li Chen. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. 2017. p. 31.ISBN 978-14384-6-7078
^Idema, Wilt L.Personal Salvation and Filial Piety: Two Precious Scroll Narratives of Guanyin and Her Acolytes.University of Hawai'i Press. 2008. p. 205.ISBN 978-0-8248-3215-5
^He, Saihanjula (2000).Critical fantasies: structure of Chinese folk tales(Thesis).OCLC 44808453.
^Hsieh, Daniel.Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction.The Chinese University Press. 2008. pp. 123-136.ISBN 978-962-996-305-7

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.ISBN 0-8047-2506-3

External links[edit]

Sưu Thần Ký (Sou Shen Ji)atProject Gutenberg(in Chinese)
Bodde, Derk (1942). "Again Some Chinese Tales of the Supernatural: Further Remarks on Kan Pao and His Sou-shên chi".Journal of the American Oriental Society.62(4): 305–308.doi:10.2307/594034.JSTOR 594034.

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[1] 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. pp. 230-231.ISBN 0-8047-2506-3

[2] Maeth Ch., Russell (1990)."El cuento de li ji".Estudios de Asia y Africa.25(3): 537–539.JSTOR 40312235.

[3] Journey of a Goddess: Chen Jinggu Subdues the Snake Demon.Translated, edited, and with an introduction by Fan Pen Li Chen. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. 2017. p. 31.ISBN 978-14384-6-7078

[4] Idema, Wilt L.Personal Salvation and Filial Piety: Two Precious Scroll Narratives of Guanyin and Her Acolytes.University of Hawai'i Press. 2008. p. 205.ISBN 978-0-8248-3215-5

[5] He, Saihanjula (2000).Critical fantasies: structure of Chinese folk tales(Thesis).OCLC 44808453.

[6] Hsieh, Daniel.Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction.The Chinese University Press. 2008. pp. 123-136.ISBN 978-962-996-305-7

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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

v t e Jin dynasty (266–420)topics
History	Conquest of Wu by Jin War of the Eight Princes Upheaval of the Five Barbarians Disaster of Yongjia Conquest of Cheng-Han by Jin Orchid Pavilion Gathering Huan Wen's Northern Expeditions Battle of Fei River Liu Yu's Northern Expeditions
See also	Emperors' family tree Sima clan family trees Sixteen Kingdoms Migration of the eight clans Eighteen History Books of Jin Book of Jin In Search of the Supernatural Jiankang Chronicles of Huayang Butterfly Lovers

Stories[edit]

Legacy[edit]

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]