Strange Creatures and Prodigies in the Book of Mountains and Rivers

and the Shanghai Museum Bamboo Manuscript “Jian da wang bo han” 簡簡簡簡簡

(King Jian dispels the drought)

Marco CaboaraEnglish Department, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

November 13, 2014 International Workshop on World Geographical Philosophy

of Shanhaijing and Chinese Traditional CultureLa Trobe University, Melbourne

Contents•Mountain Gods, Rituals and Omens in Ancient China•Divination and Omens in the Shanhaijing•Newly excavated sources•The Shanghai Museum manuscript Jian da wang po han 簡簡簡簡簡 •Generalizations and textual issues•Bibliography

Maps of Mountains & Rivers

Mountain Deities: hierarchyPassage from the Liji:簡簡 簡簡簡 簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡、、，，， 簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡。，。 , 簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡。《簡 , ch 23 簡簡 , 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 , 簡簡簡簡 , 簡簡簡簡 . 簡簡 簡书 , 1989, p. 1194 》

Mountains, forests, streams, valleys, hills, and mounds,  which are able to produce clouds, and occasion winds and rain, where strange beings appear, were all regarded as (dominated by) spirits. He by whom all under the sky was held sacrificed to all spirits. The princes of states sacrificed to those which were in their own territories; to those which were not in their territories, they did not sacrifice.

Mountain Deities:

identification and control.

The nine tripods

Mountain Deities: identification and control. The nine tripods

Passage from the Zuozhuan:簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡夏， , 簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡，，， 簡簡簡簡 簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡、。、，。 ( 簡簡 ) 簡簡簡簡， 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡。，。 (Zuozhuan Duke Xuan, Year 3)

Long ago, when the Hsia dynasty was still possessed by virtue ， the distant regions made pictures of various objects and tribute of metal was submitted from the governors of the nine provinces. This was used to cast cauldrons and cast images of various creatures. All the hundred of kinds of objects were to be found on them, so that the people could learn about the gods and the malevolent spirits. As a result, when the people entered the rivers or lake regions, the mountains or forests, they did not encounter such evil beings/untoward creatures, and the mountain and water goblins, no one was able to meet. Thus superior and inferior were brought into harmony so as to enjoy the providence of Heaven.

Mountain Deities: identification and control. Ritual and naming

Passage from the Guoyu:簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡。，，，，，，簡簡簡簡簡，簡簡簡簡 簡 簡簡， 女 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡。，，， 簡簡簡簡簡簡、

Of old, the gods descended into those whose spirit was focused, who were at once poised and centered, who knew how to ascend and descend and make comparisons, whose saintliness shed its light abroad, whose vision illumined matters, and whose hearing penetrated them. Men of this kind were called xi, women wu. They knew how to manage the hierarchical order and placements of the gods and to select the sacrificial victims, vessels, and seasonal colors. They brought glory to the descendants of the former kings and knew the names of the mountains and rivers.

Mountain cult in time of public calamities

Passage from Zuozhuan:簡簡簡簡 , 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 . ( 簡簡 ·Duke Zhao Year 1, YBJ 1219)

The Spirits of the hills and streams are sacrificed to in times of flood, drought, and pestilence.

Private calamitiesAnother Zuozhuan passage reads:“ 簡 簡簡簡簡 簡簡 ‘簡簡簡 ’簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡 ‘簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡 簡簡 簡簡 簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡 簡，。： 。 。 ， ： ， 。 、、、，。簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 ’簡簡簡簡 ”簡簡簡簡 ，。，。。 。 ( 簡簡 ·Duke Ai, Year 6, YBJ 1636)

Some years earlier, when King Chao was ill, divination was made by the tortoiseshell, and the answer given: "The Yellow River is exercising a malign influence." The king, however, declined to perform sacrifices to the Yellow River. When his officials begged him to carry out such sacrifices in the suburbs of the capital, he replied, "Under all three dynasties of antiquity, with regard to sacrifices it has been ordained that one shall not sacrifice to mountains or rivers beyond the borders of one's own domain. The rivers that Ch’u sacrifices to are the Yangtze, the Han, the Chu, and the Chang. Whatever good or ill fortune comes to us comes from these alone. Though I may be a person of no virtue, I have done nothing to offend the Yellow River!"

Shanhaijing’s

earliest surviving edition

Shanhaijing's entries structureThe Shanhaijing describes geographical units by giving:•the name of a given mountain•its distance from a preceding one•naturalistic information on animals, plants and minerals

•practical or magical functions•spirits and monsters inhabiting the area (and their cultic and omenological properties)

•mythological events

Shanhaijing’s spiritual landscape

Mountains : 簡 Itineraries (subsections)Itinerary 簡 Group of local spiritsLocal spirits 簡 Natural resources

Shanhaijing's spiritual landscape

Prodigious beings: ● Appear as hybrid creatures

● Function as omens● Announce calamities

Omens in Shanhaijing54 omens appear in the Shanjing, all with a rigid format:簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡，，，。，，。 簡簡簡，簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡，， 簡簡簡簡，簡簡簡簡簡，簡簡簡簡簡簡 .

Four hundred leagues further east is a mountain called Mount Commandmound. It has no plants or trees, and it is often on fire. South of this mountain is a valley called Middle Valley, and the high northeast wind comes from it. There is a bird on this mountain which looks like and owl. It has a human face with four eyes, and it has ears. Its name is the ape-owl. Its name comes from its call ‘Yoo-hoo’. Whenever it appears there will be a severe drought over all under the sky. (Book 1, YKXZ 21, Fracasso 1996:15, Birrell 1999: 9)

Shanhaijing as a divinatory handbook

The book does not contain any general statements about its usage.

Passage in Liu Xin’s preface:簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡， . (From Liu Xin’s preface (Thern 1985: 384), YK XZ p. 540)

The great literary scholars all studied it, and marveled that one could use it to investigate good omens and strange creatures.

Unclear elements

The system in the Shanjing does not give crucial information about:

A) Who is in charge of announcing and interpreting the omens.B) How to deal with the negative forecast.

New evidence from bamboo manuscripts

The Laozi bamboo stripsfrom Guodian(Jingmen, Hubei)

Shanghai Museum Manuscripts

Qinghua Manuscripts

Basic tools for the Chu graphs

Basic tools for the phonology

Excavated divinatory texts:personal calamities

Fourth century BCE text from Baoshan, sacrifices to the mountains and rivers against sickness:

簡簡 簡簡簡 簡簡 簡簡 簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡，，，，。。 一 ； ， ； 、、、，簡簡簡 簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡簡 簡簡，。。，， , 簡簡 簡簡、 , 簡 簡簡 簡簡簡簡簡簡 簡簡 簡一。：。 strips 239-241】

(Chen) divined about it, the long term prognostication is auspicious, but the affliction has changed (for the worse); there is decline and (the infirmity) is slow to heal. (Chen) performed an exorcism to get at its source. (Chen) offered the proposition prayer to the Five Mountains with one ewe each. (Chen) sacrificed and prayed to King Zhao with a black water buffalo and presented it as food offerings. (Chen) through his will beat (the curse) and released (Tuo) from the ancestors and those who died in battle. Turning to Gu Ji's exorcism, (Chen) presented mortuary sacrifices and sacrifices outside of the city wall. To the High Hill and the Low Hill, (he used) a whole gelded pig each. Chen Yi divined about it and said: “Auspicious.”

Excavated divinatory texts:public calamities

In Wangjiatai 簡簡簡 , Hubei, in 1993, was found a mid-third century BCE text,

Zaiyi zhan 簡簡簡 (Divination of calamities and prodigies) :簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 ( 簡簡簡 Strip 94)In the state when a withered tree comes to life, there is great mourning in the state.

簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 ( 簡簡簡 Strip 95)In the state when a tree comes to life in winter, outside and inside are both disordered, and the king and state are not settled.

Jian Da Wang po han (JDWBH) 簡簡簡簡簡The text 簡 簡 簡 簡 簡 belongs to volume 4 of the Shanghai Museum Collection. It provides answers about:

1) the means and the agents relevant to the interpretation of the omen

2) the way to deal with the negative forecast, by means of:

a) the identification of the cursing agent b) the underlying fault of the ruler is

required

JDWBH – Analysis 1

•Presence of drought in the Chu Kingdom•King Jian orders a divination about it•The King becomes sick

JDWBH 2

•The king’s sickness is related to the spirits of the mountains and rivers•Most likely the spirits of the newly acquired territory of Ju 簡•A special divination is undertaken to identify the recipients of the sacrifice

JDWBH 3•The king demands an irregular sacrifice (su ji 速速 ‘ quickened sacrifice’) to placate the spirits•This is resisted by the official• The king recognizes his own fault and asks for advice. The senior minister convinces the king to desist•The king’s sickness is cured

JDWBH 4

•A debate among ministers follows, about admonishing a ruler•Lacuna in the text•The king relates another dream about a cursing agent

JDWBH 5

•The senior minister identifies the creature as the mother of drought (Han mu 簡簡 , Nü ba 簡 女 in the Shanhaijing, book 17) .

•The king recognizes his faults, and the senior minister withdraws.

JDWBH 6

•The king then asks how to solve the problem of the drought. The minister advises king to do two things:•repair the four suburbs•go back exposing himself to the sun together with his closest ministers

•After the ritual the crisis is over

How do omens manifest themselves•The spirits’ manifestation ( 簡 / 簡 ) takes places in dreams – it is the king who announces them

•The interpretation of the omen is an interpretation of the dream

•It is based on the spirit’s appearance, and the unveiling of its name

Who is in charge of interpreting the omens?

•The king• The official in charge of the ritual• The chief minister

They debate about it and therefore JDWBH is also a text about political persuasion.

Nature of the calamities and ways of expiating them

Calamities have a dual nature: public (the drought)

private (sickness)

Their removal involves:ExorcismSacrificesPolitical ReformSelf inflicted violence

Textual issues 1: 簡 and its mountains

•簡簡簡【 8 簡簡簡】 [ 簡 ] 簡簡 , 簡簡簡簡簡簡 , 簡簡簡簡簡簡簡 [ 簡簡 ] 【 3 】 .•Even though among the lands I got in Ju there are no famous mountains and rivers, I (still) want to conduct a sacrifice for the state of Chu to the hills.

•簡 *pra= 簡 *ka. •簡簡 can be read in two ways:•A) = 簡簡 ( 簡 *hlaʔ = 簡 * ɦa) •B) = 簡簡 ( 簡 *hlaʔ = 簡 *kha)

Textual issues 2: 簡 / 簡 / 簡

速 *pit/pits (strip 3)Shen Pei 2007 速 *bets: decision (ritual,

divinatory)Chen Wei 2012 速 *pi?: comprehensive,

sequential (divination)

Textual issues 3: hastened sacrifices

•Which kind of sacrifices are ‘hastened sacrifices’ ( 簡簡 ) and ‘diminished sacrifices’ ( 簡簡 )? (strips 5, 7)•Irregular and unorthodox? (Lai 2012)•Just simplified, expedient forms?

Textual issues 4: who beats the drum?

•Who wades the river pushed away by the drums ( 速速速速 )? (strips 9, 11)•The mother of drought, being exorcised out of the country?• The population, forced to flee?

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