Journey to the West Research
@McClanJr81
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Researching the historical, religious, and folklore influences of the great 16th-century Chinese classic Journey to the West
Taipei City, Taiwan
Joined January 2018
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I have archived foreign language translations of Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記). It includes:
* English
* French
* German
* Hungarian
* Italian
* Romanian
* Russian
* Spanish
* Thai
* Vietnamese
I will add more languages in the future. Enjoy.
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Sun Wukong is known for the power of his "Multitude of Terrestrial Killers" (地煞數; a.k.a. "72 Changes"), which allows him to transform into anything he wants. But JTTW ch. 75 shows that bouts of uncontrollable laughter can force him to revert to his true form.
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Sun Wukong is not the only spirit who wears a disciplining headband. There are 3 such fillets, each 1 with a particular name & spell.
1. Sun Wukong - “Constrictive” (jin, 緊) - ch. 14
2. Black Bear Demon - “Prohibitive” (jin, 禁) - ch. 17
3. Red Boy - “Golden” (jin, 金) - ch. 42
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@OSPyoutube
have uploaded their 10th Journey to the West video. It focuses on the Six-Eared Macaque, as well as mentions the four celestial primates.
My blog, specifically the primate article, has received a huge boost in traffic
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Fans of Lego Monkie Kid will know that Peng is based on a foe from ch. 74 to 77 of Journey to the West. But did you know this character appears in another novel? He is exiled from heaven for killing a stellar deity who farts during the Buddha's sermon!
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This image shows the pilgrim's sizes.
"The original novel says Bajie's body is 1 zhang. Three Chinese feet is 1 m. One zhang is around 3.3. m. Sha Monk is 1.2 zhang, which is close to 4 m. The Tang monk is 1.8 m. The Great Sage Lord is 4 Chinese feet, or approximately 1.3 m."
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I am happy to announce that I've finished my 177-page catalog of Sun Wukong's powers from all 100 chapters of Journey to the West. Fans of Lego Monkie Kid and Black Myth: Wukong, fanfiction writers, and artists will certainly find it useful.
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Fans of Lego Monkie Kid might be interested to know that in the original JTTW novel, "living shrines" (shengci, 生祠) are erected in chapters 87 and 93 to honor the pilgrims for helping rid kingdoms of monsters.
They are essentially worshiped during their own lifetimes.
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Here I present PDFs of the complete 2012 revised edition of Journey to the West translated by Anthony C. Yu. It is THE most accurate edition available. My hope is that those who enjoy the digital version will support the official release.
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"Red Son" is the animated version of Red Boy from Lego Monkie Kid (1). The oldest depiction of the character that I know of appears on the 14th-c. Gyeongcheonsa pagoda of Korea (2)! It shows how Red Boy is defeated in JTTW, by being tricked to sit on a lotus throne of swords (3).
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Sun Wukong's magic cloud is portrayed inconsistently throughout JTTW. In ch. 2, he can transport “30 or 50” little monkeys. But in ch. 22, he can’t lift even a single person because the impure nature of mortals renders them “as heavy as the Tai Mountain.”
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JTTW suggests that petting Sun Wukong wouldn't be very pleasant. A verse in chapter 83 states that his hairs are like steel needles (渾身毛硬似鋼針).
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The mother of one of my kindergarten students knows I'm a fan of Sun Wukong, so she got me a keychain.
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I was surprised to learn that the game "World of Tanks" has a Monkey King tank. Screenshots via a Russian friend.
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1/2 Fans of Macaque from Lego Monkie Kid might be interested in the 4-eared Changyou monkey from the Shanhaijing (c. 4th-cent. to 1st cent. BCE).
It's association w/ floods reminds me of the flood demon Wuzhiqi, who both inspired Sun Wukong & served as his sister in some media.
The Changyou(#長右) has the shape of a monkey, with four ears. Its cry sounds like a human groaning. Wherever it appears, that county will be struck by a great flood.
#ChineseWeirdGallery
#妖怪 #山海經
#yaoguai
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Sun Wukong gives himself three elder-related nicknames.
* Lao Sun (老孫, "Old Sun") - Yu (2012) writes this as "Old Monkey." It appears 619 times in the novel!
* Sun Waigong (孫外公, "(Maternal) Grandpa Sun") - 8 times.
* Sun Yeye (孫爺爺, "(Paternal) Grandpa Sun") - 5 times.
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Here is my second Journey to the West artist spotlight featuring
@ninjahaku21art
. See the linked article for more examples of their stellar work.
Fans of Lego Monkie Kid will love their style.
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A couple of months ago, a Tumblr user asked me for information about Marshals Ma and Liu (馬、流二元帥) and Generals Beng and Ba (崩、芭二將軍), commanders of Sun Wukong's primate army. I've gathered every reference I know of into an article.
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I recently learned that some people are complaining about Sun Wukong's skinny design from the upcoming film The Monkey King (2023). This tells me that they've never read Journey to the West, for our hero is described as very skinny and short. See, for example, a quote from ch. 2.
@McClanJr81
I've seen some people not liking how skinny his character design looks. I think he looks cute and it pretty much shows his personality with just a single shot. Very excited for this movie!😊
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In the 13th-century oral version of Journey to the West, the Monkey Pilgrim punishes nine nine-headed dragons by making a belt from their spinal sinews. It's mentioned in passing that the belt gives Tripitaka the ability to fly and change shape.
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I had to work at a different branch of my school yesterday. There's a business nearby that makes concrete religious statues, including the JTTW pilgrims.
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A follower asked about Sun Wukong's more obscure powers. Another one is language acquisition. He can learn a language in a short time just from listening. He first does this in ch. 1 when he learns human language, and later in ch. 63, he learns the language of underwater animals.
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I commissioned the wonderful
@NinjaHaku21_Art
to draw the Monkey King as the "Victorious Fighting Buddha." It is based on the traditional iconography of the Buddha Yuddhajaya, the deity from which the enlightened Sun Wukong derives his holy title.
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Lots of people know about Sun Wukong's "fiery eyes and golden pupils" (火眼金睛), but they don't know about their range. He can see up to 1,000 li (一千里; 310.68 mi or 500 km) during the day and 300 to 500 li (三五百里; 93.20 to 155.34 mi or 150 to 250 km) at the night.
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I'm sad to hear of Toriyama's passing. I wouldn't have developed an interest in Journey to the West without Dragon Ball. Rest in Peace.
Akira Toriyama has sadly passed away on March 1st due to Acute Subdural Hematoma. May his soul rests in peace...
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This Monkey King statue was photographed by a friend at the Sree Veera Hanuman Temple in Brickfield, Kuala Lumpur.
Sun Wukong's face is painted with colors associated with Hanuman.
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People often forget that Journey to the West is a collection of refined (yet sometimes contradictory) oral tales that coalesced into a novel. It's grassroots origin explains why it sometimes humanizes Sun Wukong, like when his hands are burnt by fresh rice pudding.
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Here's an article on the origins of the immortal peach-stealing episode from Journey to the West. Sun Wukong's theft is likely based on the story of the Han-era trickster Dongfang Shuo (東方朔) & a magic white ape from Song-era material.
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I have archived the Chinese script for the Yuan-Ming zaju play "The God Erlang Captures the Great Sage Equaling Heaven" (二郎神鎖齊天大聖).
The play mentions Monkey having brothers and sisters.
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People seem to be surprised that Red Boy wears a headband. He gets it for refusing to submit. Guanyin splits it into 5, attaching them to his head, wrists, & ankles. This a reference to the adornments worn by his religious antecedent, Sudhana (善財童子).
Pic from my collection.
Sun Wukong is not the only spirit who wears a disciplining headband. There are 3 such fillets, each 1 with a particular name & spell.
1. Sun Wukong - “Constrictive” (jin, 緊) - ch. 14
2. Black Bear Demon - “Prohibitive” (jin, 禁) - ch. 17
3. Red Boy - “Golden” (jin, 金) - ch. 42
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This is some top-shelf Monkey King content!
Kaiju Wukong cause I think he’s cool 👉👈
#art
#sunwukong
#LEGOMonkieKid
#lmksunwukong
If he doesn’t go Kaiju in lmk what’s the point
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A lot of people know that monsters want to eat Tripitaka/Tang Sanzang/Xuanzang because they believe his flesh grants immortality. But some might not know that female demons believe they can achieve divine longevity by having sex with him. The following is from chapter 80.
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I have updated my previous archive with a PDF of Monkey (1942), Arthur Waley's 30 chapter abridgement of Journey to the West, as well as a PDF of The Monkey and the Monk (2006), Anthony C. Yu's 31 chapter abridgement.
Here I present PDFs of the complete 2012 revised edition of Journey to the West translated by Anthony C. Yu. It is THE most accurate edition available. My hope is that those who enjoy the digital version will support the official release.
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Did you know that Sun Wukong has the same divine flame as Red Boy? Ch. 81 states that he lights a lamp with his own “true fire” (真火; a.k.a. “true fire of samadhi” (三昧真火).
It would've been neat to see both of them compete to see whose Samadhi fire is the strongest.
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Macaque from Lego Monkie Kid doesn't wear a golden headband, but his counterpart in the original 1592 Journey to the West does. This is mentioned during his battle throughout the cosmos with Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong is not the only spirit who wears a disciplining headband. There are 3 such fillets, each 1 with a particular name & spell.
1. Sun Wukong - “Constrictive” (jin, 緊) - ch. 14
2. Black Bear Demon - “Prohibitive” (jin, 禁) - ch. 17
3. Red Boy - “Golden” (jin, 金) - ch. 42
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Lego Monkie Kid fans, the Dragon of the East Palace set includes a subtle detail from ch. 14 of Journey to the West. It's a painting of Zhang Liang repeatedly putting a shoe on the immortal Huang Shigong's foot. The Dragon King uses this tale to instill perseverance in Monkey.
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This is my newest Great Sage Monkey King statue. I may buy some pheasant feathers to replace the old ones.
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"Yes, good. Now put the babies into the alchemical furnace."
"But ... why?"
"Mind your own business, that's why!"
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Here's a list of over 35 of Sun Wukong's various names & titles from Journey to the West. It also includes insults directed at him. I'll update the list in the future.
Pictured: The Monkey King as the "Victorious Fighting Buddha" by
@NinjaHaku21_Art
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A religious group on Facebook posted this lovely drawing of Sun Wukong, the "Stone Monkey" (石猴). It depicts the golden rays of light that shine from his eyes shortly after his stone birth.
Artist unknown.
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A tumblr user asked me to clearly define Sun Wukong's magic powers & skills during Journey to the West. This was because they had heard that he is a "boundless character" w/ omniscience, omnipresence, & control of time. This is my reply:
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In JTTW ch. 81, Sun Wukong claims the 10 Kings would never reap Tripitaka's soul while under his protection.
A character being technically immortal just because the personification of death is too afraid of the person’s bodyguard(s) to reap their soul would make a great story!
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Lego Monkie Kid fans, here's a splash page from the 1835 Japanese JTTW translation showing the brotherhood being subdued by the appropriate Buddhist deities: Peng & the Buddha, Manjushri & the Azure Lion, & Samantabhadra & the Yellow-Tusked Elephant.
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1/3 Journey to the West only gives specific heights for 2 characters:
1. Sun Wukong: less than 1.272 m (4.17 ft)
2. Sha Wujing: 3.816 m (12.51 ft)
Speculation:
3. Tripitaka: 1.65 - 1.67 m (5.41 - 5.47 ft) (based on historical height data)
(THREAD)
This image shows the pilgrim's sizes.
"The original novel says Bajie's body is 1 zhang. Three Chinese feet is 1 m. One zhang is around 3.3. m. Sha Monk is 1.2 zhang, which is close to 4 m. The Tang monk is 1.8 m. The Great Sage Lord is 4 Chinese feet, or approximately 1.3 m."
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My new religious statues:
1. Great Sage Equaling Heaven (齊天大聖), a.k.a. the Monkey King. He has the face of a Buddha.
2. Nezha (哪吒), a.k.a. the "Third Prince" (三太子). Adorable.
3. Earth god (土地神) - This one is quite old, something you might see on a roadside shrine.
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The idea that Sun Wukong is trans became popular on English-speaking social media in 2022. My new article rebuts common arguments in favor of it.
Monkey has historically been depicted as a man, but I understand the appeal since he can change his body.
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A poem in chapter 65 refers to Sun Wukong as the Biyan hu (碧眼猢), or the “Blue-eyed Monkey.” This is a likely play on Biyan hu (碧眼胡), or the “Blue-eyed Barbarian,” a nickname of the influential foreign monk Bodhidharma in Buddhist records.
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I was reminded that Sun Wukong has the power to "seize the wind" (抓風) like an animate object.
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I want a Hercules-Sun Wukong buddy cop movie:
He's a divine, super strong, lion skin-clad hero who fights monsters w/a blunt weapon. He's a divine, super strong, tiger skin-clad hero who fights monsters w/a blunt weapon. Both are extremely pissed & ready to clean up the streets
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The talented artist,
@Lavaflowe
, has done a stellar job of recreating the famous 13th-century Kaiyuan Temple stone pagoda carving of Sun Wukong. The drawing breathes life into the stiff carving.
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I'm still working on the catalog of Sun Wukong's powers and skills. I've so far covered chapters 1 to 53. Click the link to read:
(I had to delete the previous post because I posted the wrong link. Sorry.)
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I'm pleased to host a guest post by
@MonkeyRuler81
, who has written an entry about global adaptations of Journey to the West. They have also included an ever-growing spreadsheet with a long list of almost 570 movies, 90 TV shows, and 160 video games!
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Why do western mainstream comics keep changing the Monkey King's story? Don't try to fix what isn't broken.
JTTW does have three kinds of immortal peaches, but they just ripen at different times.
Also, it's the Buddha who traps Sun Wukong under a mountain for 500 years.
For fans of Chinese mythology & Marvel Comics, check out the "Shang-Chi and the Quest for Immortality" all-ages graphic novel, featuring the adventures of a 12-year-old
#ShangChi
!! 🐉
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Here is my new Lotus Prince Nezha idol from China.
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This is a good time to highlight that the pig-spirit Zhu Bajie is first encountered in Tibet (Wusizang, 烏斯藏; Wusiguo, 烏斯國) in the 18th chapter of Journey to the West.
*
Other premodern Chinese renderings of Tibet:
Tanggute (唐古忒), Tubote (圖伯特), Wusiguo (烏斯國), Wusizang (烏斯藏)
"Tibet" itself came into us in the 18th century, and is thought to be derived from Semitic "Tibat," itself deriving the Turkic "Töbäd."
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Have you ever wondered what it would take to kill Sun Wukong? My new article describes a ritual borrowed from Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen yanyi, 封神演義, c. 1620) that would certainly kill the monkey immortal.
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Thank you to my many new followers who are Lego Monkie Kid fans.
Sandy wields a massive monk's spade in the show, but Sha Wujing from JTTW has a staff made from a magic sala tree on the moon. The weapon can grow & shrink like Sun Wukong's staff.
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This style of hand-painted qi effects really needs to make a comeback. Combining it with modern fight choreography would make any Wuxia film stand out.
The still is from one of the 1960s 'Buddha Spirit Palm' (Rulai shenzhang, 如來神掌) movies.
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Sun Wukong's precursor, Monkey Pilgrim, can be pretty ruthless. When a sorcerer turns a monk into a donkey, Monkey turns his wife into grass. Both recall their magic, but Monkey warns he'll "mow down all the grass of your house" (i.e. kill his family) if he does anything again.
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I've mentioned before that Journey to the West is not an accurate snapshot of Chinese religious beliefs. For instance, the Tathagata appearing therein is a mix of two different Buddhas, Shakyamuni and Amitabha. A good indication of this is chapter seven:
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1/3 Journey to the West implies that Sun Wukong is stripped of his armor before being thrown into Laozi's 8 trigrams furnace. One late-16th to early-17th century woodblock print even depicts Monkey naked upon his escape.
... (THREAD)
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Here, I archive PDF scans of Ehon Saiyuki (繪本西遊記, 1835), the first complete Japanese translation of Journey to the West. It has gorgeous woodblock prints.
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Journey to the West (ch. 4) mentions what Sun Wukong sounds like:
"And his voice resounded like bells and [stone] chimes" (聲音響喨如鐘磬) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 152).
Since he's a celestial being, it would be interesting if his voice sounded like a glass harp.
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At the end of Journey to the West, the Buddha elevates the monk Tripitaka in spiritual rank to the “Buddha of Candana Merit” (旃檀功德佛). This is an established deity. My new article explores this Buddha’s religious background, iconography, & purpose.
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Master Golden Cicada (Tripitaka), Miao Jixiang, & the Great Peng are all Buddhist deities from Chinese literature exiled from the Western Heaven for disrespecting Buddha (sleeping/murder). I analyze their stories & note similarities to Greek philosophy.
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As stated in my previous article, the astrological lunar deity Rahu is depicted as one of Sun Wukong's sons in Journey to the South (南遊記). Here's a modern folk carving of him devouring the moon. It reminds me of Thai depictions of Hanuman. The piece is currently in Singapore.
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I'd like to direct my new followers to a past article about other mythic figures born from stone just like the Monkey King.
One is a stone titan from the Near Eastern “Song of Ullikummi” (c. 1200 BCE). He too rebels against heaven.
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Sun Wukong claims in ch. 24 that he can travel 108,000 li (十萬八千里; 33,554 mi/54,000 km) to and from the Western Heaven 50 times (i.e. a total of 10,800,000 li or 3,355,404.43 mi/5,400,000 km) before the sun sets. But his speed is extremely inconsistent throughout the novel.
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"Bajie: Battle for the Future" (八戒：決戰未來, 2024)
This movie advert was stuck to an ATM machine close to my house in Taipei. I saw a commercial for this the other day on a building's jumbotron.
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Bao Gong's (包公) Haiqing Temple (海清宮) in Yulin, Taiwan has a carving of Sun Wukong, Sha Wujing, and Zhu Bajie fighting demons on a side wall.
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Sun Wukong & Poseidon are the gods of horses in their respective literature. Another interesting parallel is their connection to fecund rocks. Poseidon is also known as Petraios ("he of the rock") because, according to one legend, he ejaculated on stone & brought forth horses.
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I was thinking that maybe Sun Wukong's inability to change his tail/red butt could have been a stage play device to help the audience recognize a disguised Monkey.
@JTTWLibrary
suggests that, in canon, the 72 changes is a divine human skill, not one meant for tailed animals.
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The "imp-reflecting mirror" (照妖鏡) is used by heaven throughout Journey to the West to keep track of demons capable of transformations. Sun Wukong is obviously a famous target.
I provide examples of its use in this tumblr answer.
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I’ve written several articles on the worship of the Monkey King. I’ve decided to post a succinct overview for those not familiar with the subject.
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Some of Sun Wukong's nicknames reference the thunder god Lei Gong (雷公):
1) 毛臉雷公嘴的和尚 (Hairy-Faced, Thunder God-Beaked Monk)
2) 雷公嘴和尚 (Thunder God-Beaked Monk)
3) 雷公嘴的男子/漢子 (Thunder God-Beaked Man)
The "beak" describes the prognathic faces of primates.
Sun Wukong’s face was described as “furry face and beak of thunder god” (毛臉雷公嘴) in the original novel. This portrait was done by the mangaka, Sei Itō (伊藤勢).
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Today I learned that Chinese Folk Religion has a "God of Cars" (車神). His statues usually include the phrase "travel safely" (出入平安).
Folk knowledge sometimes associates him with Xi Zhong (奚仲), a Xia dynasty minister credited with inventing the chariot.
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I've previously suggested Sun Wukong's headband is based on one from ritual attire. The Hevajra Tantra calls it a cakri/cakrika (चक्रि/चक्रिका, "wheel") or baolun/zhe (寶輪/者, "treasure wheel/ring"). It is one of the "Five Ornaments" (Sk: Pancamudra, पञ्चमुद्रा; Ch: Wuyin, 五印)
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I wanted to draw attention to an amazing new artist on Tumblr, frankydman. They are currently working on a Dragon Ball-inspired Journey to the West story. The circle is complete!
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I've written an article about Red Boy's (Honghai’er, 紅孩兒) description in Journey to the West for the benefit of artists and cosplayers. Fans of Lego Monkie Kid can compare it to the design for Red Son.
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1/2 I've previously mentioned that Journey to the West implies that Sun Wukong is stripped of his armor prior to his attempted execution. I've found a second print (1) showing Monkey naked upon his escape from Laozi's furnace. I've attached the previously posted version (2).
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People familiar with Esoteric Buddhism will know the Vajra (金剛, "lightning"), a ritual weapon and name of Dharma protectors (some who even appear in Journey to the West). I was surprised to learn that the Mesopotamian god Ninurta holds an "open" vajra cognate.
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Sun Wukong explains in chapter 74 how he would use his magic staff to destroy a massive demon army.
The journey would have been a lot easier if he actually did this.
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1/2 I was surprised to learn that some young people (sometimes connected to the Lego Monkie Kid fandom) believe that they really are Sun Wukong or at least his reincarnation. Such "fictive alters or introjects" are apparently associated with Dissociative Identity Disorder.
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Sun Wukong, champion of the cosmic staring contest 2,500 years and counting.
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Converting Wukong's ability to travel 108,000 LI in one leap to mph/kph for speed scaling is an example of removing a character from their correct religio-mythological context. This is because the number is actually a metaphor for instant enlightenment.
@LustreDiamante
You're welcome. And this is why I HATE power scaling. First, a lot of people don't read the original sources. Next, they rip characters out of their correct religio-mythical or fictional contexts. Last, they force the figures' abilities to fit scientific views of the universe.
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This is my reply to a tumblr question about Sun Wukong's levels of immortality.
1) Longevity arts - Ch. 2
2) Erasing allotted lifespan - Ch. 3
3) Immortal peaches - Ch. 5
4) Immortal wine - Ch. 5
5) Immortal elixir - Ch. 5
6) Ginseng tree fruit - Ch. 24
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I'm happy to host a PDF of the masterful 'Chinese Gods: The Unseen World of Spirits and Demons' (1997) by Keith Stevens. It's a must read for anyone doing field research on Chinese folk religion.
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Lego Monkie Kid fans, is Macaque known for supernatural hearing in the show? His literary version is said to hear things from 1,000 li (310.7 mi/500 km) away.
I just updated my article about him showing that super hearing is a power of Buddhist sages.
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This is my new Laozi idol. He rides his holy mount, a bull who appears as the rhino demon in ch. 50-51 of Journey to the West. He uses a magic ring stolen from his master to defeat Sun Wukong & other holy warriors.
Thank you to Justin Lim.
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I love the Water Margin (Shuihu zhuan, 水滸傳, c. 1400; a.k.a. Outlaws of the Marsh / All Men Are Brothers). It's got so many great lines.
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Here's an English translation of Journey to the South (南遊記, c. pre-1590s). It follows the adventures of Huaguang dadi (華光大帝). The book is notable among fans of Journey to the West as it mentions Sun Wukong has children (e.g. Yuebei xing, 月孛星).
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People waiting to play Black Myth: Wukong may wonder why one of the Monkey King's transformations is a cicada. I've seen people suggest it's b/c Tripitaka was Master Golden Cicada in a previous life, but Sun Wukong actually uses this form (蟭蟟蟲) for stealth 18 times in JTTW.
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An edition of 'De Tuin der Rotsen' (1939) features what could be a depiction of Sun Wukong on the cover.
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Guanyin's compassion doesn't pay the bills ...
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Part of a poem in ch. 21 of JTTW is commonly cited online as proof that Sun Wukong can battle "beings capable of destroying reality." But it's 100% hyperbole when the rest of the novel is taken into account. I'm not downplaying Monkey's abilities. I'm just saying context is key.
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Evidence for the worship of the monk Xuanzang appeared during the Northern Song. For example, he is depicted among the 500 arhats from the 100 scrolls of the《大德寺傳來五百羅漢圖》(1178-1188). He is shown riding a horse led by a yaksha soldier(?). Is that Monkey behind him?
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I was asked why media shows Red Boy (1) & Nezha (2) w/ring necklaces. It was worn by Buddhist & Taoist gods since 13th-c.
* Shancai, Red Boy's religious form - mural from 榆林第3窟 (3)
* Marshal Heavenly Reeds (a.k.a. Zhu Bajie's past incarnation in JTTW) - 道子墨寶 drawing (4)
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