Nine Songs

九歌图

Credit to Cleveland Museum of Art

Nine Songs 九歌图 was created in 1346 by the Yuan dynasty painter Zhang Wo 张渥. Its smooth and neat brushwork and slender, flying lines vividly reflect the fine-line drawing style of the Yuan Dynasty.

Zhang Wo created this painting based on the content of Nine Songs, Jiu Ge 九歌. Jiu Ge is a set of lyrical poems rewritten by Qu Yuan 屈原, which originated from folk music songs for gods and goddesses passed down in southern Chu.

The painting consists of eleven scrolls in total, nine of which delicately portray nine celestial gods in the Chu culture. These celestial gods are Dong Huang Tai Yi 东皇太一, Yun Zhong Jun 云中君, Xiang Jun 湘君, Xiang Fu Ren 湘夫人, Da Siming 大司命, Shao Siming 少司命, Dong Jun 东君, He Bo 河伯, and Shan Gui 山鬼 . The state of Chu attached importance to worship of the gods and had many vessels for sacrificial rituals, and the main objects of their worship were these celestial gods. The last chapter scroll of this painting is called Li Hun 礼魂, which depicts the last step of sending off the gods in the sacrificial process.

Although this painting is not from the Chu period, it can be used as a painting to visually show the audiences the image of sacrificial deities in the Chu culture.

Poet, Qu Yuan 屈原

The first scroll contains the portrait of Qu Yuan 屈原, the author of Jiu Ge.

Dong Huang Tai Yi 东皇太一

The second scroll contains Dong Huang Tai Yi 东皇太一. Dong Huang Tai Yi is the revered god of heaven. Zhang Wo portrays him as a kingly figure, tall and majestic, with a draped crown, twirling his beard with one hand and pointing with the other.

Yun Zhong Jun 云中君

Yun Zhong Jun 云中君 is painted on the third scroll. Yun Zhong Jun is the god of clouds, he stands on the clouds like Dong Huang Tai Yi, with his sleeves flowing in the wind, showing his calm and self-contained look.

Xiang Jun 湘君

Xiang Fu Ren 湘夫人

On the fourth and fifth scrolls, there are Xiang Jun 湘君 and Xiang Fu Ren 湘夫人. Both Xiang Jun and Xiang Fu Ren are the gods of Xiang water, and their relationship has been controversial since ancient times. The first theory is that they are a couple who love each other. A second theory is that they are two goddesses. Another theory is that they did not have a direct relationship with each other. This painting depicts both Xiang Jun and Xiang Furen as women figures, probably agreeing more with the first theory. In the painting, the two goddesses of Xiang Shui are both elegantly dressed, floating above the tumbling water.

Da Si Ming 大司命

Da Si Ming 大司命 is on the sixth scroll of the painting. Da Si Ming is the god of longevity who rules over human life and death. In the painting, he is holding a walking stick, with a few clean lines and a hint of light ink on his head. The clothes and pants are drawn with stronger lines. As for the face and hands, the brush is finer, lighter, softer and more varied, and the eyebrows drawn with a dry brush succeed in showing their sparseness and fluffiness, bringing out the vicissitudes of an elderly person.

Shao Si Ming 少司命

On the seventh scroll, there is Shao Si Ming 少司命. Shao Si Ming is the god in charge of the heirs on earth. In the painting, Shao Si Ming is holding a brush in his left hand and a scroll in his right hand. He has kind eyes and floats on the auspicious clouds. On her left, there is a staff-wielding maid who seems to be listening to his instructions.

Dong Jun 东君

Dong Jun 东君 is the god of the sun. Zhang Wo depicts him as a military general, fully clothed, with his sword and bow raised, gazing at the star Sirius in front of him.

He Bo 河伯

He Bo 河伯 is a water god of the Yellow River in ancient Chinese mythology. In the painting, He Bo rides on top of a sea turtle, and the flying of his clothes and hatband and the rushing of the waves bring out the image of He Bo advancing against the wind and waves.

Shan Gui 山鬼

Shan Gui 山鬼 is the ghost god of the mountain, and the painting shows Shan Gui riding a leopard in the middle of a pine forest naked.

Guo Shang 国殇

The last scroll is called Guo Shang 国殇. It does not contain a specific god or goddess but paints Jiu Ge’s literary chapter of Guo Shang. The brightness of the armor contrasts sharply with the gloom of the trees and rocks, thus highlighting the figures. The man walking in the forefront under the tree looks up angrily and opens his mouth to shout. Behind him, the heads of countless warriors are moving among the thick branches and leaves of the trees.

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