The Extraordinary Supernatural

Demonic Creatures and Apparitions 

Unlike other supernatural beings, demonic apparitions are all understood as harmful for humans. They are frequently named mei 魅 or yao 妖. Mei is originally a female tree spirit (dryad), or a creature with four legs and a human face, which has developed out of the qi of forests and mountains; while yao is a malicious spectral being, which bewitches humans. It is a mischievous and wayward demonic apparition, with bad influence on the environment. Sometimes, a demon is also termed mo 魔, jingshen 精神, or shenwu 神物.[1] All objects as well as living beings can become demonic by gathering an increasing amount of energy over a long period of time and thus gain supernatural power. Moreover, nearly everything can be used as a physical cover by a demon. [2] Like ghosts, they consist of yin-energy and can be driven out or destroyed by yang-energy.

Demons in the Compilation 魅, 魔, 妖

Ji Yun explains three different ways of demonic formations. Accordingly, there is the kind that develops directly through humans, the kind that develops indirectly through humans, and the ones which exist in nature, independently from man. The beings that emerge directly through individuals are aroused by physical closeness and attention towards them; as for example, in the report about the first wife of Ji Yun's father, who treated temple dolls like children, because she was sorry about being childless. After her death, these dolls became demonic playing companions of Ji Yun as a young child (HX II.44). Demons that are indirectly aroused by individuals have usually developed nearby and suddenly reveal themselves. They lead a life of their own, but can also appear when individuals have immoral thoughts or sexual fantasies. Finally, there are beings that exist independently in nature and are only by chance seen by humans, such as animals who can transform their appearance, or demons of plants.

In the collection, 31 demons appear in human shape, 16 as strange creatures, animals, or objects, and 14 are invisible. There are 15 supernatural females, of which nine are described as dangerous and alluring for men. Further, Ji Yun reflects on the demon of drought (hanba 旱魃), of mountain (shanxiao 山魈), and of drum (guyao 鼓妖). The mentioned objects have by natural process accumulated so much essence (jing 精 or essence energy jingqi 精氣), also called emanation, that they become supernatural. Moreover, objects can accumulate jingqi by being close to humans, whereas pictures which copy reality are thus able to capture it, gain jing, and become of magic spiritual (shen 神) disposition. Once these objects have become demonic, they simply exist to obtain more power. Since only the yang-energy of fire can expel them, they need to be burned for complete destruction. In case a demon is already too powerful, he can only be destroyed by the God of Thunder, as has been mentioned in chapter Heaven and Underworld, 2 Gods. Sometimes enough firecrackers lit up simultaneously can also successfully kill a demon.

The varied creatures that live in trees, like the frequently mentioned tree-essence (shuzhi jing 樹之精 ), are often not called demonic, even though the stories make clear that they are, as in the following entry told by Zhu Chengxu 朱承煦 (b. 1675):

[…] A student once rented a room in the Yunju temple in Beijing and noticed a boy of thirteen to fourteen years, who frequently went in and out the temple. The student, who had a somewhat licentious character, persuaded the boy to become intimate and spend the night together. The next day, at the break of dawn, a guest opened the door and stepped inside the room. The student felt embarrassed, but the guest did not seem to notice anything. Shortly thereafter, a monk came in to bring tea and he too, did not seem to notice anything. Thereupon the student suspected that something was unusual and when the guest had left, while embracing the boy, he asked him. The boy said: "Don’t worry, I am actually the refined essence (jing 精) of apricot flowers." Frightfully, the student asked: "Did you demonize me?"

The boy answered: "Essences (jing 精) and demons (mei 魅) are not the same. Mountain demons (shanxiao 山魈) are malicious spirits. They attach themselves to vegetation to cause trouble and are then called demons (mei 魅). The blossoming flowers of trees that are over 1000 years old can condense inside and after a long time change into [human] appearance. This is similar to the Daoist bond to the 'holy embryo' (shengtai 聖胎) and is called the essence. Whereas demons harm humans, essences are not harmful to humans."

The student then said: "Flower demons are female, why are you male?"

The boy said: "Apricots are male and female. I am a male apricot."

He inquired further: "Why then do you look so feminine?"

"This is predestined."

The student remarked "Is the relationship of humans and plants also predestined?”

Whereupon the boy was ashamed and seemed dispirited for some time, until he said: "Without humanely seminal energy (jingqi 精氣), I cannot preserve the human form of appearance."

Now the student declared: "In that case you have demonized me" and subsequently the boy departed unhappily.

One can say that the scholar did rein in his horse on the brink of a precipice, which was very wise. Actually, he is one of Zhu Tianmen's [Zhu Chengxu] students, but did not want his name to be known (RS II.48).

Next to the mentioned differences of essences and natural demons, it is clear that contact with creatures that desire human energy should generally be avoided for health reasons.[3]

The described animals include a tiger and a wolf, which can transform into women, and frequently pythons are mentioned. Ji Yun recalls, that even in the Censorate the traces of such a snake could be made out, even though the animal itself could never be seen. A colleague of Ji Yun thought at first that a python hiding in the Censorate was a bad omen, but his suspicion wasn’t verified. The narratives make clear that everything surrounding humans can be, or become, demonic and thus threatening. Or, as Ji Yun's maternal grandfather, Zhang Fen 張棻 (d. 1750) points out: “Things that violate the norm are demonic. What could be auspicious about them!” [“物之反常者為妖, 何瑞之有!“ LY II.9.]

Social Classes and Their Demonic Experiences

In the reports about demons, 23 times the creature is more powerful than the protagonist, makes him ill, or even murders him. In 25 narratives, the power structure is not a topic, and in 13 entries, the individual is stronger than the demon. No reason for the supernatural appearance is given in about 60 per cent of the entries; especially concerning the ones that have a bad ending for the individual. 

Upper class individuals seldom encounter supernatural seductive females and animals, but more often demons of trees and objects. Since these protagonists possess more property, as well as antiquities and rarities than the other social classes, this seems not surprising.

Demons of trees frequently become visible, if an official is about to cut down an old tree in his private garden or at his yamen. Officials are often described as helpless when they encounter a demon, as, for example, Xu Jingxi 徐景熹 (1715–1764), in whose yamen fires break out without a reason. When additionally one night his servant's hair is cut off, Mr. Xu asks for early retirement from office. Nevertheless, he dies before starting his journey home. Ji Yun comments that the demon had sensed Mr. Xu's declining energy (qi) and therefore dared to come closer and bother him. Likewise, Wu Shizhen 吴世珍 (fl. 1771) has to suffer fire breaking out in his accommodation. Even though he moves house a few times, the fire would start again. At first, he as well as Ji Yun has his doubts about the fire's origin, until one day Mr. Wu becomes a witness as to how his ceiling starts burning by itself. Interestingly, in this story, demons, which are afraid of fire and can be destroyed by it, are causing fire to break out in order to threaten a human.

Next to demons threatening innocent persons, it is also told in one entry that the official Menglin 梦麟 (1728–1758), in opposition to his local labourers, courageously wants to expel supernatural animals at his official residence. He is quickly disillusioned and has to accept the fact that the demons are stronger. Ji Yun’s tongnian Wang Yongxi 汪永錫 (d. 1782), on the other hand, does not even risk living near a demon. He fearfully relocates because of a tree demon existing near his house, even though it behaves absolutely passively.

The difficulties of the right conduct becomes apparent in the following examples: The official Zhang Yue 張鉞 (b. 1686) orders that an old tree near his yamen is to be cut down, as he thinks it is inauspicious. The same evening, the tree demon (shenwu 神物) takes revenge by appearing Mr. Zhang's daughter and causing her to become mentally ill.[4] Ji Yun comments on this report a little disrespectfully by stating that it is seldom the case that people whose moral conduct is not sufficient to keep demons at bay, win with taking violent measures. He also states the opinion that one should not listen too much to a tree demon. When a geomancer gives a remote family of Ji Yun the advice to fell a tree, the landlord fearfully refrains from doing so, after the tree essence requested this from him in a dream. Here, Ji Yun concludes that most likely nothing would have happened if one nevertheless had chopped the tree.

Next to the examples, in which a scholar escapes the seduction of a harmful creature, it can also happen that a love affair does not have unfavourable consequences for a man. This is the case in the entry about a demonic girl, who is praised for only having affairs with talented, but socially unsuccessful scholars (LY I.45).

Scholars, on the other hand are said to be respected by demons if they are cultivated. The stories do frequently have a sexual component, as the one about a scholar who stays in a Buddhist monastery. On the wall of his room hangs the portrait of a beautiful and very lively appearing woman. The man asks the highest monk of the monastery, if this painting does not have a disturbing influence on the meditation. The monk replies that it is the portrait of a heavenly fairy, hanging on the wall for over 100 years and which he has never studied in detail anyway. One evening, when the scholar looks closely at the picture, a female voice suddenly explains that she wants to come out of the painting now. The scholar roughly reprehends her wish and threatens to burn her, after which the woman starts to cry pathetically. This in turn the monk hears, who hurries along. He at once suspects that the woman is the cause for the fatal illness of his student who had previously occupied the room. Thereupon, the woman in the painting is quiet for a while, until she says: "Buddhists are so tolerant, that everything is permitted. The monk will surely have mercy and help me." Instead of that, the monk is so enraged that he sets fire to the painting at once. As the scent of burned human meat can be smelled coming from the flames, it becomes evident that the creature must already have murdered several monks [and thus had gathered enough qi to imitate a real human body]. Since the killing of humans has made it powerful, it is not possible to drive it out completely. Instead, a sobbing sound can be heard sometimes at night in the monastery, until the lightening up of sufficient firecrackers to resemble a real thunderbolt finally destroys the demon for good (LX V.9).

Next to the examples, in which a scholar escapes the seduction of a harmful creature, it can also happen that a love affair does not have unfavourable consequences for a man. This is the case in the entry about a demonic girl, who is praised for only having affairs with talented, but socially unsuccessful scholars.

Moreover, demons can even be understood as pure entertainment:

Outside the Fengyi city gate is the garden of the family Di, in which used to stand an old pine tree. Many senior colleagues of mine [Ji Yun] wrote something poetic about it. Mr. Qian Xiangshu 錢香樹 [Qian Chenqun 錢陳群 (1686–1774)] had still seen this tree, but it is cut down now and has been made into firewood. He Huafeng 何華峰 narrates that according to legend, at the time when the pine was not dried out and withered, one could sometimes hear music coming from it on clear moonlit nights.

Once there was an aristocrat in the area, who, together with friends, wanted to listen to this. After the second double hour [midnight] the sound of a pipa could be heard. It sounded as if it came out of the tree and from its top at the same time. This went on for a long while, until a thin voice sang slowly: "humans feel the cold of the winter night; I feel the good of the winter night. With a precious blanket, as warm as spring; you do not worry about the break of dawn." The aristocrat complained what kind of creature this old demon could be that he dared to represent something like this to him! Thereupon it was abruptly quiet, but after a short while, music could be heard again and a voice sang: "The official is like the peach and plum blossom; I am like the pine and cypress trees; peach and plum blossom easily wither; pine and cypress trees are consistent." This time, the aristocrat nodded in agreement and said: "Well, this already comes close to an elegant poem." Before the music ceased completely, one could hear a hushed and faint voice from behind the tree: "This person is easy to please, he even likes the singing of such a verse." Suddenly, a pulling sound like the ripping of a string could be heard. This was repeated and thereafter there was silence (RS I.22).

Here, a human annoys a demon by his wish for superficial entertainment, and moreover does not realise that he is ridiculed by the creature.

Even though Ji Yun gives examples how, at the time when he was an official, he could keep demons at bay by cultivated behaviour, the biographical stories do also reveal unfavourable encounters. Twice, antique objects become demonic and are bad omens for Ji Yun's family members; as is the case when Gao Rongzhi's 高榮祉 jade horse changes its leg position and peonies grow out of a pillar in the hall of a distant family. An apparition of a demonic Doppelgänger, seen by the first wife of Ji Yun's father, is the announcement of her nearing death. Whereas Chen Deyin 陳德音 (juren 1713) can keep the threatening misfortune at bay, which announces itself by the nightly appearance of the Demon of Drums (guyao 鼓妖). For protective measures, he admonishes special moral attention inside the family.

In half of the stories featuring a protagonist without a specified social class, the human meets menacing demons; as is the case in the narrative told by Ji Yun's former tutor Ji Ru'ai 及孺愛 (fl. 1730), who becomes a witness of how a fly gets into the ear of a man and tortures him through constant talking.

People of the lower strata, similarly to the scholars, have encounters with supernatural seductresses and it happens, that they are annoyed for moral reasons. They also dispel demons by burning or shooting at them; and a tree demon, which intimidates a servant, abruptly flees on his own because he is afraid of two drunken carpenters who happen to pass by.

The three monks who are protagonists are led into sexual temptation by seductive demonic women. In the best case, the protagonist is taught a lesson and in the worst case, he is murdered. Although Ji Yun remarks that it was their own fault, it also happens, that a virtuous monk is randomly tortured. Even though Ji Yun thinks that the story is not trustworthy. Whereas monks are put to the test by demons, Daoists are shown as fearless magical exorcists – even though not always successful. Women are generally shown as weaker than demons and even innocent characters are bothered or afflicted. Nevertheless, a woman can also have a beneficial friendship with a supernatural creature, as the following story shows:

It already has been mentioned, that a giant python came out of the grave of the honourable Mr. Zha's 札 grandfather. The Censor to the Left, Shumulu 舒穆嚕 has told me [Ji Yun] so.[5]

At the tenth day of the third month, in the fifty-seventh year of the Qianlong reign [1792], the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Jiang Jimen 蔣戟門 [Jiang Ciqi 蔣賜棨, c 1730–1802] invited me to marvel at the peach blossom. Since I sat together with the honourable Mr. Zha, I could ask him about this story in detail. I found out that Shumulu had narrated nothing wrong, but the honourable Mr. Zha moreover told me another story, which Shumulu does not know: Once, there was an old woman Liu, who kept watch over a grave. Often she slept together with a python, which, when it coiled up, nearly occupied the whole sleeping place. Each time, when the snake arrived, it wanted to drink alcohol. The old woman warmed up the spirit over a fire and poured it into a big bowl. The python raised its head and sniffed at the alcohol, which reduced itself a little and thereafter was tasteless like water. The snake hid by the body of the old Liu, giving her the ability to diagnose illnesses and thus she could cure many sick persons. One morning a man came and wanted to buy the python. He gave the old Liu 8000 coins and since the snake was drunk, he picked it up and went away. After he was gone, the old woman suddenly spoke as if crazy: "I have treated you well, but you have sold me. Now I ask for your life." Thereafter, the old woman continuously slapped her cheek. Her brother went to Mr. Zha to report this and Mr. Zha personally came with him to see the old woman. There was nothing left to do and it was not long until she died.

It is quite normal that demonic creatures (妖物) attach themselves to the body of female shamans; it is also quite normal that it is unlucky to insult these beings. However, it is quite unusual to receive money for a demon; even more unusual are people who spend money on a demon. The python is still alive today and exists in the garden outside of the [Beijing] Xizhi city gate, which the people call Hongguo yuan [Red Fruit garden] (HX I.45).

Next to the failed attempt to gain material profit through a demon, as an exception for the YWCT, a prejudice against female shamans can be made out in this entry.

Summary

In the entries about extraordinary supernatural apparitions, an increased interest to examine and understand these creatures and phenomena can be made out. Since demons are the only unnatural beings that are generally understood as being harmful to humans, the explanations given in the stories are for a better identification of the different kind and their expulsion. Here the demons, which exist independently from humans, are perceived as especially fearsome.

As has been shown in this chapter, the reason for the appearance of these beings does not necessarily lie in humans, but the protagonists are frequently randomly bothered, annoyed, or tormented. The protagonists of the educated elite are advised to keep demons at bay by their cultivated moral character. The narratives nevertheless make clear that this is not always possible. Officials are often harassed without a reason and more than half of them are threatened and subject to these creatures. Especially the stories of a demon’s appearance in and nearby the yamen indicate as well as in the previous chapter about ghosts, that contemporary anxieties of officials are expressed. Not only the fear because of the responsibility of their office, but also having to serve in foreign places and different provinces.

The biographical entries do again mention unreasonable supernatural experiences and it is told how relatives of Ji Yun causeless become victims. On the other hand, protagonists of the lower strata and the few individuals of the middle class are not illustrated differently than in the stories about the other supernatural creatures. Moreover, they do not seem to distinguish the different beings as accurately as the educated individuals. They are annoyed by demonic creatures, but also courageously drive them out. Buddhist monks and Daoists are no help as exorcists, because their magic seems inferior and they easily become victims themselves.

Compared to the other supernatural apparitions, demons have a stronger sexual component; for example, if they come into being through erotic thoughts by humans or when dangerous animals turn into women. Next to scholars, especially monks are concerned and thus put to the test.

NOTES

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[1]   Wieger 1965, 658, 808. In the YWCT, a mei often refers to a being or object, which has accumulated essential essences (jing 精) over a long period of time and thus could develop extraordinary powers (guai 怪). Zhongwen da cidian, 2. rev. ed. (Taipei, 1973), vol. 10, 46796 and vol. 3, 3563. Mei 魅 are also called mountain demons (shanxiao 山魈). See also Glahn von 2004, chapter 3, 'Shanxiao: Mountain Goblins', 78–97. In case a demon is termed jingshen 精神, or shenwu 神物, ‘shen’ means an immaterial and therefore spiritual kind of being. About the different kinds of demons, see also De Groot 1972, chapter 'Demonology', 465−663.

[2]   Demons and ghosts are often not clearly distinguished and an ill-tempered spirit unknown to an individual is frequently termed ‘demon’. Overlapping can also be found in the YWCT. For example, apparitions are sometimes called 'demonic ghosts', to accent their individual malfeasant character. It can also happen that a protagonist or narrator does not know what kind of supernatural being a creature belongs to and therefore calls it a 'demon'. In this case, the term is used as in 'ghosts and gods' (guishen) or 'ghosts and foxes' (guihu) and not necessarily meant literally. About demons, see also Feuchtwang 1992, chapter 'A Demonic Cosmos', 43–51 and 'Demons (Gui) and Their Guardians', 99–103.

[3]   About the importance of essence (jing) for the human health, see also Unschuld 1985, 122–127.

[4]   Zhang Yue's daughter was later married to Ji Yun's tongnian Ge Yuan 戈源 (1738−1799), but died untimely; equally, Ji Yun's daughter, who was engaged with Ge Yuan's son, died prematurely.

[5]   See HX I.13 for the narrative told Ji Yun by Shumulu Shuhede 舒穆魯舒赫德 (1711−1777) about the giant python, which came out of the grave of Zhalanga's 札郎阿 (c 1738–1813) grandfather.

Examples

灤陽消夏錄 (LY)

LY I.30        Ancient cedar tree demons, two men in red clothes 紅衣人 (木魅) are respectful towards Ji Yun, who bows to them and writes respectful poem [Yuan Mei 袁枚 is giving a different record of the event in his Xin qixie, maybe he heard it wrong '袁子才嘗載此事於《新齊諧》, 所記稍異, 蓋傳聞之誤也.']

LY I.43        Strange green man 人面目手足及衣冠, 色皆濃綠 takes revenge for cutting down his old mulberry tree 神物 and Zhang Yue's 張鉞 (b. 1686, 1730 jinshi) daughter becomes insane.

LY II.9       Gao Rongzhi's 高永滋 (17th c.) jade horse 舊玉馬 changes its leg position, which is bad omen.

LY II.29       Unusual pheasant and snake 雉, 蛇 admonishing the official Menglin 梦麟  (1728–1758)  to not drive them out.

LY III.37     Tree being, probably tree demon 木魅, has profound conversations with Zhao Zhixin 趙執信 (1662–1744).

LY III.45     The appearance of a Doppelgänger is prophecy of approaching death of the first wife of Ji Yun's father, Ji Rongshu 紀容舒 (1686–1764).

LY IV.31     Ji Yun's 1754 jinshi tongnian, Wang Yongxi 汪永錫 (d. 1782), fearfully relocates after appearances of passive red dressed female in old jujube tree. 

LY V.31   Unusual (demonic) shrine dolls 神廟泥孩 are Ji Yun's playing companions when he was a young child.

LY VI.24     Mountain demon 山魈 making noise in Ji Yun's yamen in Fujian, is pacified by a couplet.

LY VI.25     Demonic creature 山鬼, 邪魅 irritates the official Xu Jingxi 徐景熹 (1715–1764), because of his declining energy 氣 and approaching death.

如是我聞 (RS)

RS I.22 Demon of old pine tree (物老魅) makes fun of aristocrat and friends with disrespectful song.

RS I.47 Demon of old broom reveals itself by transforming into little girl, stealing paper flowers; is driven out by burning as precaution.

RS III.28  Demon is threatening the official Wu Shizhen 吴世珍 (fl. 1771) by repeatedly starting fire in his accommodation.

RS III.51    Bats and bat demon (怪, 妖魅, 蝙蝠) driven out of yamen by Governor Li Qingshi 李清時 (1706–1768), who shortly afterwards dies. 

姑妄聽之 (GW)

GW I.20 Strange female riding on a butterfly, seen by Zheng Wangchen 鄭王臣 (18th c.).