Man-Beasts and Foxy Females
China, the birthplace of Kung Fu, has a rich tapestry of folklore, myth and fairy tales. Some of them have distinctly anthropomorphic undertones.
Shapeshifters make up most of the Chinese antropomorphic characters. Among the most famous are the Húli Jing, fox spirits, which have influenced the concept of the Japanese Kitsune. Many tales tell of a fox spirit turning into a beautiful human girl. This power, is not unique to the fox spirits. Given sufficient inner energy or Qì, almost all things are capable to acquire human form or mind - even household items such as pots or umbrellas!
Many tales about the Húli Jing are romantic love stories. In others, they make men sick by draining their Qì. In the Ming dynasty novel "Fengshen Yanyi", Nuwa, a nine tailed fox spirit, seduces King Zhou Xin of Shang, who creates a reign of terror under her command. Even today, a Mandarin term for a seductress or home wrecker is Húli Jing.
Guardians of the Underworld
Another form of human-animal hybrids in Chinese culture bears resemblance to the Egyptian theriocephalic deities, creatures with animal heads and human bodies. Among these are the two guardians of the Underworld, Niú Tóu and Ma Miàn, which roughly translates to "Ox-Head and Horse-Face". Their role is largely identical to the Greek Cerberus: They are guardians of the dead and hell's own bounty hunters.
The Monkey King
The most famous anthropomorphic character of Chinese culture, loved by millions, however, is Sun Wùkong. He is the famous Monkey King of "Journey to the West" a Ming dynasty novel, written by Wú Chéng'en and one of the four great classics of Chinese literature. Sun Wùkong is a powerful trickster, sage and guardian of the monk Xuánzàng, who is sent on a quest to India to collect the Buddhist Scriptures and bring them to China.
On the way, Sun Wùkong wrestles gods and demons and wins himself enlightenment. He is described as quick witted and sharp-tongued, but he possesses a foul temper and is prone to senseless violence, which brings him into conflict with his master. He can be tempered by a magical headband which gives the poor monkey a terrible headache if he misbehaves.
His powers range from super strength to the ability to transform into other creatures. He flies on a cloud and possesses a staff that can grow or shrink to his liking. His influence on cultural imagination has been profound, even outside China. He appears in the Japanese anime series "Dragon Ball" and "Saijuki Reloaded".
The abundance of antropomporphic beings in Chinese myth could be attributed to certain philosophical views, especially in Taoist texts, where the distinctions between human, animal and even objects are not as sharp as in other cultures. The transition from animal to human or something in between is, in some texts, as quickly done as a kiss.
Author: Curry