King Mu of Zhou: Difference between revisions
this shouldn't be here |
rv v by sock |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''King Mu of Zhou''' ([[Chinese language|ch]] 周穆王 Zhōu Mù Wáng) or '''King Mu of Chou''' or '''Mu Wang''' was the fifth sovereign of the |
'''King Mu of Zhou''' ([[Chinese language|ch]] 周穆王 Zhōu Mù Wáng) or '''King Mu of Chou''' or '''Mu Wang''' was the fifth sovereign of the Chinese [[Zhou Dynasty]]. |
||
==Life== |
==Life== |
||
King Mu Wang came into power after his father [[King Zhao of Zhou|King Zhao]]'s death during his tour to the South. King Mu was perhaps the most pivotal [[king]] of the [[History of China|Chinese]] [[Zhou Dynasty]], reigning nearly sixty-six years, from c.976 BC to c.922 BC. He was reputed to have lived until the age of 105. He liked to travel, and in particular visited the [[Kunlun Mountains]] several times during his reign, and is said that he traveled 90,000 kilometers to the west. King Mu was more ambitious than wise, yet he was able to introduce reforms that changed the nature of the Zhou Dynasty government, transforming it from a hereditary system to one that was based on merit and knowledge of administrative skills.<ref>Chin, Annping. (2007). The Authentic Confucius. Scrubner. ISBN 0743246187</ref> |
King Mu Wang came into power after his father [[King Zhao of Zhou|King Zhao]]'s death during his tour to the South. King Mu was perhaps the most pivotal [[king]] of the [[History of China|Chinese]] [[Zhou Dynasty]], reigning nearly sixty-six years, from c.976 BC to c.922 BC. He was reputed to have lived until the age of 105. He liked to travel, and in particular visited the [[Kunlun Mountains]] several times during his reign, and is said that he traveled 90,000 kilometers to the west. King Mu was more ambitious than wise, yet he was able to introduce reforms that changed the nature of the Zhou Dynasty government, transforming it from a hereditary system to one that was based on merit and knowledge of administrative skills.<ref>Chin, Annping. (2007). The Authentic Confucius. Scrubner. ISBN 0743246187</ref> |
||
| Line 9: | Line 8: | ||
One Chinese myth tells a story about King Mu Wang, who dreamed of being an immortal god. He was determined to visit the [[heaven]]ly [[paradise]] and taste the [[peach]]es of [[immortality]]. A brave [[charioteer]] named [[Tsao Fu]], used his [[chariot]] to carry the emperor to his destination. |
One Chinese myth tells a story about King Mu Wang, who dreamed of being an immortal god. He was determined to visit the [[heaven]]ly [[paradise]] and taste the [[peach]]es of [[immortality]]. A brave [[charioteer]] named [[Tsao Fu]], used his [[chariot]] to carry the emperor to his destination. |
||
In the 3rd century BC text of the ''[[Lie Zi]]'', there is a curious account on [[automata]] involving a much earlier encounter between King Mu of Zhou and |
In the 3rd century BC text of the ''[[Lie Zi]]'', there is a curious account on [[automata]] involving a much earlier encounter between King Mu of Zhou and an artificer known as [[Yan Shi]] (Chinese: 偃師 , pinyin: yǎn shī). The latter proudly presented the king with a life-size, human-shaped figure of his mechanical 'handiwork' ([[Wade-Giles]] spelling): |
||
<blockquote> |
<blockquote> |
||
The king stared at the figure in astonishment. It walked with rapid strides, moving its head up and down, so that anyone would have taken it for a live human being. The artificer touched its chin, and it began singing, perfectly in tune. He touched its hand, and it began posturing, keeping perfect time...As the performance was drawing to an end, the [[robot]] winked its eye and made advances to the ladies in attendance, whereupon the king became incensed and would have had Yen Shih [Yan Shi] executed on the spot had not the latter, in mortal fear, instantly taken the robot to pieces to let him see what it really was. And, indeed, it turned out to be only a construction of leather, wood, glue and lacquer, variously coloured white, black, red and blue. Examining it closely, the king found all the internal organs complete—liver, gall, heart, lungs, spleen, kidneys, stomach and intestines; and over these again, muscles, bones and limbs with their joints, skin, teeth and hair, all of them artificial...The king tried the effect of taking away the heart, and found that the mouth could no longer speak; he took away the liver and the eyes could no longer see; he took away the kidneys and the legs lost their power of locomotion. The king was delighted.<ref name="needham volume 2 53">Needham, Volume 2, 53.</ref> |
The king stared at the figure in astonishment. It walked with rapid strides, moving its head up and down, so that anyone would have taken it for a live human being. The artificer touched its chin, and it began singing, perfectly in tune. He touched its hand, and it began posturing, keeping perfect time...As the performance was drawing to an end, the [[robot]] winked its eye and made advances to the ladies in attendance, whereupon the king became incensed and would have had Yen Shih [Yan Shi] executed on the spot had not the latter, in mortal fear, instantly taken the robot to pieces to let him see what it really was. And, indeed, it turned out to be only a construction of leather, wood, glue and lacquer, variously coloured white, black, red and blue. Examining it closely, the king found all the internal organs complete—liver, gall, heart, lungs, spleen, kidneys, stomach and intestines; and over these again, muscles, bones and limbs with their joints, skin, teeth and hair, all of them artificial...The king tried the effect of taking away the heart, and found that the mouth could no longer speak; he took away the liver and the eyes could no longer see; he took away the kidneys and the legs lost their power of locomotion. The king was delighted.<ref name="needham volume 2 53">Needham, Volume 2, 53.</ref> |
||
</blockquote> |
</blockquote> |
||
A number of stories associate King Mu with the [[pederasty|love of boys]]. According to one account, he was in love with the youth Jido. When the boy committed a breach of etiquette by stepping over or breaking the king's pillow, he was sentenced to death by some jealous ministers. The king could not totally revoke the sentence, but he reduced it to exile. To ensure his beloved's safety in the wilderness he transmitted to him a secret eight-line verse based on the ''Lotus Sutra'' that he had received from the Buddha, which he instructed the boy to recite every day. In order to not forget the verses, the youth wrote them down on chrysanthemum leaves, and did as he was told. As a result, Jido was said to have become an immortal who took the name of Pengzu.<ref>The red thread: Buddhist approaches to sexuality By Bernard Faure; p259</ref> |
|||
In another account, his lover is named Ju Citong, "the beloved chrysanthemum child," who drinks the moisture of the flower and gains eternal youth.<ref>Timon Screech; ''Sex and the Floating World;'' p157</ref> |
|||
==Personal information== |
==Personal information== |
||
| Line 78: | Line 81: | ||
[[Category:Zhou Dynasty kings|Mu]] |
[[Category:Zhou Dynasty kings|Mu]] |
||
[[Category:10th-century BC people]] |
[[Category:10th-century BC people]] |
||
[[Category:History of pederasty]] |
|||
[[fr:Zhou Muwang]] |
[[fr:Zhou Muwang]] |
||
Revision as of 08:47, 2 February 2010
King Mu of Zhou (ch 周穆王 Zhōu Mù Wáng) or King Mu of Chou or Mu Wang was the fifth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty.
Life
King Mu Wang came into power after his father King Zhao's death during his tour to the South. King Mu was perhaps the most pivotal king of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty, reigning nearly sixty-six years, from c.976 BC to c.922 BC. He was reputed to have lived until the age of 105. He liked to travel, and in particular visited the Kunlun Mountains several times during his reign, and is said that he traveled 90,000 kilometers to the west. King Mu was more ambitious than wise, yet he was able to introduce reforms that changed the nature of the Zhou Dynasty government, transforming it from a hereditary system to one that was based on merit and knowledge of administrative skills.[1]
During King Mu's reign, the Zhou Dynasty was at its peak, and King Mu tried to stamp out invaders in the western part of China and ultimately expand Zhou's influence to the east. In the height of his passion for conquests, he led an immense army against the Jung Tribes, native to India, that had colonized the western part of China. His visits and travels allowed him to contact many tribes and swayed them to either join under the Zhou banner or be conquered in war with his mighty army. This expedition must have been more of a failure than a success, proven by the fact that he brought back only four white wolves and four white deer. Unintentionally and inadvertently, he thus sowed the seeds of hatred which culminated in an invasion of China by the same tribes in 771 B.C.
One Chinese myth tells a story about King Mu Wang, who dreamed of being an immortal god. He was determined to visit the heavenly paradise and taste the peaches of immortality. A brave charioteer named Tsao Fu, used his chariot to carry the emperor to his destination.
In the 3rd century BC text of the Lie Zi, there is a curious account on automata involving a much earlier encounter between King Mu of Zhou and an artificer known as Yan Shi (Chinese: 偃師 , pinyin: yǎn shī). The latter proudly presented the king with a life-size, human-shaped figure of his mechanical 'handiwork' (Wade-Giles spelling):
The king stared at the figure in astonishment. It walked with rapid strides, moving its head up and down, so that anyone would have taken it for a live human being. The artificer touched its chin, and it began singing, perfectly in tune. He touched its hand, and it began posturing, keeping perfect time...As the performance was drawing to an end, the robot winked its eye and made advances to the ladies in attendance, whereupon the king became incensed and would have had Yen Shih [Yan Shi] executed on the spot had not the latter, in mortal fear, instantly taken the robot to pieces to let him see what it really was. And, indeed, it turned out to be only a construction of leather, wood, glue and lacquer, variously coloured white, black, red and blue. Examining it closely, the king found all the internal organs complete—liver, gall, heart, lungs, spleen, kidneys, stomach and intestines; and over these again, muscles, bones and limbs with their joints, skin, teeth and hair, all of them artificial...The king tried the effect of taking away the heart, and found that the mouth could no longer speak; he took away the liver and the eyes could no longer see; he took away the kidneys and the legs lost their power of locomotion. The king was delighted.[2]
A number of stories associate King Mu with the love of boys. According to one account, he was in love with the youth Jido. When the boy committed a breach of etiquette by stepping over or breaking the king's pillow, he was sentenced to death by some jealous ministers. The king could not totally revoke the sentence, but he reduced it to exile. To ensure his beloved's safety in the wilderness he transmitted to him a secret eight-line verse based on the Lotus Sutra that he had received from the Buddha, which he instructed the boy to recite every day. In order to not forget the verses, the youth wrote them down on chrysanthemum leaves, and did as he was told. As a result, Jido was said to have become an immortal who took the name of Pengzu.[3]
In another account, his lover is named Ju Citong, "the beloved chrysanthemum child," who drinks the moisture of the flower and gains eternal youth.[4]
Personal information
| Family name | Ji (姬 jī) in Chinese |
| Given name | Man (滿 măn) in Chinese |
| Era name | none |
| Father | King Zhao of Zhou |
| Mother | unknown |
| Wife | unknown |
| Children | King Gong of Zhou and King Xiao of Zhou |
| Approximate duration of reign | 977 - 922 BCE |
| Tomb | unknown |
| Temple name | unknown |
| Courtesy name | unknown |
| Posthumous name | Mo 穆 (pinyin mò wáng), literary meaning: "reverend" |
Notes
References
- Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 2. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.