_GUAN-YU Chinese War God Handbook of Chinese Mythology

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GUAN-YU
Chinese War God
Also known as GUAN-YUN-CHANG, GUAN-GONG, GUAN-DI,
KUAN-YU, KUAN-KUNG, KUAN-TI, ZHANG-YUN, CHANG-YUN,
CHANG-SHENG, ZHANG-SHENG
God of War and Martial Arts
He is a DAOist deity who is also well thought of by Buddhists. As
told in Romance Of The Three Kingdoms, he started life as a mortal
vendor of soya bean curd (see TO-FU). But after a heroic incident
involving the rescue of a harassed lady and the killing of a tax inspector,
he got the taste for battle and embarked on a famous military career with
LIU-BEI and ZHANG-FEI, becoming one of the Three Brothers of the
Peach Orchard.

Unusually for a God of War, he uses his skill to avoid confrontations

if at all possible. A peace-loving deity, he tries to minimize every battle
he’s in. (Surely you’ve heard of Kung Few?) But his bravery is
legendary.

In one famous tale, his arm was damaged in battle and needed
surgery. To the incredulity of on-lookers, he calmly sat playing Solitaire
while field surgeons did excruciating things to his tendons. (Just as well
Solitaire is a one-handed game.)
 When he was finally captured, GUAN-YU was told by Wu, the evil
new Emperor, to change sides or face death. GUAN-YU not only
refused, he uttered a terrible insult which made even the soldiers blush.

Loyal GUAN-YU knew that changing sides during a war was not
only immoral but also against the Law. For his bravery, and because he
died defending legal issues, he also became the patron God of Police
Officers.

Legend tells that after he died, GUAN-YU appeared before a

meditating Master of Buddhism and asked for spiritual guidance. Which
was only natural under the circumstances.

Quickly learning the Five Precepts, he became a Buddhist, reached

Enlightenment, and now devotes the rest of his Immortality to defending
the faith. A completely honorary position, but extremely well-regarded.

Finally, GUAN-YU is also worshipped as a God of Literature —

because he managed to read a whole page of Confucius without going
cross-eyed.

GUAN-YU FACTS AND FIGURES

Name : GUAN-YU
Pronunciation : Goo-arn Yoo
 Alternative names : GUAN-YUN-CHANG, GUAN-GONG,
GUAN-DI, KUAN-YU, KUAN-KUNG, KUAN-TI, ZHANG-YUN,
CHANG-YUN, CHANG-SHENG, ZHANG-SHENG
Location : China
Gender : Male
Type : deity
In charge of : War
God of : War

Celebration or Feast Day : Unknown at present

Good/Evil Rating : Unknown at present
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Chinese Mitology
Chinese Myths and Legends

Chinese Myth and Legend

Handbook of Chinese Mythology

GUAN-YU
Chinese War God
Also known as GUAN-YUN-CHANG, GUAN-GONG, GUAN-DI, KUAN-YU, KUAN-KUNG,
KUAN-TI, ZHANG-YUN, CHANG-YUN, CHANG-SHENG, ZHANG-SHENG

God of War and Martial Arts

He is a DAO ist deity who is also well thought of by Buddhists. As told in Romance Of
The Three Kingdoms, he started life as a mortal vendor of soya bean curd (see TO-FU ).
But after a heroic incident involving the rescue of a harassed lady and the killing of a tax
inspector, he got the taste for battle and embarked on a famous military career with LIU-
BEI and ZHANG-FEI , becoming one of the Three Brothers of the Peach Orchard.
Unusually for a God of War, he uses his skill to avoid confrontations if at all possible. A
peace-loving deity, he tries to minimize every battle he’s in. (Surely you’ve heard of Kung
Few?) But his bravery is legendary.
In one famous tale, his arm was damaged in battle and needed surgery. To the incredulity
of on-lookers, he calmly sat playing Solitaire while field surgeons did excruciating things
to his tendons. (Just as well Solitaire is a one-handed game.)
When he was finally captured, GUAN-YU was told by Wu, the evil new Emperor, to
change sides or face death. GUAN-YU not only refused, he uttered a terrible insult
which made even the soldiers blush.
Loyal GUAN-YU knew that changing sides during a war was not only immoral but also
against the Law. For his bravery, and because he died defending legal issues, he also
became the patron God of Police Officers.
Legend tells that after he died, GUAN-YU appeared before a meditating Master of
Buddhism and asked for spiritual guidance. Which was only natural under the
circumstances.
Quickly learning the Five Precepts, he became a Buddhist, reached Enlightenment, and
now devotes the rest of his Immortality to defending the faith. A completely honorary
position, but extremely well-regarded.
Finally, GUAN-YU is also worshipped as a God of Literature — because he managed
to read a whole page of Confucius without going cross-eyed.
GUAN-YU FACTS AND FIGURES
Name : GUAN-YU
Pronunciation : Goo-arn Yoo
Alternative names : GUAN-YUN-CHANG, GUAN-GONG, GUAN-DI, KUAN-YU, KUAN-KUNG,
KUAN-TI, ZHANG-YUN, CHANG-YUN, CHANG-SHENG, ZHANG-SHENG
Location : China
Gender : Male
Type : deity

In charge of : War
God of : War
Celebration or Feast Day : Unknown at present
Good/Evil Rating : Unknown at present

Handbook of Chinese Mythology

 :. Adevăr Divin ...
Mitologie chineză :. Octavian Simu :. Herald :. Editura Adevăr
Divin ...
In lucrarea de fata si-au gasit locul personaje mitologice, diferite
divinitati, zei si zeite, eroi civilizatori, suverani legendari, spirite bune si
rele, duhuri si demoni, nenumarati muritori divinizati, proveniti cu totii
mai putin din istoriile incerte ale trecutului indepartat, cat din religia
populara veche, din folclor si din religiile daoista, budista si
confucianista. Alaturi de toti acestia se regasesc in cartea noastra,
descrise sumar, locurile sacre mai insemnate, elementele din natura cu
semnificatie mitologica, precum si cateva date despre lucrarile publicate
in trecut care contin legende, mituri, scenarii mitologice etc. Nu au fost
uitate, desigur, nici unele concepte filosofico-religioase, privite in linii
mari, in dimensiunea lor restransa la trasaturile esentiale ale gandirii care
le-a pus in circulatie.

In economia cartii am acordat mai mult spatiu divinitatilor

importante, definitorii pentru linia generala a mitologiei chineze. Potrivit
insemnatatii si semnificatiei lor, celorlalte zeitati, personaje mitice si
eroice, le-am rezervat comentarii reduse la valoarea cuvenita, adica la un
minimum de informatii necesare pentru orientarea cititorului in lecturile
diferitelor carti, fie ele literare, mitologice, istorice sau de alta natura...

Ca oricare alta mitologie, si cea chineza insumeaza mituri

cosmogonice, de creare a Universului, lumii, omului, animalelor si
plantelor, de intemeiere a natiunii, deruland povestiri care au dainuit in
memoria difuza, s-au multiplicat in timp, au patruns in folclor, s-au fixat
uneori in sarbatori si festivitati periodice, devenite traditionale, s-au
manifestat prin unele obiceiuri, superstitii sau atitudini gestuale ale
oamenilor obisnuiti. Ca structura, miturile sunt purtatoare de sens, de
semnificatii. Ele vehiculeaza in mod continuu un mesaj venit din trecut
pentru a sluji binelui prezentului. Acest mesaj poate sta ascuns in carnea
epicului unui mit, de aceea este necesara o atitudine hermeneutica fata de
el, o incercare de traducere grijulie, cat mai rationala si obiectiva, ceea ce
presupune o minima familiarizare cu lumea chineza. Este si unul din
telurile propuse prin cartea de fata.

Folosind o metafora, am spune ca daca istoria ar fi o cometa in

deplasarea ei eterna, mitologia ar putea fi coada luminoasa lasata in urma
ei, cea a arderilor semnificative. - Octavian Simu

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