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Chinese classical novel The Investiture of the Gods
Introduction:
The Investiture of the Gods is a long-form mythical fantasy novel in the history of Chinese classical literature, also known as The Investiture List, Chronicles of the Shang and Zhou Kingdoms, and The Unofficial History of King Wu’s Conquest of Zhou. Authored by Xu Zhonglin, it was written approximately during the Longqing or Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1567–1619) and is renowned as one of the "Four Great Masterpieces of the “Ming Dynasty” alongside Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Water Margin.
The story centers on the historical narrative of King Wen of Zhou and King Wu of Zhou overthrowing the tyrannical rule of King Zhou of Shang during the late Shang Dynasty. It incorporates celestial deities divided into the Chan Sect and Jie Sect, who support King Wu of Zhou and King Zhou of Shang respectively. Both sides display supernatural powers and battle with magical treasures, culminating in the victory of the Chan Sect and King Wu’s faction (Chen Xiaowei & Shi Mingyao, 2020). The author blends extensive folklore, myths, Taoist elements, and Confucian-Buddhist concepts to construct a grand mythical universe.
Plot Summary:
Tyranny of King Zhou
Set in the late Shang Dynasty, King Zhou possesses intelligence but is arrogant and obstinate. Disrespecting the goddess Nvwa at her temple, he writes irreverent poetry, provoking divine wrath. To punish humanity, Nvwa sends a nine-tailed fox to possess Daji, who enters the palace and bewitches King Zhou. Consumed by decadence, King Zhou builds extravagant “pools of wine and forests of hanging meat,” invents the cruel “burning pillar torture,” and murders loyal ministers like Bi Gan and Mei Bo. His misrule leads to governmental collapse, widespread public resentment, and complete loss of popular support.
Jiang Ziya Descends the Mountain
Following the order of heaven to assist a virtuous ruler, Primordial Lord of Heaven commands his disciple Jiang Ziya to descend the mountain and aid Ji Chang (King Wen of Zhou). Though elderly, Jiang Ziya possesses extraordinary wisdom. Armed with the “Investiture List” and “Da Shen Bian”, he shoulders the monumental task of enfeoffing gods. Under his guidance, the state of Xiqi grows powerful, establishing a force grounded in benevolence and righteousness. After King Wen’s death, his heir Ji Fa (King Wu of Zhou) ascends the throne and continues the campaign against Shang.
War of Gods and Demons
As the Zhou-Shang war escalates, deities from both sides descend to intervene. The Zhou faction, representing righteousness, gathers heroic generals like Nezha, Yang Jian, Leizhenzi, and Tuxingsun, each wielding unique skills and powerful treasures (e.g., Nezha’s Universe Ring and Wind-Fire Wheels, Yang Jian’s Heavenly Hound). The Shang side, led by Shen Gongbao, recruits demons and monsters such as Zhao Gongming, Jinling Shengmu, the Four Demon Generals, and the Ten Tianjun of the Jie Sect. The war features epic battles between gods and demons, clashes of magical artifacts, soaring immortal techniques, and intricate mystic arts. Fallen heroes’ spirits are collected by Jiang Ziya for future deification. This conflict transcends human warfare, becoming a celestial struggle.
Fall of Shang, Rise of Zhou & the Investiture List
King Wu leads his army to capture Zhaoge, the Shang capital. King Zhou immolates himself on the Deer Terrace, Daji is executed, and the Shang Dynasty collapses. The Zhou Dynasty is established, restoring peace. Post-war, Jiang Ziya fulfills his heavenly mandate by proclaiming the “Investiture List” at the Investiture Platform, enfeoffing fallen deities like Li Jing (Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King), the God of Literature, Plague God, and God of Thunder, thereby rebuilding celestial order.
Restoration of Cosmic Order
With the investiture complete, the Three Realms (Heaven, Earth, Underworld) are realigned, and deities assume their duties to maintain cosmic harmony. Jiang Ziya retires to Mount Kunlun, concluding the epic.
Cultural Significance：
Fusion of Taoism and Buddhism:
The novel integrates Taoist concepts like “Predestined Fate of Heaven”(e.g., “Shang’s destiny is exhausted; Zhou’s rise is ordained”(Cui Xueru & Yin Qian, 2022)) and the struggle between Chan and Jie Sects, which reflects the religious ideal of “Tao as Supreme” and a complex system embodying “Harmony of Three Teachings: Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism”(Xie Jinliang, 2014). Taoist practices like deification (Jiang Ziya) and transcendence (Nezha’s “Lotus Rebirth”) are prominent. Buddhist influences include figures like “Tathagata Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva”, along with concepts of reincarnation. This syncretism reflects Ming Dynasty religious culture.
Traditional Ethics: Loyalty, Filial Piety, Benevolence, Righteousness
The Investiture of the Gods promotes traditional moral concepts such as loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness through its character portrayals and plotlines. For example, the episode of Bi Gan having his heart cut out and Huang Feihu's rebellion against Shang embody loyalty to the sovereign and patriotism; Nezha's act of returning his bones to his father and flesh to his mother, while tragic in nature, reflects an extreme manifestation of filial devotion. The stark contrast between Xiqi's prosperity and Shang's corruption extols King Wen of Zhou’s benevolent virtue, King Wu of Zhou’s righteous governance, and Jiang Ziya’s instrumental contributions, exemplifying the Confucian political ideals of “the benevolent love others” and “winning people over through virtue.” These narratives convey the core values of Confucian morality—loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness, exerting a profound impact on later generations.
Dichotomy of Good vs. Evil and Fatalism
In The Investiture of the Gods, the Chan Sect represented by Jiang Ziya and King Wu embodies the righteous force, while the Jie Sect led by King Zhou represents the villainous faction, reflecting a cosmic confrontation between good and evil. The divergent stances and destinies of these moral opposites are embedded within disaster narratives. For instance, the Jie Sect introduces a plague into the Chan Sect’s camp, which concludes only after the Chan Sect’s Yang Jian visits the Three Saints and obtains the antidote. This episode demonstrates how the two forces respond to calamity: the virtuous act as rescuers and healers, while the malevolent become creators and spreaders of disaster. Within such catastrophe-driven tales, the paths of good and evil inevitably diverge sharply, ultimately leading them onto separate trajectories and distinct fates (Li Mengle & Li Jianwu, 2022).
Influence on Chinese Literature:
The Investiture of the Gods blends history and folklore with imaginative exaggeration, merging diverse elements into a cohesive whole. Its artistic brilliance lies in depicting characters, treasures, spells, and divine battles (Chen Ke, 2022), enriching China’s mythological canon.
Its narrative technique interweaves history and myth, transforming the Zhou-Shang conflict into a celestial war. This model balances historical authenticity with mythical grandeur, establishing the paradigm for Chinese mythical-epic fiction and influencing later literary creation.
The novel’s themes—just rebellion against tyranny, emphasis on popular welfare, moral ethics (loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness), and critique of rigid orthodoxy—align with mainstream values, social evolution, national spirit, and retain relevance today (Liu Zehua, 2023), shaping subsequent literary values.
Questions:
1.What were the specific manifestations of King Zhou’s tyranny? 2.What was Jiang Ziya’s mission upon descending the mountain? 3.What traditional moral concepts do Nezha’s “returning bones to his father” and Bi Gan’s “heart extraction” reflect? 4.Why is the Zhou-Shang War fundamentally a battle of “Good vs. Evil”? How do the actions of the Jie and Chan Sects illustrate this? 5.Compared to Western mythology, what cultural uniqueness does the god-demon struggle in The Investiture of the Gods possess?
Terms and Expressions:
1.The Investiture of the Gods《封神演义》 2.Investiture List 封神榜 3.Universe Ring 乾坤圈 4.Wind-Fire Wheels 风火轮 5.Da Shen Bian 打神鞭 6.Nine-tailed fox 九尾狐 7.Deer Terrace 鹿台 8.Mount Kunlun 昆仑山 9.Jiang Ziya 姜子牙 10.Shen Gongbao申公豹 11.Primordial Lord of Heaven 元始天尊 12.Chan Sect 阐教 13.Jie Sect 截教 14.Harmony of Three Teachings: Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism 三教合一 15.Predestined Fate of Heaven 天数命定 16.Loyalty, Filial Piety, Benevolence, and Righteousness忠孝仁义 17.Pools of wine and forests of hanging meat 酒池肉林
References: [1] Xu Zhonglin. The Investiture of the Gods [M]. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009. [2] Chen Xiaowei, Shi Mingyao. Value Evolution and Aesthetic Reconstruction of Media Adaptation of The Investiture of the Gods [J]. Movie Review, 2020(10):55-58. [3] Cui Xueru, Yin Qian. Analysis of Taoist Thought in The Investiture of the Gods [J]. Journal of Xuzhou Institute of Technology (Social Sciences Edition), 2022,37(01):31-37. [4] Xie Jinliang. Analysis of the Religious Theological System in The Investiture of the Gods[J]. Laozi Studies, 2014(00):197-209. [5] Li Mengle, Li Jianwu. Cultural Study of The Investiture of the Gods from the Perspective of Archetypal Criticism [J]. Masterpieces Review, 2022(30):19-22. [6] Chen Ke. Diachronic Dissemination and Contemporary Value of The Investiture of the Gods [D]. Hubei Minzu University, 2022. [7] Liu Zehua. On the Realistic Arguments and Traditional Cultural Examination of The Investiture of the Gods [J]. Chinese Living Classics (Teaching and Research of Traditional Culture), 2023(02):7-9.
中国古典小说《封神演义》
介绍：
《封神演义》是中国古典文学史上的长篇神魔小说，又名《封神榜》、《商周列国全传》、《武王伐纣外史》。作者为许仲琳，约成书于明朝隆庆或万历年间（1567-1619年），与《西游记》《三国演义》《水浒传》并称“四大奇书”。
故事以商朝末期周文王、周武王推翻商纣王暴政的历史故事为主要线索，加入了天上的神仙并分为阐教与截教，分别辅佐周武王和商纣王，双方各显神通祭宝斗法，最后阐教与周武王一方获得胜利的故事(陈晓伟、史茗瑶,2020)。作者在书中融合了大量民间传说、神话故事和道教与儒释元素，构建了一个宏大的神话世界。
主要情节梗概：
==纣王暴政==
故事发生在商朝末年，纣王虽有才智，却性情刚愎、自负不逊。在女娲庙中，他不敬神明，写下轻薄诗句，引发天怒。女娲娘娘为惩戒人间，派出九尾狐精下凡，附身妲己，进入宫中迷惑纣王。从此，纣王沉迷酒色，修建奢靡的酒池肉林，制造炮烙酷刑，残害忠臣比干、梅伯，致使朝政崩坏，百姓怨声载道，天下民心尽失。
==姜子牙下山==
天道有序，为了扶助明主，元始天尊命其弟子姜子牙下山，辅佐西伯侯姬昌（即周文王）。姜子牙虽年迈，但智慧非凡，手持“封神榜”与“打神鞭”，肩负封神重任。在他协助下，西岐国力日盛，逐渐形成以仁义为本的强大势力。文王死后，太子姬发继位，即周武王，继续推行伐纣大计。
神魔大战
随着周伐商之战全面展开，双方神仙纷纷下凡参战。周朝作为正派一方汇聚了哪吒、杨戬、雷震子、土行孙等英勇神将，个个身怀绝技，拥有强大法宝，如乾坤圈、风火轮、哮天犬等。而反派阵营商纣方则有申公豹为代表，不断招揽妖魔鬼怪，如赵公明、金灵圣母、魔家四将、截教十天君等。战争过程中，神魔斗法场面恢宏，法宝激战，仙术飞腾，奇门遁甲频现。许多英雄在战斗中壮烈牺牲，他们的元神则被姜子牙收录，用于日后封神。整个过程既是人间战争，更是天界的较量。
商亡周兴，封神榜出
最终，周武王亲自统领大军，一举攻破朝歌。纣王在鹿台纵火自焚，妲己被斩，商朝正式灭亡，周朝建立，天下归于安定。大战落幕后，姜子牙奉天命，在封神台公布“封神榜”，将阵亡的有功神仙纷纷册封，如托塔天王李靖、文曲星、瘟神、雷公等，重建天界秩序。
天地归位，神道初成
封神完成，三界秩序重建，众神各司其职，维系天地安宁。姜子牙功成身退，归隐于昆仑山之中。《封神演义》至此落幕。
文化内涵:
道教与佛教思想的融合
“道”是中国古代哲学的重要范畴，用以说明世界的本原、本体、规律或原理。道的原始涵义指道路、坦途，以后逐渐发展为道理，用以表达事物的规律性。书中道教思想集中体现在阐截之争，讲究宿命论，追求羽化而成仙。《封神演义》暗合了道教“天数命定”的宿命论。例如：“成汤气数已尽，周室当兴”(崔雪茹、尹倩,2022)。而书中的阐教与截教的斗争，实则提倡“惟道独尊”的宗教理念为基础，构建了错综复杂的宗教体系，从中彰显出三教合一的价值取向(谢金良,2014)。姜子牙封神、哪吒莲花化身等情节则体现了道教的修炼成仙思想。而如来佛祖、观音菩萨等佛教人物的出现，以及轮回转世的观念，则反映了佛教的影响。这种三教合一的思想，是明代宗教文化的重要特征，也是《封神演义》文化内涵的重要组成部分。
忠孝仁义等传统道德观念
《封神演义》通过人物形象和故事情节，弘扬了忠孝仁义等传统道德观念。例如，比干剖心、黄飞虎反商等情节，体现了忠君爱国和孝道；哪吒剔骨还父、割肉还母，虽然带有悲剧色彩，但也反映了孝道的极端表现。西岐的繁荣与商朝的腐朽形成鲜明对比，歌颂了周文王的仁德、周武王的仁义，以及姜子牙的辅佐之功，体现了儒家“仁者爱人”、“以德服人”的政治理想。这些故事传递了儒家忠孝仁义道德观的核心价值观，对后世产生了深远影响。
善恶对立与宿命论
《封神演义》中姜子牙、武王为代表的阐教为正派势力与以纣王为代表的截教为反派势力体现了善恶对立的两军对垒。而善恶的迥异立场以及命运走向潜藏在灾难叙事之中，书中截教引瘟疫入阐教阵营，以阐教一方杨戬访三圣后得到解药而告终，呈现了善恶两种力量面对灾难时的反应，善为救民治灾者，恶为造瘟作灾者。在灾害故事中，善恶势必产生巨大分歧，终究分道而行，两者的终极命运也因此不同(李萌乐、李建武,2022)。
对中国文学的影响:
《封神演义》将史实和民间流传的故事传说杂糅，借助大胆的想象和高度夸张，将不同事物用改造、连缀、拼接等方式巧妙融合为一体。其叹为观止的艺术想象集中体现在对人物、宝物和法术、神魔斗法场面的描写和刻画方面(陈科,2022)，丰富了中国文学的神话体系。
同时，其采用历史与神话交织的叙事手法，将商周之争转化为阐截两教的神仙斗法。这种创作模式既兼顾了历史事件的真实性，又通过神魔元素增强了传奇色彩。这奠定了中国古代神魔小说的史诗格局，并影响了后世中国文学的创作模式。
最后，书中所表达的以有道伐无道、重民本的思想，符合主流价值观；其所表现的学术思想与文学艺术价值，符合社会发展规律；所表现的忠孝仁义道德伦理与民族品格，符合民族精神；所表现的反礼教反纲常的思想，在新时代仍然具有十分重要的价值(刘泽华,2023),其价值观念影响了后世的文学价值观念的传播。
问题：
1.纣王暴政的具体表现有哪些？ 2.姜子牙下山的使命是什么？ 3.哪吒“剔骨还父”和比干“剖心”这两个情节，分别反映了哪些传统道德观念？ 4.为什么说商周之战本质是“善恶对立”？截教与阐教的行为如何体现这一点？ 5.与西方神话相比，《封神演义》的神魔斗争有何文化独特性？
术语
1.The Investiture of the Gods《封神演义》 2.Investiture List 封神榜 3.Universe Ring 乾坤圈 4.Wind-Fire Wheels 风火轮 5.Da Shen Bian 打神鞭 6.Nine-tailed fox 九尾狐 7.Deer Terrace 鹿台 8.Mount Kunlun 昆仑山 9.Jiang Ziya姜子牙 10.Shen Gongbao申公豹 11.Primordial Lord of Heaven 元始天尊 12.Chan Sect 阐教 13.Jie Sect 截教 14.Harmony of Three Teachings: Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism 三教合一 15.Predestined Fate of Heaven 天数命定 16.Loyalty, Filial Piety, Benevolence, and Righteousness忠孝仁义 17.Pools of wine and forests of hanging meat 酒池肉林
参考文献
[1]许仲琳.封神演义[M].中华书局:200901.726. [2]陈晓伟,史茗瑶.《封神演义》媒介转化的价值衍变与美学重构[J].电影评介,2020,(10):55-58. [3]崔雪茹,尹倩.《封神演义》中的道教思想探析[J].徐州工程学院学报(社会科学版),2022,37(01):31-37. [4]谢金良.《封神演义》的宗教神学体系辨析[J].老子学刊,2014,(00):197-209. [5]李萌乐,李建武.原型批评理论视域下的《封神演义》文化研究[J].名作欣赏,2022,(30):19-22. [6]陈科.《封神演义》的历时性传播与当代价值[D].湖北民族大学,2022. [7]刘泽华.谈《封神演义》的现实立论及传统文化审视[J].中华活页文选(传统文化教学与研究),2023,(02):7-9.