The monkey king first came into prominence as the star of journey to the west, a classic chinese folk novel written by wu chengen in the sixteenth century. The novel chronicles the monkey kings birth from a rock, his challenge to heaven, his subsequent punishment and his pilgrimage of. Jw along with investiture of the gods ig and other chinese world creation mythologies have been developed into a genre of webnovels called the honghuang. I dont remember which translation it was, only that it was very, very dry. Recommended reading on chinas monkey king, star of the classic chinese novel the journey to the west. The novel was also translated as the monkey king by george theiner in 1964. His magical staff bursts into flame intermittently throughout the parade. Tang sanzangs steed and the third son of the dragon king of the west sea. The flying superboard is a korean animated television series based on journey to the west.
Sun wukong the monkey king journey to the west profile. In chinese mythology, sun wukong, also known as the monkey king, is a trickster god who plays a central role in wu cheng ens adventure novel journey to the west. Curious about the monkey king, i ended up borrowing a translation of journey to the west from the library to read. A folktale of china, more often known as simply monkey, is an abridged translation by arthur waley of the sixteenthcentury chinese novel journey to the west by wu chengen of the ming dynasty. The journey to the west or xi you ji, is the title of a book that. Monkey king wu kong and the other disciples, a pig demon zhu ba jie. Journey to the west is an epic chinese novel published in the 16th century. The origin of sun wukongs cloud somersault journey to. A folk novel of china is an abridged version of the 16thcentury chinese novel journey to the west by wu chengen, as translated by arthur waley in 1942. Journey to the west is a chinese novel published in the 16th century during the. Wukong is blessed with unmatched superhuman strength and has the ability to transform into 72 different animals and objects. If you have already heard of the monkey king, the answer should not be difficult. This 16th century novel is one of chinas four great classical novels. Basically, journey to the west is about tang san zangs journey to the west duh and the difficulties he and his disciples face in between.
The monkey king is famous for utilizing a vast arsenal of magic powers to protect the monk tripitaka on the journey to india, chief among them being immortality, shapeshifting, hair clones, super strength, and flight via the cloud somersault jindou yun. How the monkey king escaped the underworld shunan teng. Our short story of monkey kings adventure in the underworld mostly comse from. The part retold here is about monkey s origin and early careerand the one time he didnt come out on top. A folk novel of china study guide contains a biography of wu ch. Journey to the west is a chinese novel published in the 16th century during the ming dynasty. Chinas most popular traditional novel, journey to the west is the thrilling story of the monkey king and his epic quest, with his trusted companions, to redeem himself. The first seven chapters deal with the birth of a monkey from a stone egg and its. Journey to the west the bodhisattva guanyin helped the priest by giving him a magical headband which he tricked wukong into wearing. Monkey king, or sun wukong, is a main character in the classical chinese epic novel journey to the west. Once a professional storyteller, aaron specializes in lively retellings of folktales. How is xuanzang, monkey, zhu bajie, and sha wujing changed by the journey to the west.
Recommendations sun wukong monkey king novel updates. But every king has a story, here is how the monkey king came to be and how he began his incredible journey. Learn more about the background and influence of the novel here. The monkey king sun wu kong is a legendary character from the novel journey to the west. The monkey king 2 is an upcoming hong kong action fantasy film based on the classic novel journey to the west. Consisting of 100 chapters, this fantasy relates the adventures of a tang dynasty 618907 priest sanzang and his three disciples, monkey, pig and friar sand, as they travel west in search of buddhist sutra. Journey to the west chinese classics, classic novel in 4. On the goddess of mercys instructions, wu kong frees himself and assists the priest on a journey to the west that will be fraught with peril. The phrase metabolic transmigration made an appearance. Adapted from the classic chinese novel journey to the west, the monkey king dicky cheung got punished by the buddha and imprisoned under the palm mountain, the only method to release. One of the four classics of chinese literature, journey to the west was written in the sixteenth century during the ming dynasty. With a special chant, xuanzang was able to tighten the band and cause wukong unbearable pain, which he would do whenever wukong disobeyed or displeased him. Western writers from octavio paz to maxine hong kingston have written stories that include the monkey king. Along the way, he encounters and frees the monkey king, and he and monkey thereafter recruit pigsy and sandy.
Journey to the west chinese classics, classic novel. The movie the forbidden kingdom adapts the encounter of xuanzang and sun wukong, complete with the main character being named jason tripitakas, and just like in journey to the west, xuanzangjason has the carpet pulled out from under him by the monkey king. Journey to the west stories from classic chinese literature shen. It is considered to be one of the four great classical novels of china, a group of books which form the foundation of.
The tale of the monkey king in the journey to the west, a classic 16th century chinese novel, is something youre probably familiar with in. Monkey king marvel comics, marvel comics character monkey king horse born 2002, new zealand racehorse the monkey king, a 1978 novel by timothy mo. It is overflowing with magic, demons, gods, immortals, and scrumptious action and adventure. It is one of the four great classical novels of chinese literature. The latter is a powerful skill because it enables him to travel 108,000. Journey to the west is a classic chinese mythological novel. The story follows the life of the stone monkey king and his eventual journey with a monk selected by. This magnificent floral spectacle is inspired the epic novel journey to the west. It was written during the ming dynasty based on traditional folktales. It is loosely based on the historical journey of a monk named hsuan tsang, who went to india in the 7th century in search of buddhist scrolls and scriptures. The making of the bdks a singpoli affiliate monkey king float for rose parade 2017. The lost empire, or the monkey king, as it was called when i saw it on the hallmark network, is a silly film, but a very enjoyable one. Journey to the west getting started annenberg learner.
Sun wukong and martial arts journey to the west research. Chinas most popular traditional novel, journey to the west is the thrilling story of the monkey king and his epic quest, with his trusted companions, to redeem. In the novel, sun wukong, the monkey king, weathers countless trials on his journey to selfdiscovery. Star of stage, screen and scroll, monkey is the hero of journey to the west xiyou ji the amazing novel of frivolity and profundity written by wu chengen in the sixteenth century. Journey to the west, foremost chinese comic novel, written by wu chengen. Chinese novel journey to the west monkey king postcard. These disciples are sun wukong, zhu bajie and sha wujing, together with a dragon prince who acts as tang sanzangs steed, a white horse. Arthur waleys popular abridged translation, monkey, is well known in englishspeaking countries.
The part retold here is about monkeys origin and early careerand the one time he didnt come out on top. Aaron shepard is the awardwinning author of the bakers dozen, the sea kings daughter, the monkey king, and many more childrens books, while his web site is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and readers theater. The character of monkey in this book may have derived in some way from chinese folklore, from the monkeyfamiliar hanumat in the indian ramayana epic, or from both. Main characters sun wukong also known as the monkey king, tang sanzang, zhu bajie, sha wujing, white dragon horse.
Then in chapters eight to twelve, we learn how sanzang was born. It may be a work of fiction, but its based on a genuine historical legend, so who knows. For over 500 years, the ancient novel has gained popularity worldwide. The monkey king journey to the west, chinese epic heroes. This translated and abridged novel covers about 30 chapters of the longer work. No in the sense that monkey does not maintain an official position within the heavenly hierarchy throughout journey to the west. Freed from a mountain prison in order to guard a chinese monk on his journey to retrieve the buddhist scriptures from india, monkey seeks his own spiritual transformation. I, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii, viii, ix, x, xi and xii, the twelve branches.
They face fantastic foes, demons and monsters during their amazing adventures traveling to the western paradise. How the monkey king came to be journey to the west. In this story, the monk, named tripitaka, undergoes eightyone trials during his journey with. Almost everyone with a chinese background has grown up learning the folktale journey to the west, the story of an epic pilgrimage of a buddhist monk and his three disciples, the legendary monkey. Originally published in 1942, it remains one of the mostread englishlanguage versions of the novel. The journey west is a series of illustrated ebooks available for the kindle and nook that retell journey to the west using rhyming verses vaguely reminiscent of dr.
The journey to the west and the most famous monkey in china. Originally published anonymously in the 1590s during the ming dynasty, it has. If you want to know about creation and time, read difficulties resolved on the journey to the west. Meanwhile, monkey visits the dragon king of the eastern ocean, who. Sammi cheng, dicky cheung, charlene choi, gillian chung. Far across the eastern sea, on the island called the mountain of flowers and fruit, a magic boulder had sat on the mountain. Journey to the west legends of the monkey king is a 1999 chinese cartoon show produced by china central television. Thanks largely to that kings patronage, xuanzangs return trip to china, begun. Journey to the west is a chinese novel published in the 16th century during the ming dynasty and attributed to wu chengen.
Read difficulties resolved on the journey to the west. Journey to the west is known for its colorful characters, especially the monkey king and pigsy. This abridged version provides english readers with an experience that would otherwise have been inaccessible to those of. The following is a list of characters in the chinese classical novel journey to the west, including those mentioned by name only. Part spiritual pilgrimage, part historical epic, the folk novel journey to the west, which came to be known as monkey, is the most popular classic of asian literature. A folktale of china, more often known as simply monkey, is an abridged translation by arthur waley of the sixteenthcentury chinese novel journey to the west by wu chengen. With the combination of his mischievous nature and great powers, he created chaos both in heaven and the underworld. Someday, ill buckle down and read journey to the west properly maybe. The story of the stone monkey king who is our hero is very popular in china, and has made its own journey to the west through movies, tv, and books inspired by the story. Monkey is arthur waleys delightful rendition of wu chengens journey to the west, one of chinas four great classical novels. Its one of chinas four great novels, and we highly recommend. He twice forsakes menial or made up positions, the first being the stable boy of the heavenly horses and t. Monkey the chinese trickster god chinese mythology. Originally written in the sixteenth century, it is the story of the adventures of the roguetrickster monkey and his encounters with a bizarre cast of characters as he travels to india with the buddhist pilgrim tripitaka in.
Monkey stars in the journey to the west, an epic comic fantasy from the sixteenth century. Journey to the west wiki is dedicated to those who are interested in the legend of journey to the west written by author wu chengen. Journey to the west the powerful and mischievous stone monkey king brings chaos to heaven and earth. Nevertheless, tripitakas journey continues to be fraught with peril as he is surrounded by deadly beasts only to be saved from a tiger by a hunter after many hours of fighting, who takes him in. It attempts to put a new spin on the chinese classic, journey to the west, which tells the story of how a monk went on an epic journey to recover some sacred scriptures, aided by the mischievous monkey king, the gluttonous. On hearing this all the monkeys bowed and prostrated themselves, not daring to disobey.
Its generally understand, however, that he learns the art of combat while studying under the. Xi you ji is a chinese novel published in the 16th century during the ming dynasty and attributed to wu chengen. List of media adaptations of journey to the west wikipedia. Sun wu kong, the mischief and adventurous monkey king, is a beloved character made popular by the novel journey to the west. In this classic 16th century chinese novel, journey to the. In the arithmetic of the universe, 129,600 years make one cycle.
875 123 196 1422 1446 1027 55 859 1648 1364 37 422 1363 714 909 642 411 1216 1227 1360 1357 654 1114 803 817 719 1298 363 1044 1384 371 518