Chen Jinggu
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Chen Jinggu () is a Chinese Protective Goddess of women, children, and pregnancy, and was a
Taoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...
priestess. She is also known as Lady Linshui (臨水夫人 Linshui furen). Chen Jinggu is a
deity A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
worshipped in Fujian, Taiwan, South China, and across East and Southeast Asia. The legend of Chen Jinggu originated in Fuzhou prefecture. She was also a Taoist priestess of the Lushan School (閭山派). She was virtuous and worshipped as a goddess after her death. She was acquainted in
mediumship Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between familiar spirits or ghost, spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as "mediums" or "spirit mediums". There are different types of mediumship o ...
or spirit channeling.
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
has more than 130 temples dedicated to Madam Chen, and
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
has many ancestral temples dedicated to her as well. Today she is revered as a Taoist and
Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...
deity.


History

Chen Jinggu was born Chen Jing (陳靖) and was called Chen Jinggu (陈靖姑). She was born in Xiadu (下渡), Fuzhou, nowadays
Cangshan District Cangshan District (, Fuzhou dialect: Chŏng-săng) is one of 6 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, China. History * Cangshan District was formerly known as "Guatengshan" (literally, "Melon Vin ...
around 766 CE. One source claims she was born in the 2nd year of Dali during the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
. Another source says she was born at the end of the Tang dynasty and died in the 5th year of Tiancheng in the
Later Tang dynasty Tang, known in historiography as the Later Tang, was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China and the second of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The first three of the Later Tang's four e ...
. When young, Chen Jinggu went to the Lushan school (or Mount Lü, said to be located in modern
Jiangxi Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north int ...
) with Lin Jiuniang and Li Sanniang to study under Xu Xun (许逊). But even at Lushan, Chen learned all about Taoism except the traditional female roles of maternity, pregnancy, etc. After finishing her studies she returned home and married Liu Qi (劉杞) from
Gutian County (; Foochow Romanized: ''Kŭ-chèng Gâing'') is a county lying in the northeastern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Ningde City and is located in the southwest part of the municipality. It is also ...
Ningde Ningde (; Foochow Romanized: Nìng-dáik), also known as Mindong (; Foochow Romanized: Mìng-dĕ̤ng; lit. East of Fujian), is a prefecture-level city located along the northeastern coast of Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders ...
. She continued to subdue spirits and help those in need. At the age of 24, Chen Jinggu became pregnant, but she continued to help the people through rain or drought. A drought hit north Fujian, so she used her Taoist powers to create rain, but eventually sacrificed her fetus and herself to save the people and vanquish an evil snake demon. She was honoured as a deity by the people and bestowed the honorary title Linshui, the goddess who protects the fetus and pregnant women (順產助生護胎佑民女神). It is said that one of the goddesses (懿德夫人 Madame Yide) of
Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...
is a disciple of Chen Jinggu. Chen Jinggu, Lin Jiuniang, and Li Sanniang were sworn sisters (義結金蘭 Yijie Jinlan). Chen Jinggu was the head and was called Danai Furen (大奶夫人) or Chen Nai Furen (陳奶夫人). Lin Jiuniang was called Lin Nai Furen (林奶夫人) or Lin Ernai (林二奶 second lady Lin). Li Sanniang was called Li Nai Furen (李奶夫人) or Li Sannai (李三奶 third lady Li). Chen, Lin, and Li are sometimes referred to as the "Three Ladies".


Stories

The novel "Chen Jinggu pacifies Demons" or "The Lady of Linshui pacifies Demons" (Linshui pingyao 临水平妖) was written in the 17th century around the Ming-Qing period. However, some date the book even earlier to the 15th century. The tale is based on Chen Jinggu, who was born during the Tang, and the legend of Chen was told during the Song. In the novel, Chen Jinggu refused an arranged marriage and ran away from home to study Daoism and shamanism in Lushan. After returning home, she married and became pregnant. But she had to confront a white demon snake and save her home, the Min Kingdom, from drought. She cast a spell to make it rain, but had to sacrifice her child (the
fetus A fetus or foetus (; plural fetuses, feti, foetuses, or foeti) is the unborn offspring that develops from an animal embryo. Following embryonic development the fetal stage of development takes place. In human prenatal development, fetal deve ...
) and hide it so it would not be harmed by the spell. However, the demon snake ate the fetus, but Chen Jinggu battled and defeated the demon snake, thereby saving the kingdom. It is noted that Chen Jinggu essentially performed
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
on herself to save her people. The story was translated into French by Brigitte Baptandier and published in 1988 under the title "La Dame-du-bord-de-l'eau". Later, in 2008, it was translated into English with the help of Baptandier in a book published by
Stanford University Press Stanford University Press (SUP) is the publishing house of Stanford University. It is one of the oldest academic presses in the United States and the first university press to be established on the West Coast. It was among the presses officially ...
.


Analysis

Scholars have analyzed the book based on the reversal of
gender norms A gender role, also known as a sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person's sex. Gender roles are usually cent ...
and the woman's role in society. They note that Chen Jinggu initially eschewed the traditional role of women. First, she refused an arranged marriage. Moreover, rather than giving birth to her child, she chose instead to sacrifice her fetus in order to save her country. Scholars also analyze the book in terms of the challenges that women may face when trying to become leaders in society, or in Chen Jinggu's case, becoming a Daoist leader.


Guanyin

Chen Jinggu is said to be related to
Guanyin Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...
via the following story. One day in
Quanzhou Quanzhou, postal map romanization, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metrop ...
,
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
, the people needed money to build a bridge. Guanyin turned into an attractive lady and said she would marry any man who could hit her with silver. Many tried, and Guanyin was able to accumulate a lot of silver ingots through this process. Eventually one of the
Eight Immortals The Eight Immortals () are a group of legendary ''xian'' ("immortals") in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel () that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the "Covert Eight ...
,
Lü Dongbin Lü Dongbin (796 CE – 1016 CE) is a legendary Chinese scholar and poet said to have lived during the Tang Dynasty. Whether he actually lived the two hundred and twenty years cannot be determined. Elevated to the status of an immortal in the C ...
, helped a merchant hit her hair with some silver. * Guanyin's hair then floated away and became a female white demon snake. The snake would seduce men and kill other women. * Guanyin then disappeared, but she let some of her blood from her finger flow down the river. A woman named Ge Furen (葛妇人 Lady Ge), whose husband was from the Chen family, then drank some of Guanyin's blood from the water and became pregnant, giving birth to Chen Jinggu. Later Chen Jinggu would fight and kill the white demon snake. * As for the merchant, he later reincarnated as Liu Qi (劉杞) and would marry Chen Jinggu. The story continues with how Chen Jinggu grew up, studied at Lüshan, and eventually saved Northern Fujian from drought while defeating the white demon snake, but at the cost of sacrificing her own child. It is said that she died of either
miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemical lo ...
or
hemorrhage Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vag ...
from the self-abortion. Chen's title Linshui (臨水 near the water's edge) could be related to how Guanyin stood near the water before being hit by silver, ultimately leading to the births of Chen Jinggu and the white snake. It could also symbolize Chen Jinggu's status as a goddess of the sea, with the coastal province of Fujian bordering the ocean. It could also refer to how Chen summoned rainwater to cure a drought in north Fujian.


Chen Jinggu and three Monkey Saints

The inspiration for the
Monkey King The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong ( zh, t=孫悟空, s=孙悟空, first=t) in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel ''Journey to the West'' ( zh, ...
(Sun Wukong), a main character of the 16th century novel
Journey to the West ''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popu ...
, may have been influenced by the local folk religion of
Fuzhou Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute t ...
province, where monkey gods were worshipped long before the novel was published. This included the three Monkey Saints of Lin Shui Palace, who were once fiends who were subdued by the goddess Chen Jinggu. The three were Dan Xia Da Sheng (丹霞大聖), the Red Face Monkey Sage, Tong Tian Da Sheng (通天大聖), the Black Face Monkey Sage, and Shuang Shuang San Lang (爽爽三聖), the White Face Monkey Sage.


Titles

* Chen Jinggu was also given the title of saint (聖誕 for example 正月十四:臨水夫人陳靖姑大奶夫人聖誕). * Defending Maiden Chen (陈靖姑) where 姑 is as in 姑娘 guniang * Linshui Nu (臨水嬭) * Chen Shi Si Nainai (陳十四娘娘) or Fourteenth Damsel Chen * Shunyi furen (順懿夫人), the Lady of Good Virtue, which is said to have been bestowed during the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
* She was also given the title "Just Lady" around 1250 during the Song * She is also sometimes called the "Goddess of
pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...
" * The name Linshui Furen (臨水夫人) has been translated as "Lady at the Water's Edge" or sometimes "Water-margin Lady" as Linshui means "near the water".


Cultural influence

* In Taiwan, there is a children's festival involving Ox horns (牛角做出幼) which is a
coming of age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
ceremony for young people. It is held in front of Chen Jinggu's shrine, as it is believed in the region that Madame Chen protects children while they are growing up, so the event is in thankfulness for her protection. * The people of
Matsu Islands The Matsu Islands ( or , ; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū liĕk-dō̤), officially Lienchiang County (, ; Foochow Romanized: Lièng-gŏng-gâing), are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea governed by the Republic of China ( ...
have a tradition of placing gifts in front of Chen Jinggu's shrine in order to pray for the birth of their children (擺嬭). * After the birth of a child, the fangli nanny (房裡奶) incense table is enshrined in the bedroom for praying to Chen Jinggu. * Festivals and parades celebrating Chen Jinggu are held in Taiwan. * In Fujian, the Chen Jinggu festival is held as a 3-day festival. Chen Jinggu is said to have more than 120 million worshippers around the world. * Chen Jinggu and
Mazu Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. Re ...
are two goddesses that are revered in Southern China. Chen is usually in charge of the domestic or family realm whereas Mazu is in charge of state affairs. * Chen Jinggu is also worshipped as a goddess in
Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
via migration from Fujian. * Chen is also a goddess of the
She people The She people (; Shehua: ; Cantonese: , Fuzhou: ) are an ethnic group in China. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. The She are the largest ethnic minority in Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jia ...
(and the
Han people The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive ...
), an ethnic group of China.


Shrines

Chen Jinggu has many shrines located in *
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
*
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
*
Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...


See also

*
Dragonslayer A dragonslayer is a person or being that slays dragons. Dragonslayers and the creatures they hunt have been popular in traditional stories from around the world: they are a type of story classified as type 300 in the Aarne–Thompson classifica ...
(heroic archetype in fiction) *
Han E Han E (, born 1345) was an ethnic Han female warrior who is considered a war heroine. She served in the anti-Yuan dynasty Red Turbans dressed as a man under the name Han Guanbao. She was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and became famous as th ...
*
List of women warriors in folklore This is a list of women who engaged in war, found throughout mythology and folklore, studied in fields such as literature, sociology, psychology, anthropology, film studies, cultural studies, and women's studies. A ''mythological'' figure d ...
*
Susanoo __FORCETOC__ Susanoo (; historical orthography: , ) is a in Japanese mythology. The younger brother of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and mythical ancestress of the Japanese imperial line, he is a multifaceted deity with contradictory chara ...
, slayer of eight-headed serpent
Yamata no Orochi , or simply , is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed Japanese dragon/serpent. Mythology Yamata no Orochi legends are originally recorded in two ancient texts about Japanese mythology and history. The 712 AD transcribes this dragon name ...
*
Nezha Nezha ( 哪吒) is a protection deity in Chinese folk religion. His official Taoist name is "Marshal of the Central Altar" (). He was then given the title "Third Lotus Prince" () after he became a deity. Origins According to Meir Shahar, Nezh ...
, opponent of Dragon Prince Ao Bing *
Guanyin Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...
, Chen Jinggu is said to be the incarnation of Guanyin from Buddhism *
Hua Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
, another Chinese folk heroine * The Divine Damsel of Devastation, a story from
Genshin Impact ''Genshin Impact'' is an action role-playing game developed and published by miHoYo. It was released for Android (operating system), Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, and Windows in 2020, on PlayStation 5 in 2021, and is set for release on Nintendo ...
involving Yun Jin and Shenhe that is partly based on Chen Jinggu's story *
Sitonai Sitonai (Ainu: シトナイ) is a mythical Ainu heroine, known for a legend of slaying a giant snake of Akaiwa mountain (located northwest to Otaru). Synopsis In a cave in Akaiwa mountain there lived a giant serpent (the height of the body was s ...
, similar Ainu legend


References


Works cited

* {{cite book , last1=Pregadio , first1=Fabrizio , title=The encyclopedia of Taoism , date=2008 , publisher=Routledge , location=London , isbn=9780700712007 Chinese goddesses Fujian folklore Taoism in Taiwan Deities in Chinese folk religion Women in Chinese mythology Chinese folklore Deities in Taoism