''Ten Brothers'' () is a

Chinese legend Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of t ...

known to be written around the time of the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

(1368 to 1644). It has been told and spun off in various adaptations and remains popular since it is one of the oldest Chinese legends to feature characters in a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

fashion.

Story

The more modern version of the story has a couple swallow ten pearls and give birth to ten brothers. Each one of the ten brothers possesses a different supernatural power, though they develop their powers as the story progresses. At the end, the brothers battle some form of an antagonist and they only win when working in unity. However, if the ten brothers come into contact with limestone, their powers disappear and they become helpless.

Characters

The number of brothers varies among Chinese ethnicities. The

Yi people The Yi or Nuosu people,; zh, c=彝族, p=Yízú, l=Yi ethnicity historically known as the Lolo,; vi, Lô Lô; th, โล-โล, Lo-Lo are an ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with eac ...

have nine brothers, the

Zhuang people The Zhuang (; ; za, Bouxcuengh, italic=yes; ) are a Tai-speaking ethnic group who mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. Some also live in the Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou, and Hunan provinces. They form one of ...

have eight brothers, 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 ...

have five brothers and the

Li people The Hlai, also known as Li or Lizu, are a Kra–Dai-speaking ethnic group, one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. The vast majority live off the southern coast of China on Hainan Island, where they ...

have 10 brothers. * ''1st and Oldest Brother Ah Dai'' - Capable of seeing miles away with his binocular eyes, sometimes identified as

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 ...

guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...

Qianliyan Qianliyan is a Chinese sea and door god. He usually appears with Shunfeng'er as a guardian of the temples of the sea goddess Mazu. Name The name "Qianliyan" literally means "He of the Thousand-Mile" or "League Eyes" but may be taken more genera ...

. * ''2nd Brother Ah Yi'' - Capable of hearing miles away, sometimes identified as Mazu's guardian

Shunfeng'er Shunfeng'er is a Chinese sea and door god. He usually appears with Qianliyan as a guardian of the temples of the sea goddess Mazu. Name The name "Shunfeng'er" literally means "Wind Accompanying Ears" in reference to his ability to hear any sound ...

* ''3rd Brother Ah Sam'' - Has Herculean strength. * ''4th Brother Ah See'' - Has the ability to stretch and is invincible. * ''5th Brother Ah Ng'' - Capable of flying. * ''6th Brother Ah Luk'' - Has a solid impenetrable head and is the smartest. * ''7th Brother Ah Chi'' - Can grow in height. * ''8th Brother Ah Ba'' - Capable of tunneling underground. * ''9th Brother Ah Kow'' - Has a huge mouth that can blow wind and shout loudly. * ''10th and Youngest Brother Ah Sup'' - Can cry a river; also can heal any illnesses if he cries on people.

Adaptations

Film

The story has been adapted many times in Asian movies and TV series, most notably in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

: *'' The Liu Brothers'', 1953 Soviet cartoon *''Ten Brothers'', 1959 Hong Kong black and white film by director Wui Ng *''Ten Brothers vs. the Sea Monster'' (十兄弟怒海除魔), 1960 film *''

Ten Brothers ''Ten Brothers'' () is a Chinese legend known to be written around the time of the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644). It has been told and spun off in various adaptations and remains popular since it is one of the oldest Chinese legends to feature charac ...

'', 1985 series by ATV *''Ten Brothers'', 1995 Hong Kong film by director Lee Lik-Chi *''

'', 2007 series by TVB

Literary

*''

The Five Chinese Brothers ''The Five Chinese Brothers'' is an American children's book written by Claire Huchet Bishop and illustrated by Kurt Wiese. It was originally published in 1938 by Coward-McCann. The book is a retelling of a Chinese folk tale, '' Ten Brothers''. P ...

'', 1938 American book by

Claire Huchet Bishop Claire Huchet Bishop (30 December 1898 – 13 March 1993) was a Swiss children's writer and librarian. She wrote two Newbery Medal runners-up, ''Pancakes-Paris'' (1947) and ''All Alone (Claire Huchet Bishop novel), All Alone'' (1953), and she w ...

, illustrated by

Kurt Wiese Kurt Wiese (April 22, 1887 – May 27, 1974) was a German-born book illustrator, who wrote and illustrated 20 children's books and illustrated another 300 for other authors. Background Kurt Wiese was born on April 22, 1887, in Minden, Germ ...

*''Seven Chinese Brothers'', 1990 children's picture book by

Margaret Mahy Margaret Mahy (21 March 1936 – 23 July 2012) was a New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. Many of her story plots have strong supernatural elements but her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growi ...

, illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng *''The Five Queer Brothers''.Fielde, Adele Marion. ''Chinese nights' entertainment''. New York; London: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1893. pp. 5-9. a transcription of a Chinese version by Western missionary Adele M. Fielde

References

{{Reflist

External links

Ten Brothers at Library thinkquest
Chinese folklore Superheroes Fiction about magic Fictional Chinese people Fictional families Works about brothers