Jiutian Xuannü is the goddess of war, sex, and longevity in

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural tradit ...

.. The swordswoman Yuenü is a

reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the Philosophy, philosophical or Religion, religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new lifespan (disambiguation), lifespan in a different physical ...

of Jiutian Xuannü.

Etymology

This goddess was initially known as .. The name has been variously translated as the "Dark Lady" or the "Mysterious Lady". in English. In the late

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

, the Daoist master Du Guangting (850–933) created the title , adding (meaning " Nine Heavens"), to refer to the goddess. She and

Sunü Sunü () is an ancient Chinese goddess associated with music and sexuality. She is viewed as the divine sister of the Chinese war and sex goddess Jiutian Xuannü. She is traditionally portrayed as a highly skilled singer who plays a zither, and ...

are divine sisters. Both their names combined, as , signify the Daoist arts of the bedchamber.

Stories

The , written by the

Daoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ' ...

master Du Guangting (850–933), contains a biographical account of Jiutian Xuannü. It mentions that Jiutian Xuannü is the teacher of Huangdi and the disciple of

Xi Wangmu The Queen Mother of the West, known by various local names, is a mother goddess in Chinese religion and mythology, also worshipped later in neighbouring countries. She is attested from ancient times. The first historical information on her ...

.. The work relates a story about the goddess appearing before Huangdi during a time when the latter was in conflict with Chiyou. Chiyou had caused a great mist, which was so impenetrable that it obscured day and night. Huangdi would dwell in the mist for several days. Jiutian Xuannü rode a cinnabar phoenix, holding

phosphor A phosphor is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon of luminescence; it emits light when exposed to some type of radiant energy. The term is used both for fluorescent or phosphorescent substances which glow on exposure to ultraviolet or ...

s and clouds as reins, into the great mist. She wore variegated kingfisher-feather garments of nine colors. Huangdi greeted her and received her command. Jiutian Xuannü said: "I base myself on the teachings of the Grand Supreme. If you have any doubts, you may question me." Huangdi responded: " hiyouis cruelly crossing us. His poison is harming all the black-haired people. The four seas are sobbing. No one can protect his own nature or life. I want the art of winning a myriad victories in a myriad battles. Can I cut the harm facing my people?" Thereupon the goddess bestowed various objects and artifacts. The following is a few of the listed items: * The Talismans of the Martial Tokens of the Six Jia Cyclicals and the Six Ren Cyclicals () * The Book by which the Five Emperors of the Numinous Treasure Force Ghosts and Spirits into Service () * The Seal of the Five Bright-Shiners for Regulating Demons and Communicating with Spirits () * The Formula of the Five Yin and Five Yang for Concealing the Jia Cyclicals () * Charts for Grabbing the Mechanism of Victory and Defeat of the Grand Unity from the Ten Essences and Four Spirits () * Charts of the Five Marchmounts and the Four Holy Rivers () * Instructions in the Essentials of Divining Slips () It was subsequently noted that Huangdi was able to defeat Chiyou and ascend to heaven on the basis of the items bestowed by Jiutian Xuannü. In the novel ''

Water Margin ''Water Margin'' (), also called ''Outlaws of the Marsh'' or ''All Men Are Brothers'', is a Chinese novel from the Ming dynasty that is one of the preeminent Classic Chinese Novels. Attributed to Shi Nai'an, ''Water Margin'' was one of the e ...

'', Jiutian Xuannü is a deity whom

Song Jiang Song Jiang was a Chinese historical figure who led an armed rebellion against the ruling Song dynasty, Song Dynasty in the early 12th century. His band marauded over a region straddling the present-day Chinese provinces of Shandong and Henan. Th ...

encounters on two separate occasions. The first time, he takes shelter in a temple while evading soldiers trying to arrest him, and encounters the deity, who presents him a set of three divine books to aid him in his quest to "deliver justice on Heaven's behalf". The second time, she appears in his dream when he is leading the Liangshan forces to resist the Liao invaders, and teaches him how to break the Liao forces' battle formation. In the novel ''

The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt ''The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt'' (; ), also translated as ''Quelling the Demons' Revolt'' and ''The Sorcerer's Revolt'', is a Chinese novel attributed to the 14th-century novelist Luo Guanzhong, although the earliest extant version was c ...

'' Xuannü takes Yuan Gong (; Mr. Yuan—Yuan being a homonym for "gibbon"), a white interconnected-arm gibbon not only exceptionally nimble and skilled in martial arts, but also versed in Taoism and apparently immortal, to heaven where he becomes responsible for heavenly books that he is forbidden to browse. One day, overcome by curiosity, he opens a secret box and brings Heaven's Teachings to earth, leading to a series of disasters that culminate in Wang Ze's rebellion in the 1040s. Eventually Yuan Gong redeems himself and for his role in quashing the revolt, he is restored to his former position of Lord of White Cloud Cave.

Associations

Warfare

The association of this goddess with warfare is derived from the , presumably produced during the

Xin dynasty The Xin dynasty (; ), also known as Xin Mang () in Chinese historiography, was a short-lived Dynasties in Chinese history, Chinese imperial dynasty which lasted from 9 to 23 AD, established by the Han dynasty consort kin Wang Mang, who usurped th ...

.. This text describes the manifestation of the goddess herself in front of Huangdi () during his conflict against Chiyou (): Her intervention in warfare is a common narrative in Daoist texts, such as in texts from the in the .

Martial magic

A set of Daoist texts, produced after the Tang dynasty, associates the goddess with magical capabilities, such as the skill of invisibility () and the method of mobilizing the stars of the Northern Dipper to protect the state. The specifies that Jiutian Xuannü's magic is martial in origin. Jiutian Xuannü has the ability to magically conceal the body and her power is exercised through the Six Ding Jade Maidens () who are her acolytes. According to the , the Jade Maidens perform specific tasks during the concealment: the Jade Maiden of Dingmao () conceals one's physical body, the Jade Maiden of Dingsi () conceals one's destiny, the Jade Maiden of Dinghai () conceals one's fortune, the Jade Maiden of Dingyou () conceals one's hun soul, the Jade Maiden of Dingwei () conceals one's po soul, and the Jade Maiden of Dingchou () conceals one's spirit. Achieving invisibility is seen as a military strategy to defeat enemies and protect the state, as the text claims that practitioners must first learn to conceal their bodies if they hope to expel evil and return to righteousness. The goddess and the six maidens together represent the yin force in the universe, which is the means to concealment of the body. Herein, their magic and their femininity are intertwined with each other. The , written in the early Northern Song period, gives an incantation associated with Jiutian Xuannü. By reciting this incantation and performing the paces of Yu (), invisibility to others was said to be achieved. In the , written by

Ge Hong Ge Hong (; b. 283 – d. 343 or 364), courtesy name Zhichuan (稚川), was a Chinese linguist, philosopher, physician, politician, and writer during the Eastern Jin dynasty. He was the author of '' Essays on Chinese Characters'', the '' Baopu ...

(b. 283), the paces of Yu are described as elements of the divinatory system of from which the immediate position in the space-time structure of the six ding could be calculated. The six ding are the spirits who are responsible for the position of the irregular gate (), which represents a rift in the universe. The irregular gate must be approached by performing the paces of Yu and serves as the entrance to the emptiness of the otherworld in which invisibility to evil influences is achieved. The states that Jiutian Xuannü taught the method to mobilize the stars of the Northern Dipper to Yuan Qing (), an official during the transition from the Sui to the Tang dynasty. The method is known as . The , produced in the Southern Song period, gives an incantation entitled that accompanies the method.

Longevity

The goddess Jiutian Xuannü appears in several works of physiological microcosmology in which the human body is seen as a microcosm of the universe and where the gods are present within. These texts locate Jiutian Xuannü along the central median of the body and associate her with the circulation of breath, which nourishes the vital spirit and provides longevity. Jiutian Xuannü appears at least three times in the , where the adept is instructed to send down his breath to enter the goddess' mouth.. The , probably dating to the 5th century, mentions that she is "located between the kidneys, dressed only in the white of Venus and the brilliant stars. Her pearl of Great Brilliance shines to illuminate the inside of the adept's whole body, so that he can extend his years and not die." In the , Jiutian Xuannü is described as one of the three deities who are sitting on divine tortoises. The author comments: "The Mysterious Woman is the mother of the Way of the void and nothingness." The text gives instructions to adepts: "Close your eyes and meditate on a white breath between your shoulders. In its centre is a white tortoise. On top of the tortoise is the Mysterious Woman." There are two governors beside her, which adepts are instructed to summon by saying: "Governor of Destiny and Governor of the Registers, pare so-and-so's name from the death list and inscribe it on the Life List of the Jade Calendar." This ritual therefore points to a procedure in which a long life is promised. Since the 3rd century AD, Jiutian Xuannü has been associated with alchemy.. In

's , it is noted that the goddess Jiutian Xuannü helps prepare elixirs with other deities, that adepts erected altars to the goddess when they create elixirs of metal, and that she had discussed

calisthenics Calisthenics (American English) or callisthenics (British English) () is a form of strength training that utilizes an individual's body weight as resistance to perform multi-joint, compound movements with little or no equipment. Calisthenics sol ...

and diet with Huangdi. During the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

, the goddess was closely associated with

neidan Neidan, or internal alchemy (), is an array of esoteric doctrines and physical, mental, and spiritual practices that Taoist initiates use to prolong life and create an immortal spiritual body that would survive after death. Also known as Jindan ...

(inner alchemy).

Sexuality

While most books bearing Jiutian Xuannü's name were about warfare, books that focus on her link to sexuality also exist. The and the , both dating to the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

, were handbooks in dialogue form about sex. Texts from the have been partly incorporated into the

Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...

edition of the .. From the Han dynasty onwards, these handbooks would be familiar to the upper class. On the other side, during the Han dynasty,

Wang Chong Wang Chong (; 27 – c. 97 AD), courtesy name Zhongren (仲任), was a Chinese astronomer, meteorologist, naturalist, philosopher, and writer active during the Eastern Han dynasty. He developed a rational, secular, naturalistic and mecha ...

had criticized the sexual arts as "not only harming the body but infringing upon the nature of man and woman." During the

and earlier periods, Jiutian Xuannü was often associated with the sexual arts. The remained a familiar work among the literati during the Sui and Tang dynasties. The , which was likely written by the 7th-century poet Liu Zongyuan, contains explicit descriptions of the sexual arts that was supposedly transmitted from Jiutian Xuannü. The sexual practices that Jiutian Xuannü supposedly taught were often compared to alchemy and physiological procedures for prolonging life. In

's , there's a passage in which Jiutian Xuannü tells Huangdi that sexual techniques are "like the intermingling of water and fire—it can kill or bring new life depending upon whether or not one uses the correct methods."

Development

Altar to Jiutian Xuannü at the Baikeng Yusheng Temple in Huxi Township on the Penghu Islands The goddess Jiutian Xuannü was actively worshiped by the ancient Chinese, but the extent of the worship diminished after the

. Over the following centuries, she was gradually assimilated into Daoism. During the

, contrary views about Jiutian Xuannü coexisted. In this period, the rise of

Daoism Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...

gave way to a new imagery of a high goddess of war who won by magical and intellectual means, and who transmitted the arts of immortality. The aspects of sexuality, victory over enemies in warfare, and everlasting life was slowly modified to fit this new image. Moreover, the Daoist Du Guangting attempted to expunge all the heterodox and crude elements from Jiutian Xuannü's popular legends, such as the erotic and sexually-empowering nature of the goddess, to create a new image of a martial goddess that was appropriate for the Shangqing school of Daoism. In the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, Jiutian Xuannü officially became a celestial protectress and was venerated as a tutelary goddess of the state.. In 1493, Empress Zhang (1470–1541), who was the wife of the

Hongzhi Emperor The Hongzhi Emperor (30 July 1470 – 9 June 1505), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Xiaozong of Ming, personal name Zhu Youcheng, was the tenth emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1487 to 1505. He succeeded his father, the Ch ...

, was ordained and her ordination was certified in a scroll entitled ''The Ordination of Empress Zhang'', which contains numerous images of deities (but not Jiutian Xuannü) and an inscription composed by the Daoist master Zhang Xuanqing (, d. 1509) of the Zhengyi school. This inscription ranks Jiutian Xuannü above all other celestial warriors by placing her ahead of the divine categories Generals, Marshals, Heavenly Soldiers, the Six Ding Jade Maidens, and the Six Jia Generals. Furthermore, it granted her the expanded official title . The associates the phrase "slaying evil and protecting righteousness" () with the goddess and emphasizes that "in order to slay evil and return to righteousness, one first needs to know how to become invisible" (). The veneration and elevation of Jiutian Xuannü may have had an underlying political rationale, as it positioned an aristocratic family over another. The relationship of Empress Zhang and Jiutian Xuannü closely paralleled the relationship of the Ming emperors and Xuanwu, another important deity in Daoism, which promoted the empress and her family's position in the imperial court. This was during a time of strife between the Zhang family and Zhou family (of Empress Dowager Zhou, the grandmother of the Hongzhi Emperor), the latter who adhered to Buddhism. Jiutian Xiannü is a fertility goddess, which also may have contributed to Empress Zhang's worship of the deity. In contemporary times, she has also been considered a patron of marriage and fertility, and is regarded by believers to have been responsible for the customs in Chinese culture by which people with the same surnames have been forbidden to marry.

Appearance

In the , Jiutian Xuannü is described as being dressed only in the white of

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

and the brilliant stars, with her pearl of Great Brilliance shining in illumination. When Jiutian Xuannü appeared before Huangdi as narrated in the , she wore variegated kingfisher-feather garments of nine colors and rode a cinnabar phoenix with phosphors and clouds as reins. The physical appearance of Jiutian Xuannü has been described in a poem that appears in the Rongyu Tang () edition of the novel ''

'' (published in the

Popular culture

Jiutian Xuannü appears as a character in the 2007 Hong Kong film '' It's a Wonderful Life'', the 1980s Chinese television series '' Outlaws of the Marsh'', and the 1985 Hong Kong television series '' The Yang's Saga''. She is featured in the mobile game '' Tower of Saviors''. She makes an appearance in the video games of The Legend of Sword and Fairy 4 and The Legend of Sword and Fairy 7.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{refend Chinese goddesses Fertility goddesses Health goddesses Love and lust goddesses Magic goddesses War goddesses Mother goddesses Justice goddesses Sky and weather goddesses Venusian deities Creator goddesses Taoist deities Water Margin characters The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt characters