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The Eight Immortals

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RELIGION & THE SUPERNATURAL: Chinese supernatural beings

Immortals are beings who once lived as humans on earth, but now inhabit the upper stratum (sometimes called Heaven or celestial level). They have supernatural powers, can assume human shape, and are able to do anything people do—including eating and drinking.

From: Werner, E.T.C. (1922) Myths & Legends of China (Project Gutenberg)

The Eight Immortals were well-known figures by the Ming Dynasty, and remain important Taoist figures today. Even the number eight itself holds great symbolic significance. Specifically, it represents the stages and conditions of human life: age (young and old), status (low and high), fortune (poor and wealthy), and gender (male and female). The Immortals, therefore, include among their number men and women, young and old, rich and poor, simple and educated.

The Eight Immortals are:

Li Tie-guai, identified by his iron crutch and calabash (bottle gourd)

Lan Cai-he, the youngest of the eight immortals, perhaps mid-teens

He Xian-gu, the only female

Cao Guo-jiu, a mythological figure often seen with a paiban (clapper)

Lu Dong-bin, a real historical scholar and poet from the Tang Dynasty

Han Xiang-zi, identified by a dizi (Chinese flute)

Zhang Guo-lao, a real historical figure associated with old age

Zhong-li Quan, AKA Han Zong-li, often seen carrying a large fan

As with humans, these supernatural beings have frailties as well as strengths, and can both enjoy and abuse worldly delights. In Warned, the second story in the Mei-hua trilogy, the immortal Iron Crutch Li (Li Tie-guai) reveals his knowing, benevolent nature by descending to earth in order to warn Mei-hua. And yet he also enjoys his liquor a little too much—which is why he appears carrying a gourd filled with wine. Similarly, Lan Cai-he, who also comes to warn Mei-hua in Warned, holds castanets because he loves to sing and dance. In the story, Iron Crutch Li and Lan Cai-he come to help Mei-hua by alerting her to danger. At the same time, they do not solve her problems for her. That’s not their job.

While immortals and other spirits were believed to be able to  play powerful roles in the natural world of Ming China, they did not control human behavior or determine a person’s destiny. Instead, supernatural beings such as the Eight Immortals operated as additional, influential actors who needed to be watched for, guarded against, or listened to.

Can you identify each of the eight immortals in the picture above?

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Lán Cǎi-hé, Larn Caai-her 藍采和 of the Eight Immortals

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Lán Cǎi-hé, Larn Caai-her Lan Cai-he

 
 

Lan Cai-he
Lan Cai-he

Lán Cǎi-hé (also written as Lán Ts’ǎi-hó) 藍采和 exemplifies one of the 8 Immortals.  Lán Cǎi-hé is thought to have been a real person, but one whose behavior and life-style was outside the ordinary.  Lan can be portrayed as a woman or a man; Eberhard refers to her/him as an hermaphrodite.

Not much is known about Lán Cǎi-hé’s 藍采和 origin, although she may have lived during the Five Dynasties period (907-960) (Wong p. 32).  She dressed in colorful rags, was often shown wearing only one shoe with the other foot bare. In the summer her garments were quilted or stuffed with cotton and wool; in the winter she had only a thin gown.  Around her waist she wore a 3 inch wide sash made up of pieces of wood. She carried a basket of peaches or flowers and often wore flowers in her hair. She begged in the markets by clapping 3 foot long castanets.  Sometimes she was seen with a flute.

As a holy fool, she wandered around as a street musician, chronically drunk, singing and joking with people in the markets.  She gave what little money she had (after drinking her fill) to the poor.  Lai in his small, but charming book The Eight Immortals, noted that Lán Cǎi-hé was a humorist who “could make people laugh till they rolled on the ground” (p. 5).  Her songs, although often largely unintelligible, were about the vanity of life, and about immortality and life in the immortal lands; they also foretold the future.

She became a part of the 8 Immortals group when she met Lü Tung-pin and Chung-li Ch’uan (both a part of the 8 Immortals group) while traveling through the land of the immortals. Lü and Ch’uan were captivated by her carefree manner and beautiful voice and invited her to join them (Wong p. 32).  The Land of the Dragon, Chinese Myth gives another version: she passed out drunk in a tavern in Anhui and was taken to the land of the Immortals.  The only things left behind were her one shoe, robe, belt and musical instruments (p. 111).  This latter version just proves that goodness and spirituality don’t have to equate to perfection or rigid social norms!

Lán Cǎi-hé 藍采和 is the patron of minstrels.

The 8 Immortals
The 8 Immortals

References: Eberhard; Bartholomew; Eva Wong; Land of the Dragon, Chinese Myth; T.C. Lai The Eight Immortals.

 

Things Chinese

Iron-Crutch Lǐ Tǐe-guaǐ, Lii Tiie-guaii, 李鐵拐

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As a part of the traditional Chinese spiritual world there is a group called Immortals.  No matter whether they are male or female, young or old, the immortals are usually worshiped as gods of longevity.

Iron Crutch Li Yuan
Iron Crutch Li Yuan

Iron-Crutch Li Tie-guai, Lii Tiie-guaii  李鐵拐 (AKA Li Yuan) is one of my favorite among this group.  Continue reading Iron-Crutch Lǐ Tǐe-guaǐ, Lii Tiie-guaii, 李鐵拐 →