Liexian Zhuan
Encyclopedia
The Liexian Zhuan edited by Liu Xiang
(c. 79-8 BCE), was the first Daoist hagiography
. This collection of legendary xian
("immortal; transcendent") biographies preceded the Shenxian zhuan
(神仙傳 "Biographies of Divine Immortals") attributed to Ge Hong
(283-343 CE).
Like Liu Xiang's book the Lienü zhuan
, the Liexian zhuan follows the lièzhuàn (列傳 "arrayed biographies") biographical format established by the historian Sima Qian
. It contains brief hagiographies, with appended hymns, for early Daoist figures such as Huangdi and Laozi
, who are reputed to have been Xian (Taoism)
(仙 "transcendent; immortal; celestial being; fairy; genie"). In the description of Giles (1948:13), the Liexian Zhuan: "contains tersely worded notices of 72 persons of every rank and station, ranging from purely mythical beings to hermits, heroes, and men and women of the common people." Here is a typical hagiography.
There are no full English translations of the text analogous to the French one by Kaltenmark (1953), but selected biographies are translated by Lionel Giles (1948). The Liexian Zhuan is discussed by Wu and Davis (1934), Campany (1996), and Eskildsen (1998).
Liu Xiang (author)
Liu Xiang , born Liu Gengsheng , courtesy name Zizheng , was a famous Confucian scholar of the Han Dynasty. He was born in Xuzhou and related to Liu Bang, the founder of the Han dynasty...
(c. 79-8 BCE), was the first Daoist hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
. This collection of legendary xian
Xian (Taoism)
Xian is a Chinese word for an enlightened person, translatable in English as:*"spiritually immortal; transcendent; super-human; celestial being"...
("immortal; transcendent") biographies preceded the Shenxian zhuan
Shenxian zhuan
The Shenxian zhuan is a hagiography of xian "transcendents; immortals", partially attributed to the Daoist scholar Ge Hong . In the history of Chinese literature, the Shenxian zhuan followed the Liexian Zhuan "Biographies of Arranged Transcendents", attributed to the Confucian scholar Liu Xiang...
(神仙傳 "Biographies of Divine Immortals") attributed to Ge Hong
Ge Hong
Ge Hong , courtesy name Zhichuan , was a minor southern official during the Jìn Dynasty of China, best known for his interest in Daoism, alchemy, and techniques of longevity...
(283-343 CE).
Like Liu Xiang's book the Lienü zhuan
Lienü zhuan
The Lienü Zhuan is a ca. 18 BCE book compiled by the famous Han Dynasty scholar Liu Xiang. It includes 125 biographical accounts of women exemplars in early China, taken from Chinese histories like the Chun Qiu, Zuo Zhuan, and Shiji...
, the Liexian zhuan follows the lièzhuàn (列傳 "arrayed biographies") biographical format established by the historian Sima Qian
Sima Qian
Sima Qian was a Prefect of the Grand Scribes of the Han Dynasty. He is regarded as the father of Chinese historiography for his highly praised work, Records of the Grand Historian , a "Jizhuanti"-style general history of China, covering more than two thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to...
. It contains brief hagiographies, with appended hymns, for early Daoist figures such as Huangdi and Laozi
Laozi
Laozi was a mystic philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching . His association with the Tao Te Ching has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of Taoism...
, who are reputed to have been Xian (Taoism)
Xian (Taoism)
Xian is a Chinese word for an enlightened person, translatable in English as:*"spiritually immortal; transcendent; super-human; celestial being"...
(仙 "transcendent; immortal; celestial being; fairy; genie"). In the description of Giles (1948:13), the Liexian Zhuan: "contains tersely worded notices of 72 persons of every rank and station, ranging from purely mythical beings to hermits, heroes, and men and women of the common people." Here is a typical hagiography.
[Mashi Huang 馬師皇] was a horse doctor in the time of the Yellow Emperor. He knew the vital symptoms in a horse's constitution, and on receiving his treatment the animal would immediately get well. Once a dragon flew down and approached him with drooping ears and open jaws. Huang said to himself: "This dragon is ill and knows that I can effect a cure." Thereupon he performed acupuncture on its mouth just below the upper lip, and gave it a decoction of sweet herbs to swallow, which caused it to recover. Afterwards, whenever the dragon was ailing, it issued from its watery lair and presented itself for treatment. One morning the dragon took Huang on its back and bore him away. (tr. Lionel Giles)
There are no full English translations of the text analogous to the French one by Kaltenmark (1953), but selected biographies are translated by Lionel Giles (1948). The Liexian Zhuan is discussed by Wu and Davis (1934), Campany (1996), and Eskildsen (1998).
External links
- A Gallery of Chinese Immortals, Lionel Giles
- Liexianzhuan, ChinaKnowledge
- Lives of the Immortals (from Taoism), Encyclopaedia Britannica