Guan Yu

The Religious Afterlife of a Failed Hero

Nonfiction, History, Asian, China, Religion & Spirituality
Cover of the book Guan Yu by Barend J. ter Haar, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Barend J. ter Haar ISBN: 9780192525437
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: October 6, 2017
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: Barend J. ter Haar
ISBN: 9780192525437
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: October 6, 2017
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English

Guan Yu was a minor general in the early third century CE, who supported one of numerous claimants to the throne. He was captured and executed by enemy forces in 219. He eventually became one the most popular and influential deities of imperial China under the name Lord Guan or Emperor Guan, of the same importance as the Buddhist bodhisattva Guanyin. This is a study of his cult, but also of the tremendous power of oral culture in a world where writing became increasingly important. In this study, we follow the rise of the deity through his earliest stage as a hungry ghost, his subsequent adoption by a prominent Buddhist monastery during the Tang (617-907) as its miraculous supporter, and his recruitment by Daoist ritual specialists during the Song dynasty (960-1276) as an exorcist general. He was subsequently known as a rain god, a protector against demons and barbarians, and, eventually, a moral paragon and almost messianic saviour. Throughout his divine life, the physical prowess of the deity, more specifically Lord Guan's ability to use violent action for doing good, remained an essential dimension of his image. Most research ascribes a decisive role in the rise of his cult to the literary traditions of the Three Kingdoms, best known from the famous novel by this name. This book argues that the cult arose from oral culture and spread first and foremost as an oral practice.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Guan Yu was a minor general in the early third century CE, who supported one of numerous claimants to the throne. He was captured and executed by enemy forces in 219. He eventually became one the most popular and influential deities of imperial China under the name Lord Guan or Emperor Guan, of the same importance as the Buddhist bodhisattva Guanyin. This is a study of his cult, but also of the tremendous power of oral culture in a world where writing became increasingly important. In this study, we follow the rise of the deity through his earliest stage as a hungry ghost, his subsequent adoption by a prominent Buddhist monastery during the Tang (617-907) as its miraculous supporter, and his recruitment by Daoist ritual specialists during the Song dynasty (960-1276) as an exorcist general. He was subsequently known as a rain god, a protector against demons and barbarians, and, eventually, a moral paragon and almost messianic saviour. Throughout his divine life, the physical prowess of the deity, more specifically Lord Guan's ability to use violent action for doing good, remained an essential dimension of his image. Most research ascribes a decisive role in the rise of his cult to the literary traditions of the Three Kingdoms, best known from the famous novel by this name. This book argues that the cult arose from oral culture and spread first and foremost as an oral practice.

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book Reinhold Niebuhr and Contemporary Politics by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book Multinational Enterprises and the Law by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book Being Realistic about Reasons by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book Oxford Handbook of Urology by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book The Politics of Education in Developing Countries by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens / Peter and Wendy by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of Lying by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book Binding Corporate Rules by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book Institutionalized Reason by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book Ignorance by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book The Consultant Interview by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book The Structure of Pluralism by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book A Dictionary of Chemistry by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book Vanity Fair and the Celestial City by Barend J. ter Haar
Cover of the book Oxford Textbook of Neuro-Oncology by Barend J. ter Haar
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy