View source for Investiture of the Gods

{{Short description|16th-century Chinese novel}}
{{Infobox book <!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books]] -->
| name = Fengshen Yanyi
| title_orig = {{linktext|封神演義}}
| orig_lang_code = lzh
| translator =
| image = File:Harvard drs 53978271 封神演義 v.2.pdf 
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Cover of the ''Investiture of the Gods'', book two, from the Harvard University's rare books collection
| author = [[Xu Zhonglin]] <br> Lu Xixing
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country = China
| language = Chinese
| genre = [[Chinese mythology]], ''[[Gods and demons fiction|shenmo]]'', fantasy, historical fiction
| publisher =
| release_date = 16th century
| english_release_date =
| media_type = Print
| pages =
| isbn =
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| t = {{linktext|封神演義}}
| s = {{linktext|封神演义}}
| p = Fēngshén Yǎnyì
| l = The [[Romance (prose fiction)|Romance]] of the Investiture of the [[Shen (Chinese religion)|Gods]]
| t2 = {{linktext|封神榜}}
| s2 = {{linktext|封神榜}}
| p2 = Fēngshén Bǎng
| l2 = The Name List of the Investiture of the Gods
| w = Fêng<sup>1</sup>-shên<sup>2</sup> Yan<sup>3</sup>-yi<sup>4</sup>
| j = Fung<sup>1</sup> San<sup>4</sup> Jin<sup>2</sup> Ji<sup>6</sup>
| j2 = Fung1 San4 Bong2
| w2 = Fêng<sup>1</sup>-shên<sup>2</sup> Pang<sup>3</sup>
}}

'''''The Investiture of the Gods''''', also known by its Chinese names {{nowrap|'''''Fengshen Yanyi'''''}} ({{zh|t=封神演義|p=Fēngshén Yǎnyì|lit=Deification of Historical Dramatisation|w=Fêng<sup>1</sup>-shên<sup>2</sup> Yan<sup>3</sup>-yi<sup>4</sup>|j=Fung<sup>1</sup> San<sup>4</sup> Jin<sup>2</sup> Ji<sup>6</sup>}}) and {{nowrap|'''''Fengshen Bang''''' ({{lang|zh|封神榜}}),{{NoteTag|Less common translations of the title include {{nowrap|'''''The Canonisation of the Gods'''''.{{sfnb|Lu Xun|1959|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=XRgBo81L7R8C&q=Canonization 230]}}}}}}}} is a 16th-century Chinese novel and one of the major [[Written vernacular Chinese|vernacular Chinese]] works in the [[gods and demons]] (''shenmo'') genre written during the [[Ming dynasty]] (1368–1644).<ref name="greenwood">{{cite book |title = The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairy Tales: A-F |last = Haase |first = Donald |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |year=2008|isbn=978-0-313-33442-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_w7y9/page/340 340] |url = https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_w7y9/page/340}}</ref> Consisting of 100 chapters, it was first published in book form between 1567 and 1619.<ref name="greenwood" /> Another source claims it was published in a finalized edition in 1605.<ref>Chang, Kang-i Sun (2010). ''The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature Volume II: From 1375''.</ref>  The work combines elements of history, folklore, mythology, legends and fantasy.<ref>Chew, Katherine Liang (2002). ''Tales of the Teahouse Retold: Investiture of the Gods''. Page XI. {{ISBN|0-595-65161-5}}.</ref>

The story is set in the era of the decline of the [[Shang dynasty]] (1600–1046&nbsp;BC) and the rise of the [[Zhou dynasty]] (1046–256&nbsp;BC). It intertwines numerous elements of [[Chinese mythology]], [[Chinese folk religion]], [[Chinese Buddhism]], [[Confucianism]], and [[Taoism]], including deities, demons, immortals and spirits. The authorship is attributed to [[Xu Zhonglin]].

==Plot==
{{see also|List of gods in the Investiture of the Gods}}
[[File:新刻鍾伯敬先生批評封神演義-028.jpg|thumb|300px|Illustrations of ''Fengshen Yanyi'' from an edition of the novel featuring commentary by [[Zhong Xing]]  (1574–1625) (book one)]]
The novel is a romanticised retelling of the overthrow of [[King Zhou of Shang|King Zhou]], the last ruler of the [[Shang dynasty]], by [[King Wu of Zhou|Ji Fa]], who would establish the [[Zhou dynasty]] in its place. The story integrates oral and written tales of many Chinese mythological figures who are involved in the struggle as well. These figures include human heroes, immortals, and various spirits (usually represented in avatar form, such as [[Huli Jing|vixen]]s and [[Jiutou Zhiji Jing|pheasant]]s, and occasionally as inanimate objects such as a [[pipa]]).

Bewitched by his concubine [[Daji]], who is actually a vixen spirit disguised as a beautiful woman, King Zhou of Shang oppresses his people and persecutes those who oppose him, including those who dare to speak up to him. Ji Fa (King Wu of Zhou), assisted by his strategist [[Jiang Ziya]], rallies an army to overthrow the tyrant and restore peace and order. Throughout the story, battles are waged between the kingdoms of Shang and Zhou, with both sides calling upon various supernatural beings – deities, immortals, demons, spirits, and humans with magical abilities – to aid them in the war. [[Yuanshi Tianzun]] ("Primeval Lord of Heaven") bestows upon Jiang Ziya the ''[[List of gods in the Investiture of the Gods|Fengshen bang]]'', a list that empowers him to invest the gods of Heaven. The heroes of Zhou and some of their fallen enemies from Shang are eventually endowed with heavenly ranking and essentially [[Apotheosis|elevated as gods]], hence the title of the novel.

==Some anecdotes==
The novel features many stories in which various supernatural beings enter the human realm and change the fates of mortals and the course of history with their magical powers. The following are some of the better-known of its component anecdotes.

===Nüwa and King Zhou===
King Zhou visits the temple of the ancient Chinese goddess [[Nüwa]] to offer incense and pray. As he was doing so, there came a gust of wind which blew up the cover on Nüwa’s statue. He notices that the statue of the goddess is very attractive. The lewd king spouts blasphemy before the statue, declaring "It would be wonderful if I could marry her". He writes poems on the walls to express his lust for the goddess. He has offended Nüwa unknowingly and Nüwa foresees that King Zhou is destined to be the last ruler of the Shang dynasty. She sends the [[Huli Jing|thousand year old vixen spirit]], [[Jiutou Zhiji Jing|nine-headed pheasant spirit]] and [[Pipa Jing|jade pipa spirit]] to torture King Zhou, because the goddess was very angry when she saw that King Zhou could enjoy himself for 28 years. The king becomes obsessed with the spirits, who disguise themselves as beautiful women, and starts to neglect state affairs and rule with cruelty. The people suffer under his tyranny and eventually join [[King Wu of Zhou|Ji Fa]] to rise up and overthrow him.

===Daji and Bo Yikao===
King Zhou places [[King Wen of Zhou|Ji Chang]], the Western Duke, under house arrest in Youli ({{lang|zh|羑里}}) for almost seven years. Ji Chang's eldest son [[Bo Yikao]] comes to [[Zhaoge]] (present-day [[Hebi]], Henan) to plead with King Zhou to release his father. Daji falls in love with Bo Yikao and requests the king to permit Bo Yikao to teach her how to play the [[guqin]]. Daji attempts to seduce Bo Yikao but he rejects and ridicules her. The irate Daji complains to King Zhou that Bo Yikao molested her and insulted the king through his music. The king is furious and he has Bo Yikao executed, minced into pieces and made into meat pies, and served to his father. Ji Chang knows divination and has already foreseen his son's fate. He suppresses his sorrow and consumes the meat cakes. After that incident, King Zhou lowers his guard against Ji Chang and allows the latter to return home. Ji Chang builds up his forces and plans to avenge his son.

===Ji Chang and Jiang Ziya===
[[File:NAJDA-附001-0003 新刻鍾伯敬先生批評封神演義1.pdf|thumb|page=81|300px|Inside the pages of the Zhong Xing printed edition of the novel (book one)]]

[[Jiang Ziya]] is an apprentice of master of the [[Kunlun Mountains]] [[Yuanshi Tianzun]]. He leaves his master at the age of 72. He only uses a straight fishhook without bait, three feet above the water, for angling. His neighbours are puzzled by his odd method of fishing. They ask him out of curiosity. Jiang replies, "What I'm angling is not a single fish, but the king and the great many vassals. Only those who really wish to go on the hook will be fished by me." Jiang Ziya means that he is waiting for a wise ruler who recognises his talent and needs him.

Some people tell Ji Chang about Jiang and Ji Chang becomes interested in him. One day, Ji Chang pays a visit to Jiang Ziya. Jiang demands that the duke helps him pull his cart. Ji Chang does so and stops pulling after he has moved 800 steps forwards. Jiang Ziya tells the duke that his future kingdom (the [[Zhou dynasty]]) will exist for 800&nbsp;years. Ji Chang wishes to pull the cart for a few more steps but he is too exhausted to move forward. Jiang Ziya becomes the chancellor of Zhou afterwards and assists Ji Chang in building his kingdom.

===Bi Gan loses his heart===
From the prophecy revealed by the oracle bones, Jiang Ziya predicts that King Zhou's loyal and benevolent courtier, [[Bi Gan]], will die soon. He gives a charm to Bi Gan. One night, during a banquet hosted by King Zhou, several "immortals" appear and the king is delighted to see them. The "immortals" are actually Daji's fellow fox spirits in disguise, and Bi Gan, who is also present at the banquet, senses something amiss. Bi Gan's suspicions are confirmed when the fox spirits reveal their tails unknowingly after getting drunk. Bi Gan gathers a group of soldiers and they track the fox spirits back to their den and kill all of them. Bi Gan uses the foxes' hides to make a cloak and presents it to King Zhou. Daji is horrified and saddened when she sees the cloak, and she secretly plots vengeance on Bi Gan.
[[File:NAJDA-附001-0003 新刻鍾伯敬先生批評封神演義3.pdf|thumb|page=19|300px|Inside the pages of the Zhong Xing printed edition of the novel (book three)]]
Not long later, Daji tells King Zhou that she has a heart attack and only a "delicate seven-aperture heart" ({{lang|zh|七巧玲瓏心}}) can relieve her agony. No one in the palace has that type of heart except Bi Gan, who is revered as a saint. Bi Gan swallows the charm given by Jiang Ziya, grabs his heart, pulls it out of his body, and presents it to King Zhou. Bi Gan does not die immediately nor sheds a single drop of blood. Instead, he walks out of the palace and follows Jiang Ziya's instructions to go straight home without looking back.

When he is only a few steps away from home, a female [[huckster]] yells from behind, "Hey! Cheap cabbages without stems (hearts)!" (The "heart" rhetorically refers to the stem of the plant.) Bi Gan turns around, then asks the huckster in curiosity, "How can there be cabbages without stems?" The woman puts on an evil grin and replies, "You're right, sir. Cabbages cannot live without stems just as men cannot live without hearts." Bi Gan shouts, collapses, and dies. The huckster is actually the [[Pipa Jing|jade pipa]] spirit in disguise.

===The Foursome of Nine Dragon Island===
The Foursome of Nine Dragon Island ({{lang|zh|九龙岛四圣}}) are a set of four fictional characters. These four individuals are Wang Mo, Yang Sen, Gao Youqian, and Li Xingba; each of them are renowned as superior men. These four superior men would later be personally recruited by Grand Old Master Wen Zhong in an attempt to put an end to the threat of King Wu.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:FengShen.jpg|Illustrations of ''Fengshen Yanyi''. Left: [[Bi Gan]] and [[Wen Zhong (Shang dynasty)|Wen Zhong]]; Right: [[King Zhou of Shang]] and [[Daji]]
File:FengShen2.jpg|Illustrations of ''Fengshen Yanyi''. Left: [[Erlang Shen|Yang Jian]] and [[Nezha]]; Right: Su Hu and [[Huang Feihu]]
</gallery>

==Creations of Daji==
This is a list of the variety of projects created by [[Daji]] throughout the novel ''Fengshen Yanyi'' by Xu Zhonglin and Lu Xixing.<ref name=Apotheosis>{{cite book|title=Apotheosis of Heroes (Chinese Edition)|author=Liu Xinwu|author-link=Liu Xinwu|series=The MK Collector's Edition World Masterpieces: Investiture of the Gods (Set 2 Volumes)|publisher=China Zhigong Press|year=2012|isbn=9787514503388|chapter=6, 17, and 18|location=China|publication-date=June 1, 2012|edition=Paperback}}</ref>

===The Bronze Toaster===
The Bronze Toaster,<ref name=Apotheosis/> intended as a torture and execution device, was first suggested by Daji. It is a bronze cylindrical device that is over twenty feet tall and eight feet wide. It has two wheels on each side so it can be moved around. There are three layers of charcoal over three layers of burning fire inside the device. The victims were stripped naked and tied before being placed into the pit. The pit was used to execute Grand Counselor [[Mei Bo]]. Big fans were used to intensify the fire during the execution of Mei Bo.

The Bronze Toaster was only mentioned in Chapter 6.

===The Snake Pit===
The [[Snake]] Pit,<ref name=Apotheosis/> another [[torture]] device, was first introduced in Chapter 17. The 25-feet wide snake pit was dug beneath the Star-Picking Belvedere. Venomous [[spiders]] and exceedingly venomous snakes were put into the pit. Once this pit was finally constructed, seventy-two unfortunate maidens, with their hair shaved and clothes stripped, were tied and thrown into the pit to feed the snakes.

This torturing device was mentioned multiple times after Chapter 17.

===The Wine Pool and Meat Forest===
The [[Deer Terrace Pavilion|Wine Pool and Meat Forest]] were introduced in Chapter 17.<ref name=Apotheosis/> The Wine Pool was located on the left side of the Snake Pit, while the Meat Forest was on the right, thus forming a small park before the Star-Picking Belvedere. Fifty maidens and fifty eunuchs were chosen and tied together to form 50 pairs. Each individual pair would then get thrown into the pool and would be asked to drink the pool's wine while performing swimming tricks. Once each pair is readily drunk, they would be put into the Meat Forest to enjoy an abundance of cooked duck, roasted pig, etc. By sunset a few pairs would then be beaten to a bloody pulp and secretly fed to Daji to ease her need for human flesh.

This method of torture, created by Daji, was first mentioned in Chapter 17, as well as multiple times afterward.

===The Deer Gallery===
The [[Deer Terrace Pavilion|Deer Gallery]] is also mentioned in Chapter 17.<ref name=Apotheosis/> Daji had chosen this Deer Gallery as an ensured way to put an end to [[Jiang Ziya]], who had been entrusted to complete the impossible mission of creating the Deer Gallery itself. This large tower-like structure was forty-nine feet in height (double the size of the Star-Picking Belvedere), fully equipped with columns of jade, floors of marble, roofs and ceilings of legendary jewels, and railings of great pearls and sea corals.

==Criticism==
Although the novel is now seen as one of the great vernacular epic novels of Chinese literature, it has received some criticism from literary critics of the past. In comparing the work to other major Chinese novels, [[Lu Xun]] remarked in his 1924 book ''[[A Brief History of Chinese Fiction]]'' that ''Fengshen Yanyi'' "lacks the realism of ''[[Water Margin]]'' and the imaginative brilliance of ''[[Journey to the West]]''."{{sfnb|Lu Xun|1959|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=XRgBo81L7R8C&q=Canonization 230]}}

==Translations==
*{{cite book|author=Xu Zhonglin|year=1992|orig-year=1550s|title=Creation of the Gods|translator=Gu Zhizhong |publisher=New World Press|location=Beijing|isbn=780005134X}}
*{{cite book|author=Xu Zhonglin|year=2002|orig-year=1550s|title=Tales of the Teahouse Retold: Investiture of the Gods|translator=Katherine Liang Chew|publisher=Writers Club Press|location=Lincoln, NE|isbn=9780595254194}} This is an abridged translation containing only the first 46 chapters out of 100.

The book was also translated to Dutch as ''Feng Shen: De Verheffing tot Goden'' by [[Nio Joe Lan]] ([[Jakarta]], 1940).

==Adaptations==
{{See|List of media adaptations of the Investiture of the Gods}}
The novel has a significant impact on [[Chinese popular culture|Chinese]] and [[Japanese popular culture]]. It has been adapted in various forms, including television series, [[manhua]], [[manga]], and video games. Some of the more notable adaptations are listed below:

* Unabridged 1970 [[Pingshu]] radio program by [[:zh:袁阔成|Yuan Kuocheng]], consisting of the entire ''Fēngshén Yǎnyì'' in 200 episodes.
* ''The Story of Chinese Gods'', a 1976 hand-drawn animated film.
* ''God's Parade'', a 1981 TVB TV series which has a song performed by [[Adam Cheng]].
* ''The Founding of the Zhou Dynasty'', the first story arc of the Hong Kong [[manhua]] series ''[[Legend of Emperors]]'' by [[Wong Yuk-long]].
* ''[[Hoshin Engi]]'', a Japanese manga series by [[Ryu Fujisaki]] based on the translation by Tsutomu Ano of the novel.
* ''[[Gods of Honour]]'', a 2001 Hong Kong television series produced by [[Television Broadcasts Limited|TVB]] as attributed to ''God's Parade''.
* {{Nihongo|''[[Mystic Heroes]]''|バトル封神|Batoru Hōshin}}, a 2002 video game by [[Koei]] loosely based on the book.
* ''[[The Legend and the Hero]]'', a 2007 Chinese television series. It was followed by a 2009 sequel, ''[[The Legend and the Hero 2]]''.
* ''[[Warriors Orochi]]'', a video game series produced by [[Koei]]. It features three characters from the novel – [[Daji]] (called Da Ji in the game), [[Nezha]], and [[Jiang Ziya]] (called Taigong Wang in the game) – as playable characters.
*''[[The Investiture of the Gods (2014 TV series)|The Investiture of the Gods]]'', a 2014 Chinese live action series produced by Shandong Television and starring [[Sammul Chan]] and [[Viann Zhang]].
* ''[[League of Gods]]'', a 2016 3D Chinese movie produced by [[China Star Entertainment Group]], starring [[Jacky Heung]] as the main character [[Lei Zhenzi]], [[Jet Li]] as [[Jiang Ziya]], [[Tony Leung Ka-fai]] as [[King Zhou of Shang]], [[Louis Koo]] as [[Mahamayuri]], [[Huang Xiaoming]] as [[Erlang Shen]], [[Angelababy]] as the mermaid, [[Fan Bingbing]] as [[Daji]], and [[Wen Zhang]] as [[Nezha]].
* ''Chronicles of the God's Order'', an ongoing Hong Kong manhua.
* ''[[Nezha (2019 film)|Ne Zha]]'', a 2019 Chinese 3D animation film.
* ''[[Investiture of the Gods (2019 TV series)|Investiture of the Gods]]'', a 2019 Chinese live action series produced by Mango Studio and starring [[Wang Likun]], [[Luo Jin]], [[Zhang Bo (actor)|Zhang Bo]], Yu Hewei, [[Deng Lun]], and [[Collin Chou]].
* ''[[Jiang Ziya (film)|Jiang Ziya]],'' a 2020 Chinese 3D animation film.
* ''[[New Gods: Nezha Reborn]]'', a 2021 Chinese 3D animation film.
* ''[[New Gods: Yang Jian]]'', a 2022 Chinese 3D animation film.
* ''[[Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms|Creation of the Gods]]'', 2023

==See also==
{{portal|Novels}}
* [[Chinese mythology]]
* [[Religion in China]]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
; General
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |author = Lu Xun |author-link = Lu Xun |translator1 = Gladys Yang |translator2 = Yang Xianyi |year = 1959 |title = A Brief History of Chinese Fiction |publisher = Foreign Languages Press |isbn = 9780898751543 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XRgBo81L7R8C }}.
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{wikisourcelang|zh|封神演義}}
{{wikisource|Portal:Investiture of the Gods|Investiture of the Gods}}
* [http://www.poisonpie.com/words/others/somewhat/creation/index.html Creation of the Gods: A Somewhat Less Than Critical Commentary]

{{Chinese mythology}}
{{Fengshen Yanyi}}

[[Category:Investiture of the Gods| ]]
[[Category:Shenmo novels]]
[[Category:Taoist texts]]
[[Category:16th-century Chinese novels]]
[[Category:Novels set in the Shang dynasty]]
[[Category:Chinese novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:Chinese novels adapted into television series]]
[[Category:Ming dynasty novels]]
[[Category:Novels set in the Zhou dynasty]]
[[Category:Epic novels]]
[[Category:Chinese fantasy novels]]
[[Category:Chinese mythology]]
[[Category:Novels set in the 11th century BC]]
[[Category:Novels set in Henan]]