| Shunfeng'er | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 A statue of Shunfeng'er atLongde Temple inTainan | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 順風耳 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 顺风耳 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Wind-following Ear(s) | ||||||||
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| Wanli'er | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 萬里耳 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 万里耳 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Myriad-Mile Ear(s) | ||||||||
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| Shi Kuang | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 師曠 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 师旷 | ||||||||
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Shunfeng'er is aChinesesea anddoor god. He usually appears withQianliyan as a guardian of thetemples of thesea goddessMazu.
The name "Shunfeng'er" literally means "Wind Accompanying Ears" in reference to his ability to hear any sound carried upon the wind. The unusual idiom is translated variously as "Ears that Hear with the Wind",[1] "Ears that Hear what Comes on the Wind",[2] "Ears that Hear the Sounds Taken with the Wind",[3] "Wind-Accompanying Ears",[3] "Downwind Ears",[4] or even "Sharp Ears",[5] "Far-Hearing",[6] or "All-Hearing".[7] The god's role in helping sailors distinguish favorable winds also prompts the translations "Fair-Wind Ears"[3] and "Favorable-Wind Ears".[8][9]
It also appears asShunfeng Er[1] andShen Feng Er.[10] His partner Qianliyan's name similarly means "Sharp-Eyed" or "All-Seeing".
Under theMing, Shunfeng'er was also known asShi Kuang.[11] He is also sometimes known asWanli'er,[12] which has similar meaning, as the Chinese wordwàn—like the English "myriad"—simultaneously means the number 10,000 and "innumerable" or "uncountably vast".
Shunfeng'er is first attested in the early-16th centurynovelJourney to the West,[11] where he appears as thepersonified form of theTaoistJade Emperor's ears[7] and one of his lieutenants.[11] There is, however, an earlier depiction of him in aSichuan cave which has been dated to theSouthern Song.[13] The Chinesefolk tale about theTen Brothers also probably long predates its first publication during the Ming Dynasty; in it, the eldest two brothers have powers just like those ofQianliyan and Shunfeng'er.[14]
Shunfeng'er next appeared as a lieutenant of theEmperor of Flowering Brightness(t華光大帝,s华光大帝,Huáguāng Dàdì) inYu Xiangdou'sJourney to the South[11] and as a character inXu Zhonglin'sCreation of the Gods.[14] He was confused with thedoor godYulü(t鬱壘,s郁垒,Yùlǜ).[11]
Shunfeng'er's sharp hearing is employed to help sailors distinguish favorable winds from coming storms.[8] In some accounts, he is capable of hearing everything in the world, no matter how quietly spoken, and was therefore also worshipped as a witness and guarantor of oaths and contracts.[15]
Shunfeng'er is most often portrayed as ademon defeated and tamed or befriended by thesea goddessMazu. By one account, he and Qianliyan appeared offMeizhou Island during a storm and were defeated by Mazu's magical silk scarf, which blew clouds of sand into their ears and eyes. After their submission, they pledged their loyalty when she kindly healed them of the damage she had caused them.[5] In another, the two were Song generals who competed for her hand at Peach Blossom Mountain(桃花山,Táohuā Shān) but were both defeated by herkung fu.[16] In another, the two were the brothers Gao Jue and Gao Ming. Ruthless generals, they fell at Peach Blossom Mountain and subsequently haunted it as demons. They appeared to Mazu when she traveled nearby and challenged her to battle, with the loser to do the winner's bidding. They intended to have her marry them both but were defeated by her magic and became her servants.[3][7] In still another, the Gao brothers were bandits during theShang before they began to haunt the mountain.[8]
In still another account, the pair were originally warriors or guards ofKing Zhou of Shang.[17] In this version of the story, they are sometimes said to have already possessed their superhuman powers and to have used them to foil the first moves towards rebellion by theZhou. Ji Fa's advisorJiang Ziya is made out to have been aTaoist adept, however, who uses the esoteric knowledge he received from thePrimordial Lord of Heaven onMount Kunlun to defeat them. Their powers fail them when he covers them in the blood of a black dog and Ji Fa is able to triumph atMuye and finally establish himself as theMartial King of Zhou ("King Wu").[14]
Shunfeng'er most often appears as adoor god atMazuist temples[5] or as a guardian besideMazu at her altars[1] or on her yellow paper charms.[18] He is separately worshipped in some villages[12] or by mariners for assistance avoiding danger. During the 8-day, 250-kilometer (155 mi) annual pilgrimages fromDajia toBeigang, Mazu's idol is accompanied by 10-foot (3 m) figures of Shunfeng'er and Qianliyan played by masked men onstilts.[2]
Shunfeng'er typically appears as a red- or brown-skinned demon cupping a hand to one of his ears. He also occasionally appears with three heads and six arms.[3] He usually appears to the left of his companionQianliyan. Sometimes Shunfeng'er appears as the green demon, in which case he usually has one horn andruby eyes.[19]
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