Chief Star, Big Dipper Constellation, Point to the Major Luminary
December 14, 2007
鍾馗 [3]), was also an outstanding scholar, with a disfigured appearance, who was unfairly denied examination honors by the Emperor, who commits suicide, and who then again makes his appearance as a powerful vanquisher of ghosts and demons. He was a very popular figure in Chinese folklore, and many homes had some kind of picture of this supernatural protector of homes, and vanquisher of evil. He was a popular door guard or portal guard used to keep evil and malicious forces out of homes and buildings. As part of the Duanwu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival, Summer Solstice), part of the Daoist traditions, portraits of Zhong Kui were hung up in homes and buildings.
The fact that K'uei Xing and Zhong Kui are portrayed in artworks in a similar fashion, as a ugly man standing on one leg and holding a sword or brush in an upraised hand, and the wordKui (星座) stands for "a one-legged monster," has led toa mixing of meanings.
holding a writing brush above his head in his right hand, and holding an inkwell or measuring cup in his left hand. Zhong Kui鍾馗[3]is often represented as a fierce looking bearded man, standing on one leg and holding the other leg up with bent knee, with a sword raised in his right hand, and the other hand raised with pointed fingers.
K'uei Hsing (Kui Xing) [2]
Lesser God of Scholars Taking Examinations
Zhong Kui [3]
Powerful Protector and Vanquisher of Ghosts and Demons
夔 A One Legged Monster;Kui2 星座 The Name of a constellation; orKui2 魁 Chief, head. Other Chinese words with similar sounds toKui (Kui1) mean 'deficiency, deficit, set back, losses, to fall short of, to treat unfairly." The wordXing is pronounced, Xing1. Xing1 星 Star, satellite Xing1 zuo4 星座 Constellation. Shi 势 Shi4 implies a form, position, tendency, posture, terrain, situation, configuration.
Five of the seven stars in the Big Dipper minor constellation [4] are of second magnitude brightness, and one, Mizar, is a visual binary star. The constellation of Ursa Major, which includes the Big Dipper, is visible at all times in the night sky of the northern hemisphere, and the Big Dipper is used to locate or point towards Polaris, the North Star. Consequently,Kui Xingis linked to bright stars, important stars, a major constellation and the Big Dipper and is called, in various sword forms: The Big Star, Chief (Kui Chief 魁) Star (Xing星0, the Big Dipper Constellation, Indicate the Major Luminary, and the Great Star of the Big Dipper. Also, again, both K'uei Hsing (Kui Xing) and Wen Chang, as well as other mythological deities such as The Fates and Queen Marichi, are said to have their abode in the cup part of the Big Dipper.
There are a number of appearances of monsters with one leg, guardians standing on one leg, or creatures standing or kicking back one leg in Chinese myths and legends. Loosing (kui1 loss or deficit 亏) a leg due to a birth defect or accident would pose serious problems and setbacks for anyone. The unearned misfortune, like extreme ugliness or other physical deformities, would be seen as unfair, and associated with unnatural evil; or possibly as a sign that the person had special shamanic powers or other compensatory talents, e.g., scholar, musician, shaman-priest. On the negative side,夔 a one-legged monster, an evil deity on one leg, a fierce guarding deity like Zhong Kui standing on one leg, a one legged mountain monster, or a one-legged Yecha are blended in with the meanings associated with K'uei Hsing (Kui Xing) and his unfortunate grotesque appearance.
#7: Xiao Kui Xing) In the Chen Taijiquan49 sword form, there is a movement (#23) named "Zhong Kui Brandishes His Sword" which is very similar to Chief Star or Big Dipper, except that the left foot is in a toe stance more like the Little Star of the Dipper (Yang sword #7, 32 Sword #4). The shape of the Big Dipper or Drinking Gourd or Plough is suggestive of the posture: the long handle of the Big Dipper (standing on one leg), the upper part of the Big Dipper pointing to the Polestar (the pointing of the the writing brush or pen), the lower part of the Big Dipper (the left hand raised with finger pointing or holding something).
There are a number of named movements in Taijiquan sword forms that explicitly refer to stroke methods used in Chinese calligraphy and some are part of the13 Sword Techniques, e.g., #8Dian 点 dot, #7Ti 提 upwards character stroke. A number of noted Taijiquan teachers have also been master calligraphers. Chen Weiming, a scholar and archivist, would also have had an affinity for literary attributions and legends and these subtly appear in his popular and influential 1928 book "Tai Chi Sword." Naming movements after popular heroes in folklore, the Taoist or Buddhist religions, or myths is one method for helping martial arts practitioners remember the movements, and sustaining Chinese culture and traditions.
In the Taijiquan sword form, the Great Star of the Literary God or Big Dipper or Chief Star is performed by holding the sword in the right hand above the head, extending the left hand and pointing upward with the sword fingers, and lifting the left knee in the air. The one leg is the ladle of the Big Dipper, and the hands form the sides of the cup (ladle, gourd) of the Big Dipper or Drinking Gourd; and the tip of the sword points to the Polestar or North Star. The Big Dipper or Chief Star posture is the most frequently depicted posture used to represent the Taijiquan Sword form.
Depending upon the teacher of the form, the Little Dipper or Minor Star of the Literary God is referred to byvarious names in the 32 Sword or 55 Yang Sword:
Small Star of the Literary God (Xiao Kui Xing) [CWM 7]
Little Chief Star [YJM 8]
Small Star of the Big Dipper [PTK 6]
Little Dipper [YJ 8]
Minor Star of the Dipper [SMR]
Minor Polestar [SM 7]
Minor Star of the Dipper
Indicate the Minor Luminary
Little Chief Star
Split Independently
Wheel Chop with One-Leg Stand
Sounding the Sea
Searching the Sea
Single Leg Stance Reaching Into the Sea
Stand on One Leg and Cut with Arm Swing
Techniques: Ya (Pressing or Pushing Down), andChou (Cutting Upward)
The Little Star of the Big Dipper [MPG 7]
Xiao Kui Xing (Ch.)
Le Peu Tiennent le Premier Rôle de la Constellation de Grand Huit (Fr.)
Der Kleine Stern der Wagen-Konstellation (Gr.)
La Pequeña Estrella de la Constelación del Cucharón Grande (Sp.)
夜叉探海 :
小魁星 : Little Star of Dipper
The Little Dipper or Small Star of the Literary God has the sword pointing down rather than forward. The left sword hand touches the right wrist. The left leg is extended forward in a deep left empty stance, or the left leg is lifted.
陳微明 (real name: Chen Zengze 陳曾則)
Wen-ch'ang, the Daoist God of Literature:
"Wen-ch'ang is the constellation of six stars near the Great Bear [The Bige Dipper]. It is said that when these are bright. litearture flourishes. Wen-ch'ang was above all venerated by those who neededhelp with the official examinations for an official career. He is usally shown in the company of K'uei-shing, responsible for issuing official testimonials, and Chu-i, the red robed one, patron of those ill-prepared for official examinations. [Compare modern Roman Catholic devotion to St. Joseph of Cupertino who is invoked for unprepared examination candidates.]"
- The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion, ( Boston: Shambala, 1986), p. 415
Wen Ti also called Wen Ch'ang , or Wen Ch'ang Ti-Chün , Pinyin Wen Di, Wen Chang , or Wen Chang Dijun the Chinese god of literature, whose chief heavenly task, assigned by the Jade Emperor (Yü Huang), is to keep a log of men of letters so that he can mete out rewards and punishments to each according to his merit. He also maintains a register of the titles and honours each writer has received.
- Encyclopedia Britannica
Kui Xing,in Chinese mythology, a brilliant but ugly dwarf who as the god of examinations became the deity of scholars who took imperial examinations.
"K'uei Hsing, whose name before deification was Chung K'uei, is said to have passed his own examination with remarkable success but was denied the usual honours when the emperor beheld his ugly features. Brokenhearted, K'uei attempted
"In hisMyths and Legends of China, E.T.C. Werner mentions aK'uei orChung K'uei who "ascended to heaven and became arbiter of the destinies of men of letters. His abode was said to be the starK'uei, a name given by the Chinese to the sixteen stars of the 'mansion' of Andromeda or Pisces. The scholars quite soon began to worshipK'uei as the God of Literature, and to represent it on a column in the temples. Then sacrifices were offered to it. This star or constellation was regarded as a palace of the god."
Werner also notes that the Chinese characterK'uei denoted a disembodied spirit, a ghost, or (as a plural) demons.
Consistent with this author"s account of Chung K'uei, Raymond Deloy Jameson tells us (in Leach) that Kuei Hsing was "an ugly dwarf associated along withChu Yi, withWen Ch'ang, the Chinese God of Literature. The legend is that he was a brilliant student and won the first prize in the Imperial examinations. But because of his ugliness the emperor refused to grant him the golden rose that should have been his reward. Kuei Hsing threw himself into the ocean, was rescued by a sea monster (a dragon), and ascended into Heaven where he took up his residence on a starkuei hsing, now construed as being located in the the square part of the constellation Ursa Major. He is popularly represented holding a writing brush in his right hand, a bushel measure in his left, and kicking up one leg behind him. This twisted position is thought to suggest the Chinese ideograph kuei. Wen Chang also has his abode in the big square mansion in Ursa Major."
The Pro/Am Book of Music and Mythology. By Thomas P. Lewis. p. 1015
"A Chinese legend tells the story of the four stars which make up the bowl of the Big Dipper. These stars were the home of the "fates," the Queen Marichi and all her attendants and the god of literature. Clearly, it was a crowded home!
The story begins one time when a young lad by the name of K'uei who was a literary student known for his great learning and brilliant wit. Unfortunately, K'uei was also rather ugly, so ugly in fact, that not even the most kindhearted person could help but shudder when their eyes fell upon him. So although K'uei was smarter than any before him, and witty, he had no friends.
At this time, it was customary for the emperor to present a golden rose to the winning candidate at the metropolitan examinations. As fate would have it, K'uei had won this honor. K'uei was very proud when he approached the throne but alas, when the emperor, even though he had been forewarned, laid his eyes upon the ugly K'uei, he dropped the rose and there it lay shattered.
Poor K'uei was in disgrace, and so, brokenhearted and finding life intolerable, he threw himself into the sea. As K'uei passed under the cool, calmness of the waves he was aware that under his feet had appeared a monster. The creature was one of those strange beasts who inhabit the depths of the sea, and he was lifting K'uei back up towards the surface.
The monster rose out of the waves with K'uei safely on his back and continued to mount higher and higher in the air, until at last he had reached the very sky itself. There, enthroned among the stars of the Bear, K'uei now watches over the literary affairs of the world and is the patron saint of all scholars."
- Ursa Major Legends
"Guan Yu, also known asGuan Di, is the God of War in Chinese culture. Born around 120AD, he is a hero recognized for his patriotism and courage, as well as his skill in tactical warfare. Guan Yu was killed in 219 AD by his adversaries (led by the powerful emperor, Sun Quan), and was canonized by the Song Emperor in 1120 AD. In 1594, Guan Yu was deemed a god. To this day, his birthday is celebrated every year, which takes place on the thirteenth day of the fifth lunar month.
Guan Yu is also recognized as Sangharama Bodhisattva, an important god in the Buddhism practiced in China. He is also the God of Police Officers.
Along with his two blood-brothers, Liu Bei (a warlord) and Zhang Fei, Guan Yu fought against the evil forces of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He remained loyal to them until his death.
Guan Yu, and in fact his brothers as well, are vital figures in the Chinese martial arts. He represents courage, bravery, and strength, all important qualities for practitioners to aspire. Most clubs have an altar, on which a statuette or picture of Guan Yu (and sometimes his brothers) is placed. Guan Yu is characterized as a proud, red-faced warrior with a long black beard, clad in heavy armour. He may be standing or can be on horseback, holding the traditional Chinese pole weapon he invented, the guan dao."
- Guan Yu
Awakening the World Scripture. By Lord Guan Yu.
Guan Yu is a Daoist God of war and martial arts. His story is told in theRomance Of The Three Kingdoms. He was a vendor of soya bean curd, who later defended the poor against corrupt officials, and was a skilled fighter. Guan-Yu (Guan Yn Chang, Guan Gog, Guan Di, Chang Zeng, Chang Yun) is associated with Liu-Bei and Zhang-Fei, and one of the Three Brothers of the Peach Orchard. He is really a peace loving deity, but a brave and skilled warrior for the forces of good and justice. Guan Yu is also a patron saint for peace officers, revered by Buddhists as a defender of the faith, and also worshipped as a "God of Literature." Source1 Source2
"[Lat.,=the great bear; the little bear], two conspicuous northernconstellations. Known to many peoples from ancient times, these constellations have had various names; the configuration of the seven brightest stars has been called the Bear, Septentriones (the seven plowing oxen), the Plow, Charles's Wain, and the Wagon. Ursa Minor was once known as Cynosura (from the Greek for "dog's tail"). In the United States part of Ursa Major is called the Big Dipper (or the Drinking Gourd) and part of Ursa Minor, the Little Dipper. Four of the seven bright stars in the Big Dipper form the bowl and three the handle; five of these stars are of second magnitude. The middle star in the handle of the Big Dipper is Mizar (Zeta Ursae Majoris). A fainter star, Alcor, which appears to be near Mizar, was observed from ancient times. These two stars are sometimes called a double star, but since they do not revolve around a common center of gravity they are not true doubles. Mizar itself is, however, a visualbinary star and was the first to be recognized as suchby G. B. Riccioli in 1650. It was also the first spectroscopic binary to be discovered; this observation resulted from studies of the spectrum of the brighter component of Mizar, which revealed it as a binary consisting of a pair of stars of almost equal brightness. The two end stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper are known as the Pointers. A line extending through them to about five times the distance between them leads to the polestar (Polaris, or the North Star). Polaris is at the extreme end of the Little Dipper. Including Polaris there are three stars in the handle of the Little Dipper and four forming the bowl. The handles of the two Dippers extend in opposite directions, and when one bowl is upright the other is inverted. Ursa Major reaches its highest point in the evening sky in April and Ursa Minor its highest point in June. However, for observers in the middle and northern latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere both constellations are circumpolar and thus are visible throughout the year."
- Ursa Major - Questia
"In oracle inscriptions as well as historical texts, thewu [shamans] have been described as deformed or as hunchbacks. If a certain deformity was considered to be the sign of a possible religious talent, other disabilities have been regarded widely as the sign of possible compensatory gifts. The mythical K'uei [夔 kui2], the patron of musicians, is described as a one-legged monster who taught men how to play on stones to bring down the gods and spirits."
- Julia Ching,Mysticism and Kingship in China: The Heart of Chinese Wisdom, p. 17
"Zhong Kui (鍾馗pinyin: Zhǒng KuíShōki inJapanese) is a figure ofChinese mythology. Traditionally regarded as a vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings, and reputedly able to command 80,000demons, his image is often painted on household gates as a guardian spirit, as well as in places ofbusiness where high-valuegoods are involved.
According to folklore, Zhong Kui travelled with Du Ping (杜平), a friend from his hometown, to take part in theimperial examinations at the capital. Though Zhong achieved top honours in the exams, his title of "zhuangyuan" was stripped by the emperor because of his disfigured appearance. In anger, Zhong Kui committedsuicide upon the palace steps by hurling himself against the palace gate until his head was broken. Du Ping buried him. After Zhong became king of ghosts inHell, he returned to his hometown on the ChineseNew Year's Eve. To repay Du Ping's kindness, Zhong Kui gave his younger sister in marriage to Du.
Zhong Kui's popularity in folklore can be traced to the reign ofEmperor Xuanzong of Tang China (712 to756). According toSong Dynasty sources, once the Emperor Xuanzong was gravely ill. He had a dream in which he saw two ghosts. The smaller of the ghosts stole a purse from imperial consortYang Guifei and a flute belonging to the emperor. The bigger ghost, wearing the hat of an official, captured the smaller ghost, tore out his eye and ate it. The bigger ghost then introduced himself as Zhong Kui. He said that he had sworn to rid the empire ofevil. When the emperor awoke, he had recovered from his illness. So he commissioned the court painter Wu Daozi (吴道子) to produce an image of Zhong Kui to show to the officials. This was highly influential to later representations of Zhong."
- Zhong Kui - Wikipedia
popular webpage includes a comprehensive bibliography, scores of links to webpages; an extensive listing of the names and name variations for each movement in English, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish; a detailed analysis of each posture and movement sequence with explanations and numbered illustrations and detailed instructions; selected quotations; comments on 20 Taijiquan sword techniques; a comprehensive media bibliography; a chart of performance times; and, a comparison of the 32 and 55 sword forms in the Yang style.
Classical Tai Chi Chuan Sword, Taijiquan Jian 55 in the Yang Style: Comparison of Names or Descriptions for the 55 Movements. Green Way Research, Red Bluff, California, January 2008. By Michael P. Garofalo. This document includes a detailed listing of the names or brief descriptions of the 55 movements of the Classical Taijiquan Straight Sword Form in the Yang Style of Taijiquan. This document includes names or brief descriptions for each movement in English, Romanized Chinese (Pinyin and/or Wade Giles), Chinese characters, Spanish, French, and German. The document includes source citations and a bibliography. In PDF format, print only, 267Kb, 34 pages:
Webpage:http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/Classical Taijiquan Yang Sword Form 55 List Detailed.pdf
popular webpage includes a comprehensive bibliography, scores of links to webpages, an extensive listing of the names and name variations for each movement (English and Chinese), a detailed analysis of each posture and movement sequence with explanations and numbered illustrations, instructions, selected quotations, a comprehensive media bibliography, and a comparison of the 32 and 55 sword forms in the Yang style.Yang Style, Standard Orthodox 32 Sword Form, List of 32 Movements, Valley Spirit Taijiquan List:
http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/32SwordFulla.pdf 15Kb, 1 page, PDF Print Only Version
Yang Style Sword Form, Classical Tai Chi Sword, List of Movements, 55 Movements, Valley Spirit Taijiquan List:
http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/sword55.pdf 55Kb, 25 pages, PDF Print Only Version