Duyizhi (Chinese: 獨異志, also known as Tu yi chih), a book in the genre of "transmissions of strange tales" (chuanqi), is now known only in partial form. The author has been identified as Li Rong. The book is a very important source for the modern study of Chinese mythology, containing many versions of otherwise lost narratives; such as the traditional story of Nüwa who mends the Heavens. The title (Duyizhi) has various translations into English, including Treatise on Extraordinary and Strange Things (Birrell 1993, 34); and, in Chinese transliteration as Tu yi chih (Birrell 1993, 272). Of the original ten volumes of the Duyizhi, only three volumes survive.

Author

Although sometimes known as Li Rong (Chinese: 李冗; Wade–Giles: Li Jung), due to lack of biographic data, there are various versions of his name or names, the truth of which is unclear.[1] Other names given are Li Yin (李尢), Li Yuan (李元), and Li Kang (李亢).[2] He flourished around 846 to 874 CE (Birrell 1993, 34), or the regnal periods of the two late Tang emperors Xuānzōng (846 – 859) and Yìzōng (859 to 873).

See also

References

  1. ↑ Theobald 2010, ChinaKnowledge.de .
  2. ↑ Theobald 2010, ChinaKnowledge.de . There is no apparent controversy about his family name: it is Lǐ. Whether the other attributed names represent a given name, a courtesy name, or something else is not clear. Especially if hand-written, the similar appearance and strokes of the Chinese characters in this case (冗, 亢, 冘, 元) suggest a possible source of confusion.

Further reading

  • Birrell, Anne (1993). Chinese Mythology. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins). ISBN 0-8018-6183-7
  • Theobald, Ulrich, 2010 [ChinaKnowledge.de, "duyizhi" http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Literature/Novels/duyizhi.html]
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