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| Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils | |
| Author | Jin Yong |
|---|---|
| Original title | 天龍八部 |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Chinese |
| Genre(s) | Wuxia |
| Publisher | Ming Pao, Nanyang Siang Pau |
| Publication date | 3rd September 1963 |
Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (traditional Chinese: 天龍八部; simplified Chinese: 天龙八部; pinyin: Tiān Lóng Bā Bù; Jyutping: Tin1 Lung4 Baat3 Bou6) is a long Wuxia novel by Louis Cha, who is better known as Jin Yong.
It was first published on 3 September 1963 on the newspapers Ming Pao in Hong Kong and Nanyang Siang Pau in Singapore, and has been running for four consecutive years. During these years, Jin Yong went on travel and asked fellow writer Ni Kuang to write on his behalf. Ni Kuang wrote more than 40,000 words for the novel while writing on behalf of Jin Yong. One of the most notable changes to the novel was that Ni Kuang wrote the chapter in which A Zi was blinded, but when Jin Yong returned, he changed that section and "restored" A Zi's sense of sight.
It has since spawned several movies and television serials adaptations in both Mainland China and Hong Kong. The title of the novel has been a challenge for translators for years. It is based on the Eight Races of non-human entities described in Buddhist cosmology. In Buddhism, even though these Demi-Gods are ranked higher than mortals, they are still bound to the Samsara by their own passions and desires. It is said that Jin Yong originally modelled each major character after one of the Races. As he wrote on, the complexity of the story made it impossible for such a simplistic mapping. Today, the topic of which character corresponds to which Race is still an interesting matter of discussion among fans and readers.
Contents |
Background
The main thematic element of the novel concerns the complex, often troubled relationships between the great multitude of characters from various kingdoms and sects, and the inherent bond that underlies the struggles of each. Ultimately, the novel examines the cause and effect that forms and breaks these bonds on five uniquely corresponding levels: self, family, society, ethnic group, and country (dominion). The timeframe in which the novel takes place is historically based upon the era of the Northern Song Dynasty, and includes the warring empires of Song, Liao, Dali, Western Xia and Tubo.
Characters
There are about over 230 characters in the novel, including those who are only mentioned by name.
Protagonists
Antagonists
- Murong Fu (慕容復)
- Four Evils (天下四惡)
- Ding Chunqiu (丁春秋)
- You Tanzhi (游坦之)
- Jiu Mozhi (鳩摩智)
List of fictional organisations
- Beggars' Sect (丐幫)
- Shaolin Monastery (少林寺)
- Royal Duan Family of the Kingdom of Dali (大理段氏皇族)
- Murong Family of Gusu (姑蘇慕容氏)
- Heavenly Dragon Monastery (天龍寺)
- Xiao Yao Sect (逍遥派)
- Xing Xiu Sect (星宿派)
- Deaf Mute Sect (聾啞門)
- Ling Jiu Palace (靈鷲宮)
- First Class Hall (一品堂)
Plot
The novel is made up of several separate yet intertwining story lines, revolving around the protagonists Qiao Feng, Duan Yu and Xuzhu, and also the tragic story of You Tanzhi.
The story of Duan Yu
Duan Yu started as a young, naive prince of the Kingdom of Dali. Despite the long tradition of the practice of martial arts in the royal family, he refused to learn martial arts due Buddhist influence and his disdain for bloodshed. When his father Duan Zhengchun, the Zhennan Prince, tried to force him to learn martial arts, he ran away from home. Ironically, by chance, he acquired three of the most powerful martial arts in the novel and became immune to poison after unintentionally consuming the Zhu Ha, a poisonous toad known as the king of all venomous creatures.
During his adventures, he encountered several beautiful young maidens such as Zhong Ling and Mu Wanqing and fell in love with them. However, one by one, these maidens were revealed to be actually his half-sisters due to his womanizing father's past illicit affairs with several women such as Gan Baobao and Qin Hongmian. Of these maidens, he was extremely obsessed with Wang Yuyan, who bore a resemblance to a statue of a fairy-like woman he chanced upon before. He followed Wang Yuyan around and was often trying to win her heart but she had no feelings for him as she too had a crush on her cousin Murong Fu. Duan Yu's love-life ended on a happy note when Wang Yuyan finally realised that he was the one who truly loved her and they were happily married and lived together after.
The story of Qiao Feng
Qiao Feng started as the popular and charismatic chief of the Beggars' Sect, who possessed strong leadership qualities and exceptional prowess in martial arts. He fell from grace after his true ethnicity as a Khitan was revealed and he was wrongly accused of having murdered several fellow pugilists to conceal his identity. Since then, he had become an outcast of the Wulin and became the prime enemy of the Han Chinese martial arts world. Once, he was forced to sever all ties he had with the Han Chinese pugilists and engaged in a one-man bloody battle with them and killed several, among which included many old friends.
Qiao Feng left to verify the claims that he was a Khitan and investigate the mysterious murders for which he was wrongly accused of. He was accompanied by the beautiful A Zhu who was in love with him and stood by him even when the world turned against him. After a long journey in disguise, he finally concluded that he was indeed a Khitan and he assumed his ancestral name Xiao Feng. Tragically, he made a major blunder after being tricked into believing that Duan Zhengchun (revealed to be A Zhu's father) was his sworn enemy and killed A Zhu who was in disguise to defend her father by mistake.
Xiao Feng regretted bitterly and had since left Song China together with A Zi, the younger sister of A Zhu, whom he had promised to take good care of. A Zi had a strong crush on him but Xiao Feng did not like her at all for her mischievousness and sadistic nature although he let her follow him. Xiao wandered into the Kingdom of Liao where he truly belonged and became a powerful noble after forging a strong friendship with the ruler and saving the ruler from a coup. When the ruler of Liao decided to invade Song China, Xiao Feng stopped him as he still regarded himself as indebted to Song China and on account of his past relations with the Han Chinese. Ultimately, Xiao Feng committed suicide to prevent the war between Song and Liao after taking the ruler of Liao hostage and making him swear that he would never invade Song China.
The story of Xuzhu
Xuzhu started as a monk from Shaolin, described to having a kind-hearted and submissive nature. He believed strongly in following the Buddhist code and refused to break it even when faced with life-threatening situations. He followed his elders to a pugilist meeting once, which marked the start of his adventures. Coincidentally and by sheer luck, Xuzhu managed to break a Weiqi formation and became the successor of the Xiao Yao Sect and he inherited the powers and martial arts of Wuyazi. Subsequently, he encountered the Tian Shan Tong Lao and other acquaintances of Wuyazi and learnt martial arts from them and became the leader of several unorthodox sects in the Wulin by chance again.
Xuzhu felt overwhelmed by the sudden influx of heavy responsibilities and his major leapt in martial arts prowess and wanted to detach himself from all these and return to his former secular life. However, he was unable to wrench himself free from the various tribulations and dangers which laid ahead and he had no choice but to accept his fate. Xuzhu also had a pitiful parentage, as he was revealed to be the illegitimate son of Shaolin's head abbot Xuan Ci and Ye Er Niang of the Four Evils. His reunion with his parents was fated to be the first and also the last. Again by coincidence, Xuzhu became the Royal Son-in-law of the Kingdom of Western Xia due to a previous affair with the Princess Yin Chuan, whom he was married to and they lived happily ever after.
The story of You Tanzhi
You Tanzhi was the heir to the Juxian Manor owned by the You brothers (his father and uncle). The Manor hosted the infamous Heroes' Gathering for the Han Chinese pugilists to discuss their plans to counter Qiao Feng, whom they believed to be responsible for committing several acts of atrocity after his ethnicity as a Khitan had been revealed. Qiao Feng turned up at the Gathering surprisingly and engaged in a bloody battle with the pugilists there after severing his past ties and friendship with them. The You brothers were defeated and committed suicide in shame. You Tanzhi became a pauper and orphan overnight and he had since harbored a grudge against Qiao Feng for the loss of his family.
Qiao Feng assumed his proper name Xiao Feng later and became a powerful noble in the Kingdom of Liao after helping the ruler put down a coup. You Tanzhi had been captured by raiding Liao soldiers at the border and was sold into slavery. He encountered Xiao Feng again and attempted to kill Xiao but failed. Xiao did not kill him and even pardoned him and allowed him to leave. A Zi was present then so she decided to help Xiao Feng take revenge by capturing You Tanzhi again after his release and she tortured him for her personal sadistic amusement and pleasure. You Tanzhi was entranced by A Zi's beauty so he developed a strong crush on her and even willingly succumbed to her and became her source of amusement. Later, A Zi had an iron mask wielded onto You's head to hide his identity and his face was marred (even after the mask was removed). He was thus nicknamed 'Iron Clown'.
You Tanzhi managed to master the Tendon-Altering Sutra unexpectedly after helping A Zi by allowing venomous creatures suck his blood. Also, he was bitten by the Icy Worm and mastered a powerful skill which allowed him to shoot streams of icy venom from his palms at enemies. Subsequently, You Tanzhi was manipulated by Quan Guanqing into becoming the new chief of the Beggars' Sect (known by his new alias Zhuang Juxian) and he surrendered to the evil Ding Chunqiu at the battle of Shaolin. After Ding's defeat, he became the primary enemy of the Beggars' Sect for his defection. Xiao Feng spared his life again on the condition that he would never commit evil again. You Tanzhi stayed together with the group as he was still unwilling to give up his love for A Zi. Eventually, You decided to offer his own eyes to A Zi, who had been blinded, hoping in exchange for her love and pity. However, A Zi despised him even further as she did not like him at all for his looks. You Tanzhi followed suit at the end of the novel after A Zi leapt down the cliff with Xiao Feng's dead body to her death.
Adaptations
Television series
| Year | Production | Main Cast | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | TVB (Hong Kong) | Bryan Leung as Xiao Feng
Felix Wong as Xuzhu Kent Tong as Duan Yu Patrick Tse as Duan Zhengchun Wong Hang Sau as A Zhu/Zhong Ling Shek Sau as Murong Fu Idy Chan as Wang Yuyan Sharon Yeung as Mu Wanqing |
|
| 1991 | CTV (Taiwan) | Austin Wai as Xiao Feng
Eddie Kwan as Duan Yu/Xuzhu Song Gangling as Wang Yuyan Zhang Yongyong as A Zhu/A Zi |
Produced by Zhou You. |
| 1996 | TVB (Hong Kong) | Felix Wong as Xiao Feng/Xiao Yuanshan
Benny Chan as Duan Yu Louis Fan as Xuzhu Carmen Lee as Wang Yuyan/Wang Yunluo Cheung Kwok Keung as Murong Fu Lau Kam-Ling as A Zhu Bondy Chiu as Mu Wanqing Rain Lau as A Zi He Mei Tian as Zhong Ling Pat Poon as Duan Zhengchun |
Felix Wong played Xuzhu in the 1982 adaptation. Produced by Lee Tim Shing. |
| 2003 | CCTV (Mainland China) | Hu Jun as Xiao Feng/Xiao Yuanshan
Jimmy Lin as Duan Yu Gao Hu as Xuzhu Xiu Qing as Murong Fu Crystal Liu as Wang Yuyan Liu Tao as A Zhu Chen Hao as A Zi Tong Chun Chong as Duan Zhengchun Shu Chang as Tian Shan Tong Lao Christy Chung as Kang Min |
Entitled Heaven Dragon - the Eighth Episode. Producer Zhang Jizhong had previously adapted The Legend of the Condor Heroes for CCTV to great acclaim and several of the cast were featured again in this series, such as Xiu Qing, who had played Ouyang Ke in The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Tong Chun Chong's brother Kent Tong played Duan Yu in the 1982 adaptation. |
Movies
| Year | Production | Director/Producer | Cast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) | Pao Hsueh Li | Danny Lee as Duan Yu
Tian Ni as Mu Wanqing Lin Chen-Chi as Zhong Ling |
|
| 1982 | Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) | Tsui Siu Ming | See Gang Master | |
| 1982 | Hong Kong | Xiao Sheng | Norman Tsui as Xiao Feng
Kent Tong as Duan Yu Felix Wong as Xuzhu Idy Chan as Wang Yuyan Austin Wai as Murong Fu Eddy Ko as Jiu Mozhi, |
|
| 1994 | Hong Kong | Andy Chin | Brigitte Lin as Li Canghai/Li Qiushui
Gong Li as Tian Shan Tong Lao Sharla Cheung as A Zi Norman Tsui as Ding Chunqiu Frankie Lam as Xuzhu |
Video games
- The Demi-gods and Semi-devils (1997)
- The Demi-gods and Semi-devils - Liu Mai Shen Jian
- The Demi-gods and Semi-devils (MUD)
- The Demi-gods and Semi-devils Online
Cities
External links
- (English) Demi-Gods, Semi-Devils - English translation of the novel at Wuxiapedia.com; includes a comprehensive section of fully-annotated material called "Facts and Figures".
- (Chinese) Tian Long Ba Bu - Text of the novel, in Chinese
- (Chinese) Jinyong Tea House - Chinese language fansite of Jinyong's novels
- (Chinese) Fei Hong Xue Ni - Jin Yong forums in Chinese
- Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils at the Internet Movie Database
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