Ne Zha 2 — Investiture of the Gods, the source novel
At a glance100 chapters · completed
The Ne Zha films draw on Feng Shen Yan Yi (封神演义), "Investiture of the Gods", a classic 100-chapter Ming dynasty novel traditionally attributed to Xu Zhonglin (许仲琳). It tells of the fall of the Shang dynasty and the war between gods, immortals and demons that accompanies the rise of the Zhou. Nezha is just one character among hundreds, but one of the most famous.
Origins and publication
In the novel, Nezha is the third son of General Li Jing, born after a three-and-a-half-year pregnancy as a ball of flesh from which emerges a child bearing a golden ring and a red sash. A disciple of the immortal Taiyi Zhenren, he kills Ao Bing, third son of the Dragon King of the East Sea, then sacrifices himself to save his parents from the dragons' revenge. His master resurrects him in a body made of lotus, and he becomes one of the generals in the war of the gods.
Nezha's story already appeared in older works such as Journey to the West, but Feng Shen Yan Yi fixed its best-known version. The novel has inspired countless operas, films, series and games, including the classic animated film Nezha Conquers the Dragon King (1979).
How it differs from the donghua
Jiaozi keeps the novel's main milestones but reinvents almost all of them. Nezha is no longer a divine child but the incarnation of the Demon Pearl, rejected by everyone. Ao Bing is no longer a victim but his friend and double, bearer of the Spirit Pearl. His parents, Li Jing and Lady Yin, become loving and protective, whereas the novel shows a harsh father and a rebellious son. Ne Zha 2 takes the reinterpretation even further, weaving in other figures from Investiture of the Gods.
Reception and success
Feng Shen Yan Yi is one of the great novels of Chinese popular literature, even if it is not counted among the "four great classical novels". Its influence on Chinese culture is immense: many folk deities find their story in it. Jiaozi's films have become its most-watched version, establishing a new image of Nezha for a whole generation.
Trivia
- The novel's authorship is debated: it is attributed to Xu Zhonglin, but some scholars favour Lu Xixing.
- Nezha's attributes, the Qiankun Ring, the Huntian Sash and the Wind Fire Wheels, all come from the literary tradition.
- In 2023 another adaptation of the novel, Wuershan's Creation of the Gods I, reached cinemas.
- The animated film Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, made in 1979 by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, is a classic of Chinese animation.
My take
Reading Feng Shen Yan Yi after watching the Ne Zha films is a surprising experience: you discover a far more violent Nezha and a sprawling, sometimes confusing story with hundreds of characters. It is not an easy read, and complete translations are rare. But it is the best way to grasp the richness of the mythology Jiaozi reinvented.
Who is it for?Anyone curious about Chinese mythology who wants the original version of Nezha and the gods of the Shang war.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan
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The authorJiaozi 饺子The pharmacist who broke every record