Yijian Zhi (Complete Four Volumes): Collected Ancient Prose Novels

Author: (Song) Hong Mai
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Yijian Zhi is a famous collection of supernatural tales from the Song Dynasty. The author, Hong Mai (1123–1202 AD), styled Jinglu and also known as Yechu, was a native of Poyang (now Boyang, Jiangxi) in the Southern Song Dynasty. He held various official positions, including Prefect, Secretary of the Chancellery, Attending Scholar, Director of the Academic Institute, and Academician of the Dongming Hall, and was also concurrently involved in compiling the national history. According to his biography in the History of the Song Dynasty, Hong Mai possessed exceptional memory from a young age and was deeply versed in a wide range of books, from Confucian classics and historical texts to folk tales. As a result, he was highly knowledgeable and prolific in his writings, in addition to Yijian Zhi, he also authored works such as Shiji Yufa, Nanchao Shiji Jingyu, Jingzi Yufa, and Rongzhan Suibi. Yijian Zhi was written in his later years, and its title is derived from the phrase "Yijian wen er zhi zhi" in the Liezi·Tangwen, meaning "Yijian heard and recorded it." The book documents various strange and supernatural tales. It is extensive in scope and volume, making it the largest collection of supernatural tales from the Song Dynasty. Its contents primarily include deities, ghosts, monsters, odd anecdotes, omens, dreams, divination, as well as some literary fragments, poems, songs, and medical prescriptions from the Song Dynasty. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, many storytelling texts and theatrical plays have drawn inspiration from stories in Yijian Zhi. Some chapters in the book reflect the severe class exploitation and corruption in the Song Dynasty's bureaucracy, while a few others reveal atheistic thoughts. These materials are not only valuable for historical research but also provide insights into certain aspects of urban life in the Song Dynasty. Thus, Yijian Zhi holds significance not only in literary history but also as a useful resource for studying the social history of the Song Dynasty.