Yi Jian Zhi - (Complete Four Volumes)

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Publish Date: 2006-12-01
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 in southern Song Dynasty (now Boyang, Jiangxi). He held various official positions, including governor of a prefecture, Shuyesheren (a type of court official), Shidu (a scholar in the imperial academy), and Duanming Dianshi (a high-ranking scholar). He was also concurrently involved in compiling the national history. According to the Biography of Hong Mai in the History of the Song Dynasty, Hong Mai had an exceptional memory from a young age and was well-versed in a vast array of books, ranging from classics and histories to folk tales. As a result, he was highly knowledgeable and prolific in his writings, apart from Yijian Zhi, he also authored works such as Shiji Yufa (Commentary on the Records of the Grand Historian), Nanchao Shijingyu (Essentials of the History of the Southern Dynasties), Jingzi Yufa (Commentary on the Classics), and Rongzhan Suibi (Notes from Rongzhan). Yijian Zhi was written in his later years, and its title is derived from the phrase "Yijian heard and recorded it" in the Lieshi section of the Liezi. It documents strange and supernatural tales. This book 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, miscellaneous anecdotes, omens, dreams, divination, as well as some literary works, poems, songs, and folk customs from the Song Dynasty. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, many storytelling scripts and plays have drawn inspiration from the stories in Yijian Zhi. Some chapters in the book reflect the severe class exploitation and corruption in the Song Dynasty government, while a few others reveal agnostic 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 source for studying the social history of the Song Dynasty.