The Jade Emperor
The Jade Emperor (玉皇 Pinyin: Yù Huáng or 玉帝 Yù Dì), and informally by children and commoners as Grandpa Heaven (天公 Tiān Gōng), is the ruler of Heaven and one of the highest Gods in the Chinese Daoist Pantheon, second only in importance to the Three Pure Ones. From the ninth century CE he was also the patron deity of the Chinese Imperial Family.
- Alternative names:
- Pure August Jade Emperor (玉皇上帝 Yu Huang Shangdi or 玉皇大帝 Yu Huang Dadi)
- August Personage of Jade
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There are many Chinese stories involving the Jade Emperor, one has it that he was responsible for the creation of human-kind by fashioning the first humans from clay, but as he left them to harden in the sun it rained, misshaping some of the figures; this according to the story is the origin of sickness and physical abnormalities. An alternative Chinese myth states that human beings were once fleas on the body of Pangu.
In another story which is popular throughout Asia and has many differing versions the emperor has a daughter (in some versions a seamstress) named Zhi'nü who everyday descended to earth to bathe with the add of a magical robe. One day a lowly cowherd named Niu Lang spotted Zhi'nü as she bathed in a stream and falling instantly in love with her stole her magic robe which she had left on the bank of the stream leaving her unable to escape back to Heaven. When Zhi'nü emerged from the water Niu Lang grabbed her and carried her back to his home.
When the Jade Emperor heard of this matter he was furious but unable to intercede as in the meantime his daughter had fallen in love and married the cowherd. However as time passed she grew home-sick and began to miss her father, and one day she came across a box in which she found the magic robe which her husband had hidden and decided to visit her father back in heaven, but once returned the Jade Emperor summoned a river to flow across the sky (the Milkyway) which Zhi'nü was unable to cross to return to her husband. However the Emperor took pity on the young lovers and so once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar he allows them to meet on a bridge over the river.
The story refers to constellations in the night sky Zhi'nü is the star Vega in the constellation of Lyra east of the Milkyway and Niu Lang is the star Altair in the constellation of Aquila west of the Milkyway. During August the two stars appear to move closer to each other over the Milkyway hence the story. The seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar is a holiday in China called Chihsi or Qi Qiao Jie, which is a day for young lovers much like Valentine's Day in the west; in Japan it is called Tanabata (star day), and if it rains on that day it is said to be Zhi'nü crying tears at being reunited with her husband.
There are several stories as to how the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were chosen; in this one the Jade Emperor, although having ruled heaven and earth justly and wisely for many years, had never had the time to actually visit the earth personally and he grew curious as to what the creatures of the earth looked like. To this end he charged his chief advisor with selecting the twelve most interesting animals and bringing them to Heaven to satisfy his curiosity.
The Emperor's advisor sent invitations to the rat, the cat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the ram, the monkey, the chicken and the dog. The cat who was the handsomest of all the animals asked his friend the rat to wake him on the day they were to go to Heaven so he didn't oversleep but the rat, who was worried that he would seem ugly compared to the cat, didn't wake him and so the cat missed the meeting with the Jade Emperor and was replaced by the pig. The Jade Emperor was delighted with the animals and so decided to divide the year up amongst them. When the cat learned of what had happened he was furious with the rat and that, according to the story is why cats and rats are enemies to this day.
The Jade Emperor's Birthday is said to be the ninth day of the first lunar month. On this day Daoist temples hold a Jade Emperor Ritual (拜天公 Tiān Gōng) at which priests and laymen prostrate themselves and burn incence and make food offerings.
Chinese New Years Eve is also a day of worship as it is said to be the day the Jade Emperor makes his annual inspection of the deeds of morals and rewards or punishes them accordingly. On this day incense is burned in the home and offerings are made to the Jade Emperor and also to Zao Jun the god of the home who reports to the Emperor on each family.
See also: Chinese mythologyThe Jade Emperor in Chinese mythology
The princess and the cowherd
Main article: Cowherd and Weaver GirlThe Jade Emperor and the zodiac
Worship and festivals
