If you missed my last article on Ix Che, Ah Puch, and Kukulkan, it can be found here.
Zhong Kui is the Chinese King of Ghosts. After killing himself in disgrace, he was deified and crowned as the vanquisher of evil and demons. Don’t worry, I will explain later. On the flip side, he can bring good fortune to those he chooses. His worship could be found throughout Asia. His name means Zhong at the crossroads.
I can’t find anything about his lineage. I only find a mention of his sister, and she isn’t named. In art, he has lots of black, curly hair. It covers his head and has a big black beard on a squarish head and face with bulging eyes. Zhong Kui is often depicted as a scholar wearing court robes and the symbols of that station and principle, such as being a gentleman. He is also associated with bamboo or bats or other fortunate signs of Chinese iconography.
Zhong Kui traveled to Chang’an (Xian today) to take the imperial exams with Du Ping. Zhong Kui was the top scorer and achieved the title, Zhuang Yuan, earning him a spot as a court official. Unfortunately, when the emperor saw Zhong Kui, he stripped him of his honors. The emperor found Zhong Kui to be too deformed, ugly, and unkempt to look upon. Consumed by rage at the injustice, he smashed his head until he died. Du Ping, the friend who accompanied Zhong Kui to the exams, arranged his burial.
In Youdu, the capital of Diyu (the Chinese version of Hell), Yanluo Wang (a judge in the Underworld) found that Zhong Kui had a ton of potential. He had been smart enough to earn the Zhuangyuan title, but because of his substantial grievance, he ended up in front of Yanluo Wang. So, to right the wrong done to him, he was made a god and king of ghosts. The New Year after being crowned, Zhong went home and got his sister. He brought her to his friend Du Ping to marry to show him gratitude.
He was charged with maintaining them and their behavior. Zhong Kui vowed to protect humans and the emperor from ghosts and demons. To aid Zhong Kui in his duties, he commands 80,000 or more ghosts. He does his job passionately.
In stories, Emperor Xuanzong was so gravely ill he could see spirits. He watched a ghost enter his room and steal items belonging to his favorite concubine. Because of his illness, he was unable to do anything about it. The emperor continued to watch as another ghost dressed like an honored scholar captured and destroyed the first. He introduced himself as Zhong Kui and healed the emperor of the illness that plagued him. This is where we get the artwork because the emperor described him.
There are those throughout Asia that still hang art with Zhong Kui to ward off evil and trouble. This is especially popular around the Chinese New Year. He has remained a large part of modern pop culture throughout history. You can find Zhong Kui in all forms of media, including video games like Smite. The beauty of games, movies, books, and whatnot that showcase the old gods is that people become curious and seek them out. It ensures they aren’t lost to time.
What do you think of Zhong Kui? Have you played him? Is he a heavy hitter? Let me know in the comments below. If you like art, you may enjoy the various works featuring him. It’s beautiful. We had a few of his hangings when I was a kid. My dad got them when he was overseas. So until next time, have fun storming the castle!
