Red Thread Reblog: Chinese Goblins, Monsters, Spirits, Demons, Ghosts, Immortals, and Gods — Haoheng Chinese Translations

Welcome to Red Thread Reblog, a feature that pairs a post about media inspired by mythology with a post about the mythology shown in the media.

Happy Lunar New Year! Now that we’ve taken a look at The Dragon Warrior, let’s look at the mythology behind it. Haoheng Stone (also known as Eric Stone) is a Chinese-English translator who primary works with human rights-related news articles and government policies. He also runs a blog featuring translations of essays, literature, and political articles from China and Taiwan. I am extremely grateful for these translations as it allows me to read Chinese sources on mythology I would otherwise be unable to access. This article, translated from text by Gan Daofu, discusses the different broad categories of supernatural entities in Chinese mythology. In The Dragon Warrior, Farin fights with guai and yaoguai as well as interacting with shen of various levels. One of the entries also gives insight into the fate of Farin’s grandfather. The book sometimes alternates between Chinese terms and English translations, so to gain a better understanding of the spirit beings of the book, check out the article!

In Traditional Folk Lore and Mythology By: Gan Daofu, Translated By: Eric Stone Source: Article Raw Chinese Text: PasteBin Goblin-monsters Goblin-monster (yaoguai, or yokai in Japanese) is a general term for all supernatural and magical creatures [in Chinese folk lore and mythology] that aren’t gods (shen), immortals (xian), humans, or ghosts (gui), and which have […]

via Chinese Goblins, Monsters, Spirits, Demons, Ghosts, Immortals, and Gods — Haoheng Chinese Translations

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Red Thread Reblog: The Dragon Warrior by Katie Zhao – A Love Letter to Diasporic and Immigrant Kids; A Fun Adventure about Dragons, Warriors, and Courage — The Quiet Pond

Welcome to Red Thread Reblog, a feature that pairs a post about media inspired by mythology with a post about the mythology shown in the media.

For the media side, we have a review of The Dragon Warrior from CW of The Quiet Pond! If you haven’t stopped by The Quiet Pond, I highly recommend taking a look. The site features reviews of books by diverse authors, often in the fantasy vein but always looking for empowering #OwnVoices stories. There’s a strong artistic element too. Each member of the team has a magical Pond character avatar who represents them and who become characters in events like the Pondathon reading challenge going on now. Hop over to the Pond to meet Xiaolong, Keeper of Magic, and her friends! I have the Pond to thank for introducing me to The Dragon Warrior, by Katie Zhao. The Lunar New Year, coming up tomorrow, is an important part of this amazing story of…Well, instead of my fan-ramblings, let’s take a look at the review that started it all.

Blurb: As a member of the Jade Society, twelve-year-old Faryn Liu dreams of honoring her family and the gods by becoming a warrior. But the Society has shunned Faryn and her brother Alex ever since their father disappeared years ago, forcing them to train in secret. Then, during an errand into San Francisco, Faryn stumbles […]

via The Dragon Warrior by Katie Zhao – A Love Letter to Diasporic and Immigrant Kids; A Fun Adventure about Dragons, Warriors, and Courage — The Quiet Pond

Quarterly Bestiary: The Firebird: A Unique Gem or Just Another Phoenix?

Welcome to another Quarterly Bestiary! Featuring, once again, images by Bridget Sarsen!

Winter Solstice has passed, and the days begin to lengthen once more. To celebrate the return of the light, what better than a creature of brilliance like the Firebird? I had been thinking of looking into this bright Russian beast for a while. However, when I started researching, I quickly found a frequent confusion between firebirds and phoenixes. I even found websites like this one that calls the Firebird a phoenix, and this one that calls the phoenix a firebird.

So is the Firebird a phoenix? Here is what I found.

New Year’s Update 2020: Quarterly Bestiary, New Feature, and Cats

Hello, 2020! The New Year has arrived. What new projects are you planning? Now, I know you can start new ventures at any time during the year. In fact, I hope you do. But the start of a new year is great for drumming up motivation to renew and change with the calendar. In that spirit, I’ve got a couple of news items!