Fushigi Yuugi: Byakko Senki brings us many new historical and folkloric terms.
Chāng Guǐ (張鬼)[]
The malevolent spirit of someone who was killed by a tiger. In Chinese folklore, such spirits would become the loyal servants of the tiger that killed them, helping it find more human victims and avoid any traps. In some cases, they also had the ability to turn people into hǔrén (weretigers). Although typically incorporeal beings, the chāng guǐ occasionally had the ability to assume a corporal form, which they would use to destroy tiger traps and hold down the tiger’s victims, making it easier for the tiger to kill them.
Fun Fact: Legends of the chāng guǐ began appearing during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 CE), which is the same time period in which FYBS likely takes place.
Gǔ (蠱)[]
A type of Chinese black magic which was largely centered around the creation and use of human effigies and gǔ poison to harm others. Gǔ poison, or kodoku, as it’s known in Japan, was reportedly made by sealing venomous snakes, scorpions, and spiders in a jar and forcing them to fight and devour each other. The surviving creature could then be used to create a potent poison or serve as a luck charm, bringing the gǔ practitioner wealth. Historically, gǔ poison was used for a variety of nefarious purposes including manipulating sexual partners, inducing disease, and even causing death. Unlike other types of poison, gǔ poison had a reputation for being slow-acting, sometimes taking days or weeks before the victim would begin to feel the effects.
Fun Fact: Fans of the original FY have already encountered gǔ magic! The drug Yui slips Tamahome in Chapter 27/Episode 18 was a type of gǔ poison.
Hǔrén (虎人)[]
(Japanese: Fuuin) A weretiger. In Chinese legends, such creatures were typically the victims of hereditary curses or vindictive ghosts. It was believed that as long as a hǔrén had its coat, it could shift at will. Female hǔrén had a reputation for showing benevolence towards those who were sexually attracted to them.
Fun Fact: Although legends of male hǔrén can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 9 CE, 25 - 220 CE), the first legends of female hǔrén appear to have emerged during Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 CE)—the same period in which FYBS likely takes place. Some scholars speculate that the appearance of female hǔrén during this period may have been in response to male fears about the reign of Wu Zetian, China’s only female emperor.
Māo Guǐ (猫鬼)[]
A cat demon created using gǔ magic, known for its highly resentful and vengeful personality. To create a māo guǐ, a gǔ master first had to kill a cat. The cat’s spirit would become a māo guǐ, which the gǔ master could use to kill another person and steal their wealth. In exchange for the māo guǐ’s help, the gǔ master was expected to feed it. Failing to do so would enrage the māo guǐ, and, if sufficient compensation wasn’t provided, the māo guǐ would turn on its master. The māo guǐ reportedly killed their victims by chewing through their internal organs, causing a sensation similar to being disemboweled. Due to their connection to gǔ magic, māo guǐ also had the ability to poison their victims.
Fun Fact: The worshiping of cat spirits and the purported summoning of māo guǐ was popular during the Sui Dynasty (581 - 618 AD). Even the imperial family got in on the action with one of the emperor’s relatives reportedly summoning a māo guǐ to harm the empress! This incident led to the banning of cat worship and the execution of cat worshipers during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. While the māo guǐ aren’t mentioned in post-Tang texts, they didn’t completely disappear; instead, they were replaced by a similar evil cat spirit known as the māo guǐ shén (猫鬼神), which was worshiped in parts of Northwest China up until the 19th century.
Míng Fán (明礬)[]
A crystalline powder which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries to eliminate toxins, kill parasites, alleviate bleeding and itching, etc. Míng fán is usually applied topically due to its potential toxicity if ingested. It is known as potassium alum in English.
Shaobing (烧饼)[]
A type of Chinese flatbread likely inspired by Central Asian naan, available in both stuffed and unstuffed varieties. Stuffed shaobing primarily comes in two flavors: sweet and savory. Sweet shaobing is typically filled with red bean paste or black sesame paste, while savory varieties are usually filled with smoked, braised, or spiced meat. Contrary to its depiction in Chapter 9, shaobing is typically considered to be a breakfast food in China.
Sycee (細絲)[]
A type of currency, consisting of gold and silver ingots, with the value of each sycee being determined by its weight. Produced by individual goldsmiths and silversmiths, sycee were circulated locally, leading to a high degree of variability in their shape and detailing. First adopted in the 3rd century BCE during the Qin dynasty—the first imperial dynasty to rule China—sycee were used throughout imperial Chinese history until the collapse of the Qing dynasty in the early 20th century.
Tiān Dì (天帝)/Tiān Dì Xìn Yǎng (天帝信仰)[]
(Japanese: Tentei Shinkou) Literally “Ruler of the Heavens.” This term is used to refer to the the chief god/deity of multiple religions including Shangdi (the supreme god in ancient Chinese religion), Śakra (the ruler of Trāyastriṃśa Heaven in Buddhist cosmology), and the Christian God.
Zhǐrén Gǔ (紙人蠱)[]
A type of Chinese curse in which a gǔ practitioner (or other magic user) creates a paper effigy of the person they want to harm. Essentially, the Chinese version of a voodoo doll. Literally translates to “paper doll curse.”
Zhòu Shī (咒師):[]
A shaman or priest who used religious mantras and incantations when performing blessings and exorcisms, and invoking curses. In China, the term “zhòu shī” is not tied to any specific religion, so Daoists, Buddhists, and shamans can all be referred to as such. In Japan, however, this word typically refers only to priests who follow Esoteric Buddhism. During the Tang Dynasty, when FYBS likely takes place, Esoteric Buddhism, which utilized mantras, had spread to China via the Silk Road and was flourishing in the region.
Fun Fact: Kuukai, the Japanese priest responsible for bringing Esoteric Buddhism to Japan, learned about it at the Azure Dragon Temple in Xi’an (the inspiration for Kutou)!