Folklore: Legend

Mom told me this story when I was five or six, when I was going to sleep. Wu Soong Da Hu (phonetics) He got really drunk at the inn and the innpeople told him there’s a tiger across the mountain. “You should wait until the next morning to wait for 20 people to get in a group.”

He got really drunk and didn’t listen, “stupid people they just want me to stay for an extra night so they get more revenue.”

So he crossed.

And the tiger appeared and his mind cleared up, and then he used his bare hands — I don’t remember — but he killed the tiger all by himself. He jumped on it and stuff.

He received an award from the governor for killing a ferocious animal that ate humans or something.

Analysis

He’s a hero. There are Chinese heroes who are really strong. When someone’s really strong, they’re sometimes referred to as Wu Soong. Like a hero you know, like Superman.

He’s just like a regular man who just killed a tiger. He probably didn’t kill it with his bare hands, probably with branches. Chinese people don’t trust anyone, they always want money, money, money. In the past, there was a lot of drama, everyone did whatever they could to survive and get better positions in the court. There was a lot of districts, a lot of corruption and stuff. Money gets you to places.

My Analysis:

This story deals with masculinity and also the fear of being taken advantage of. Money was something that most Chinese peasants did not have, and to have someone secretly manipulate you was intolerable. Tigers were also considered to be very beautiful and powerful in China, a symbol of ferocity and might.  To kill one would qualify your own strength and power.