Category Archives: Narrative

Ghost Pressing on the Bed

Text:

Interviewee: When I was young, my mom and dad would say it’s “Ghost pressing on the bed” that made me unable to move my body, despite being mentally awake.

I was 7 years old. One day, I woke up early in the morning —I think it’s around 4 or 5 o’clock—I was mentally awake, but I just couldn’t move my body. I thought I was stuck by something, but it was invisible, so I could not really see what happened on my body. This kind of like situation stayed with me for around 10 minutes. And then I fell asleep again, and then the next time I woke up, I could move properly.

When I told my parents about this, they said, “Oh, it’s a ghost. He or she was pressing down on your body so you could not move.”

It’s kind of like a common belief or way to explain this in China. Scientifically speaking, it’s about your mind—maybe you are being too mentally stressed or, like, too tired, and that will happen to you.

But the tricky thing is that after that happened, I kept dreaming about weird things. I would dream of being in a playground, like a theme park, and riding a rollercoaster without any security belts on. And then, I saw someone sitting next to me, but I couldn’t really see her face, though I somehow knew it was a woman. It was just so scary that I almost peed (and I was young, only seven years old.)

I never told my parents that I had this dream after the “Ghost pressing down on my bed” experience because I didn’t know how to tell them, or maybe I was too ashamed to tell them. Now, when I think back on this experience, I think it’s funny—it’s something that not everyone will experience, and it’s something that is both very tricky and very unique.

Context:

My interviewee was told of this ghost by her parents when she was 7 years old, when she experienced sleep paralysis. She was then told of this monster that pressed against her on her bed, which made her uneasy even after that experience.

Analysis:

  • Folklore filling an explanatory gap: before scientific understanding of sleep paralysis was widely understood and accessible, the supernatural was used by folks to provide culturally acceptable explanations of this symptom.
  • Psychological pressure: The ghost that presses down can be read as a projection of psychological weight: stress, anxiety, repressed fear, made into an external, physical force in the form of a supernatural ghost. This is an example of using an “external being” to explain what’s inside people’s minds—their unconscious, inexplicable feelings and anxieties.
  • Memorate: this story is also an example of a memorate: a personal encounter with a legendary figure or spirit.

Chang’e Journey to the Moon, and the Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival

Age: 51

Interviewee:

Hou Yi is an ancient mythical hero who shot down nine of the ten suns in the sky and rescued the entire humanity (in the myth “Hou Yi Shooting Down the Sun”). Because of Hou Yi’s bravery, the ruler of heaven—who we call [Yu Hang Da Di] or “The Jade Emperor”—and his wife decide to give Hou Yi a bag of elixir that could make him immortal. Taking half of the bag would make him immortal, and taking the whole bag would make him transcend the mundane and ascend to heaven to be alongside the Jade Emperor and his wife.

Hou Yi has a wife whom he loved very deeply. Her name is Chang’e. He didn’t want to go to the heaven on his own and leave Chang’e alone in the human world. Therefore, Hou Yi gave Chang’e this bag of elixir for safekeeping. They had a simple and sweet plan: that they would both take a half, and they could live forever with each other on this earth.

However, unluckily, word got out about the elixir. One of Hou Yi’s disciples whose name was Peng Meng was extremely greedy. One day when Hou Yi was away from home hunting, Peng Meng faked an illness and talked his way into staying at Hou Yi’s house. Chang’e kindly let him in, not knowing Peng Meng’s intention was to steal the elixir.  That night, Peng Meng drew his sword and threatened Chang’e, asking her to hand over the elixir.

Chang’e knew that there was no way for her to escape, but she refused to let the elixir fall into the hands of someone wicked and greedy. So she made a split-second decision: she swallowed the entire packet. The elixir took effect immediately, and Chang’e floated to the moon.

Hou Yi was devastated to find this out when he went home. The moon was so far away, and there was nothing he could do to bring her back or revert the effect of the elixir. Therefore, Hou Yi would look up at the night sky all the time, missing Chang’e.Especially when there was a full moon, he would try to figure out Chang’e silhouette on the moon. If you look at the shadows on a full moon, it actually looks like a rabbit—that’s what people believe Chang’e turned into on the moon.

And so, every August 15th on the lunar calendar became the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is the day when the moon is the brightest and the fullest. On this day, Hou Yi would set up an altar in his garden and lay out Chang’e’s favorite fruits and snacks. Over time, ordinary people began to follow his example. They would make offerings to Chang’e by making mooncakes and pray for peace and reunion or togetherness of their families.

(This myth was told in Chinese and translated.)

Context:

The interviewee learned of this myth from both participating in the Mid-Autumn Festival herself and also learning about this myth more systematically at elementary school. She interprets this myth as a warm one about missing someone you love, and she points out that the Mid-Autumn Festival is actually a quite romantic festival—it’s just that, as it was turned into a ritual, many people have now forgotten about the romantic aspect to this traditional festival.

Analysis:

  • This myth is an etiological myth—it looks at natural phenomena using a humanistic lens, explaining that Chang’e lives on the moon, as well as explaining that the shadows on the moon are the contours of this person Chang’e.
  • Greed as the antagonist / villain: in this myth, the antagonist, Peng Meng, is explained as someone who is “very greedy.” This shows the cultural attitude toward “greediness” in Chinese society.
  • Myth as an explanation of ritual: Chang’e’s myth explains the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated by the Chinese annually in September. The exact date of the Mid-Autumn Festival echos the “day when the moon is the brightest and the fullest,” which also gives this festival a deeply humanistic and emotional—explaining that this isn’t just a normal day, it’s the day when Hou Yi can see Chang’e the clearest. This myth thus gives the festival an emotional touch, making it a festival where people who practice the rituals can resonate with Hou Yi’s longing for reunion and family, even across space and time.

Hou Yi Shooting Down the Sun

Interviewee:

According to Chinese mythology, in ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky. With all ten blazing at once, human life was nearly impossible. The land was scorched, crops couldn’t grow, and rivers and streams had dried up. People were barely surviving under this condition.

Then, a legendary character Hou Yi stepped up. Witnessing the suffering of the people, he decided to climb to the top of Mount Kunlun and, with incredible precision, shot down nine of the ten suns all at once, leaving only the one sun we know of today. Yeah, it’s the sun that rises in the east and sets in the west. I was told that he wanted to keep one of the suns because humans need light and heat to survive.

Because of Hou Yi, humanity was saved, so people revered him and called him a hero.

(This myth was told in Chinese and translated.)

Context: I learned this myth as a child when my father told me of it. My interpretation is that every culture has their own hero, and this (Hou Yi) is like the Chinese deity of the sun. I think Hou Yi’s story explains why we only have one sun in the sky now, and society needs to have somebody to be that “heroic” figure to kind of pay our respect to, without whom we couldn’t have our lives now. I think people’s attitudes towards Hou Yi are often quite grateful and positive, even till today.


Analysis:

Myth as an explanation of nature: This myth is an etiological myth—it looks at natural phenomena using a humanistic lens, naming the person who has done something that has led to a natural phenomenon to occur. Every time someone watches the sun rise in the east and set in the west, this myth of Hou Yi shooting down the other nine suns provides a human explanation for it, bridging humanity and nature. In addition, Hou Yi’s choice to keep one sun because humans need sun and light adds a personal and emotional texture to this myth that makes him revered as a “savior” of humanity or a hero.

Restoration of Energy and Cosmic Order: In Chinese culture, it is emphasized to restore energy and order—having “too much” of anything is considered a bad thing, compared to having “just the right amount.” This myth exemplifies this cultural belief. Hou Yi, by shooting down excessive suns that have led to natural disasters, restores the cosmic order, and this “restoration of energy” is praised in this myth.

The Monster Nian, Chinese New Year, and Red

Age: 19

Text:

Interviewee:

On the first day of Chinese Spring Festival (New Year’s Eve), my family and I would set off firecrackers and fireworks, and it’s best if they are very loud ones. It was then that I was told about the myth of a monster named Nian. The physical appearance of Nian looks like a lion, with pointed teeth and a scary, ugly face. According to the myth, on the first day of the Chinese Spring Festival, Nian will come out from the mountains to the neighborhoods of every Chinese family. Nian will be hunting for children to eat.

In the past, people had no idea what to do when Nian came, until one day, someone set off a firecracker exactly when Nian visited their house. It was then that the firecracker brought out “fire,” and Nian was very scared of fire, so it ran away.

There are other sayings about what drove Nian away. Some people say that Nian is very scared of the color red. Therefore, during Spring Festival, everyone will wear clothes in red in order to drive the monster away and protect themselves and their families. For instance, I was born in the Year of the Pig, and my grandmother always tells me to wear red socks during the Year of the Snake, because the two zodiac signs conflict (snake eats pig), according to Chinese traditional beliefs.

Red also became a symbol of good luck in the context of the Lunar Chinese New Year. For instance, people will hang up red lanterns to decorate the house, elders will prepare red envelopes to give out Lucky Money or [压岁钱 ya sui qian] to children in the family, and the window papercut we use specifically to celebrate Chinese New Year is always red.

Context:

The interviewee learned the myth of monster Nian as a child, around 6 or 7 years old. This myth was shared by the elders of his family when they were celebrating the Chinese New Year together. The interviewee’s thoughts: he found Nian a scary figure as a child, but got used to this belief (and the rituals around wearing clothes in Red during Chinese New Years) gradually as he grew up.

Analysis:

Myth as an explanation for ritual: Monster Nian’s story is an example of how a myth has led to the emergence of a ritual, long practiced by the Chinese when celebrating the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) every year.

Temporal Liminality: New Year is a threshold moment, marking the end of the old year and the beginning of a new year, and Nian comes exactly on New Year’s Eve. This is representative of liminality being a time when the line between the human world and the supernatural world gets blurred. Nian’s presence on New Year’s Eve makes the distance between the human world and the supernatural world closer and thinner.

Development of a set of rituals, including ones related to fireworks and the color red: The development of a set of rituals following Nian’s story is representative of a growing Communitas: a community spirit or “togetherness” that grows from a ritual or being in a liminal zone together. This applies to the practice of setting off fireworks or putting on clothes in red when it’s Chinese New Year—as this became a ritual, everyone around is doing the same, and going through the same “liminal” phase of entering the new year.

Lake Monster

Age: 19

Interviewee:

This story was told by my father when both of us were swimming in a lake in my hometown, a town in China. My dad told me that there was a lake monster who dwelled in this lake. This lake monster will punish travelers who have done something evil recently, and the way that the monster acts out this, sort of, punishment, is that they will kill them in the water. According to my father, victims often described that something held on to their legs and pulled them down to the deep water. They were either killed or deeply injured.

Interviewer: Does this monster only haunt you if you have done something wrong? And if you are a morally good person, it will not haunt you?
Interviewee: According to the myth, yes.

Interviewer: Has this story been used to explain, or was it proved to be “real” in any real incidents?
Interviewee: Yes. A few years ago, a person in my hometown died in that lake, and his family explained this as him being killed by the water monster. That day, he went to swim in the lake near a reservoir. When they found the deceased person, folks in my hometown believed it was the lake monster who caused his death. While scientifically speaking, it’s seaweeds. He couldn’t really swim well, and it was wild water, so some seaweeds must have trapped him from the bottom.

Interviewer: When you’re swimming in the lake, are you scared of the monster?
Interviewee: No. Cuz I didn’t do anything bad (laughs).

Context:

In the words of the interviewee: “This story was shared by my father, a middle-aged man who grew up in a small town in China. He told it to me while we were actually swimming together in the very lake he was describing—it’s a lake in the wild, without much protection and very close to nature.”


Analysis:

  • Vernacular transmission: This story was told to the informant by his father when they were swimming in a local lake in his hometown. The monster is very specific to that lake. The way the informant’s father tells him of this monster legend makes it very vernacular—informal, local to their hometown, a small town in China.
  • Moral story and cautionary tale: This legend serves the purpose of “education” under Bascom’s functionalist framework. The informant’s father, by telling this legend, educates the informant to be a good person and live with integrity—when being asked if he was scared, the interviewee said he wasn’t scared “because he hasn’t done bad things.” This mirrors exactly what this legend is used for—to caution people not to do morally bad things, or they will get into trouble. Thus, certain moral ideologies are reinforced by telling a scary story. This makes this legend a mixture of a cautionary tale and a moral story.