Yudu ( Chinese 幽 都 - “capital of darkness”) is the capital city of the underground kingdom of the souls of the dead, “ Diyu ” or “Yellow Springs” in Chinese mythology . According to legend, it is located in the far north, in a country of darkness, and in order to get into it, it is necessary to move to the north-west, where the gates to the underworld are located near Mount Buzhoushan . According to information from Huainan Tzu , the word “Yudu” could mean the northernmost place on earth. [1] The mayor is Hou-tu , but there are many other important characters living in the Dark Capital, where the residence of the underground government is located.
Content
- 1 Name
- 2 Description
- 3 residents
- 4 Cultural influence
- 5 notes
- 6 References
Name
"Yu" (幽) in Chinese means "dark." “Du” (都) means “capital.” Their combination means "the capital of darkness," and among other things can be interpreted as "hidden, secluded", is also used to denote the criminal world.
Description
Yudu was described in various texts, and was also depicted in Chinese art. Sometimes there are differences, depending on the religious affiliation of the text, that is, whether it was written by a Buddhist, a representative of the traditional Chinese folk religion, or a secular person. The darkness of the dungeon is the most common characteristic, although in comparison with other areas of Diyuya, Yudu is the most illuminated place, thanks to the presence of burning torches and candles .
Yudu is generally understood as a city with typical buildings of the historic Chinese capital, such as Chang'an . It has city walls, palaces with halls of justice, as well as various residences for the souls of the dead. Particularly important is the corps for official reports, which allow various judges to determine the appropriate punishment or, sometimes, return the dying person to life before the deadline, if the life time officially allocated to him on earth has not expired.
Residents
Yudu is home to the souls of the dead, officials and various deities, as well as a place where they fulfill their official duties and have palaces. In Yuda, including, there is a creature that can determine the truth from a lie. There are also many subordinate demons that serve to execute the commands of the judges. Many of them are connected with the execution of punishment or the reincarnation of the souls of the dead. The ruler of all Diyu and the lord of the souls of the dead, as a rule, is considered to be King Yama (in Chinese pronunciation - Yan-lo). Under his authority are ten other kings who serve as judges of the souls of the dead.
Cultural Influence
- Yudu is the main scene of various Chinese myths, and also appears in literary works based on mythology or legends, is mentioned in religious treatises, and is found in images. In the novel Journey to the West , he visits and returns to the earth, Sun Wukong .
- Chinese idiom : 北 煌 幽 都, 南 煬 丹崖 - "in the north shines over the Yudu, in the south it warms the banks of Danshui."
Notes
- ↑ B. L. Riftin “Yudu” // Myths of the World: Encyclopedia, - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1992, T. 2, P. 677, ISBN 5-85270-072-X
Links
- (English) Yang, Lihui, et al. (2005). Handbook of Chinese Mythology . New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-533263-6