Overview

This book is in the Cambria Sinophone World Series headed by Victor H. Mair (University of Pennsylvania). The legend of Prince Golden Calf tells the story of a prince who is turned into a calf when the jealous rivals of his mother try to kill him by feeding him to a cow. When that cow later gives birth to a calf, the king develops a special affection for the beautiful little animal. The jealous women grow suspicious, also because the calf assists his imprisoned mother in the onerous tasks that have been imposed on her. They feign an illness that can only be cured by eating the heart and liver of the calf. When the king eventually gives in to the pressure to have the calf killed, the butcher allows it to escape. In its wanderings the calf arrives in a foreign country where a local princess is selecting a groom. When her choice falls on the calf, she is chased from the palace. Eventually the calf changes into a handsome young man, so the princess can be reunited with her family, and the prince with his father and mother. This legend is best known from Korea, where it circulated in both a Chinese and a Korean version. In Korea, the tale has long been believed to have a Korean origin. Recent research in China and Korea has revealed that the tale originated in China, as early as the late sixth century when it was written up as a jataka tale. The Chinese version that circulated in Korea most likely also was composed in China. While these early versions dropped from circulation in China, the story survived there in several versions, for instance as a precious scroll. The story also continued to circulate there, just as in Korea, as a popular folk tale. This case book presents full translations of the major versions of the legend, each with their own introductions, as well as a selection of modern folktales. Each of these adaptations offers its own take on this fascinating tale, reflecting period, genre and authorial intention. The volume is opened by a general discussion of bovine lore in China and Korea, emphasizing the affection between owner and ox as a household animal. One appendix illustrates the Korean adaptation of yet another jataka tale; another appendix argues that the legend of Prince Golden Calf belongs to the international tale-type ATU 707 and summarizes a number of versions of this type from South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. This book would be of great interest to those studying comparative East Asian literature, Chinese and Korean popular literature, folklore, Buddhist literature, and animal literature.

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9781621967019

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Reviews

"""With an impressive command of the existing literature, the introductions to the work and to each chapter provide essential context that is helpful for both researchers and students. In addition to being the first book to engage the legend of Prince Golden Calf in English, it illustrates the migration of this tale across time in China and Korea and the story's ties to Buddhism. The translations are engaging, making this work accessible to undergraduates and general readers. There is nothing comparable available. This book is a valuable resource for undergraduate teaching, for studies of cross-cultural transmission, and for religious studies."" -Professor Margaret Wan, University of Utah ""This book provides readers with insights into the particularities of adaptation and cultural interaction. Highly readable and suitable for a wide range of classes, it will also be of scholarly interest to researchers in fields such as Chinese classical and religious literature, East Asian comparative studies, Chinese folklore, and the adaptation of legends in oral and religious traditions. This book is an important addition to our knowledge of Sino-Korean cultural relations and the adaptation of Buddhist legends in the Sinosphere."" -Professor Anne McLaren, University of Melbourne ""This book deepens our understanding of the expansive transmission and evolution of a Buddhist tale in cross- and intercultural contexts, as well as the timeless themes of filial piety and the consequences of good and evil. It also invites intertextual comparisons with other folk and religious tales and with popular fictional narratives. This book's transcultural and trans-regional approach lays the foundation for an innovative and inclusive perspective on the development of premodern East Asian literature and culture."" -Professor Sookja Cho, Arizona State University ""This book has several strengths. The introduction to bovines in China does a wonderful job of highlighting the various cultural connotations of cows and how they hold a central place not only in Chinese agriculture but also in terms of China's ethnic composition (e.g., the mention of how butchers during certain historical periods tended to be Muslim), religious symbolism ( e.g., Buddhist stories of rebirth as a cow), landscape names, and other famous Chinese stories involving cows (e.g., the Weaving Maiden and Oxherd, Laozi riding a cow). The final appendices further position the story in a broader global framework. Selections of this book could be used in college courses introducing traditional Chinese culture, Chinese fairy tales and legends, as well as courses on East Asian oral traditions. There is something in this book both for scholars and more general audiences."" -Professor Levi S. Gibbs, Dartmouth College"

With an impressive command of the existing literature, the introductions to the work and to each chapter provide essential context that is helpful for both researchers and students. In addition to being the first book to engage the legend of Prince Golden Calf in English, it illustrates the migration of this tale across time in China and Korea and the story's ties to Buddhism. The translations are engaging, making this work accessible to undergraduates and general readers. There is nothing comparable available. This book is a valuable resource for undergraduate teaching, for studies of cross-cultural transmission, and for religious studies. -Professor Margaret Wan, University of Utah This book provides readers with insights into the particularities of adaptation and cultural interaction. Highly readable and suitable for a wide range of classes, it will also be of scholarly interest to researchers in fields such as Chinese classical and religious literature, East Asian comparative studies, Chinese folklore, and the adaptation of legends in oral and religious traditions. This book is an important addition to our knowledge of Sino-Korean cultural relations and the adaptation of Buddhist legends in the Sinosphere. -Professor Anne McLaren, University of Melbourne This book deepens our understanding of the expansive transmission and evolution of a Buddhist tale in cross- and intercultural contexts, as well as the timeless themes of filial piety and the consequences of good and evil. It also invites intertextual comparisons with other folk and religious tales and with popular fictional narratives. This book's transcultural and trans-regional approach lays the foundation for an innovative and inclusive perspective on the development of premodern East Asian literature and culture. -Professor Sookja Cho, Arizona State University This book has several strengths. The introduction to bovines in China does a wonderful job of highlighting the various cultural connotations of cows and how they hold a central place not only in Chinese agriculture but also in terms of China's ethnic composition (e.g., the mention of how butchers during certain historical periods tended to be Muslim), religious symbolism ( e.g., Buddhist stories of rebirth as a cow), landscape names, and other famous Chinese stories involving cows (e.g., the Weaving Maiden and Oxherd, Laozi riding a cow). The final appendices further position the story in a broader global framework. Selections of this book could be used in college courses introducing traditional Chinese culture, Chinese fairy tales and legends, as well as courses on East Asian oral traditions. There is something in this book both for scholars and more general audiences. -Professor Levi S. Gibbs, Dartmouth College

Author Information

Wilt L. Idema is Professor Emeritus of Chinese Literature at Harvard University. A recipient of the prestigious Special Book Award of China, Dr. Idema's many publications include ""The Immortal Maiden Equal to Heaven"" and Other Precious Scrolls from Western Gansu and Insects in Chinese Literature: A Study and Anthology. Allard M. Olof is a retired librarian and researcher of Korean Language and Culture at the Center for Japanese and Korean Studies at Leiden University. Prior to this appointment, he taught Dutch at Hanguk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. He holds a BA in Japanese and an MA in Korean studies from Leiden University. His publications include The Worinch'on'gangjigok: Song of the Moon Reflected on a Thousand Rivers.

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