Illustrations of the appointment of the gods and immortals
The classic Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods (also commonly known as Fengshen Yanyi) contains a register of deities (Chinese:封神榜). According to Fengshen Yanyi, Yuanshi Tianzun ("Primeval Lord of Heaven") bestows upon Jiang Ziya the Fengshen bang (Register of Deities), a list that empowers him to appoint the gods of heaven. Through this power, he elevates the heroes of Zhou and some of their fallen enemies from Shang to heavenly rank, essentially making them gods. This act of deification serves as the central event and inspiration for the novel's title. In some local folktales, the Register of Deities is said to have been left behind by the primordial goddess Nüwa. The register includes 365 gods among the Eight Divisions of Heaven. These figures, upon entering the Fengshen Bang, are granted godhood and are still worshipped in the Taoist pantheon of modern times.
Background
In Fenshen Yanyi, at the Yuxu Palace on Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi Tianzun suspended his teachings after realizing that his twelve disciples were destined to undergo mortal tribulations. At the same time, the Haotian God sought capable immortals to serve in the Heavenly Court, while the Shang dynasty was nearing its end and the Zhou dynasty was destined to replace it. In response, the Three Teachings, the Chan Sect, the Jie Sect, and the Human Way, compiled the Investiture of the Gods, appointing 365 deities to govern the Heavenly Court. These deities were organized into eight divisions: the Four Upper Divisions (Thunder, Fire, Plague, and the Constellations) and the Four Lower Divisions (the Host of Stars, the Three Mountains and Five Sacred Peaks, the Deities of Rain and Clouds, and the Gods of Good and Evil).
When Jiang Ziya first arrived at Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi Tianzun ordered the Old Man of the South Pole to hand over the Register of Deities to Jiang Ziya. He also bestowed upon him the Divine Whip and ordered him to build the Platform of Gods on Mount Qi and hang the List of Gods on the platform.
Among those listed on the Register of Deities, there are both loyal ministers and righteous individuals. Some, though not having achieved the path of immortality, have ascended to the ranks of deities. Each spirit possesses varying depths of spiritual development and karmic connections, leading to a hierarchy among the gods. For disciples of the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect, those with the highest level of Dao cultivation ascended to full godhood upon entering the Register of Deities. Those with lesser cultivation became immortals or divine beings, while those with the weakest cultivation were reborn into the cycle of reincarnation. Some disciples also joined Western Buddhism, including the Chan Sect's Cihang Zhenren (later known as Guanyin), Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun (later known as Manjushri), and Puxian Zhenren (later known as Samantabhadra). Even the soul of the antagonist, King Zhou of Shang, was sealed as the Tian Xixing ("Star of Heavenly Happiness"). As Tian Xixing, he bore the responsibility of managing the marriage affairs of humans. Jiang Ziya maintained that King Zhou's consciousness did not engage in any wrongdoing or bad practices. According to Jiang Ziya, all the nefarious deeds throughout history were orchestrated under the influence of the nine-tailed fox, Daji, and thus, all the sins were attributed solely to her. However, some characters, such as Li family members Li Jing, Nezha, Jinzha, and Muzha, as well as Yan Jian and Leizhenzi, did not enter the list of gods, but they became more popular deities than the ones listed.
There are significant discrepancies in the names and lists of gods recorded between the Shu edition (the original handwritten manuscript version) and the Tongxing edition (a widely printed version) of the Fengshen Yanyi, especially in Chapters 99 and 100. In the 99th chapter, the Shu edition lists 363 righteous gods and then adds Fei Lian and A Lai, two ministers, in the 100th chapter, bringing the total to 365 gods. On the other hand, the Tongxing edition lists 365 righteous gods in the 99th chapter and adds the Four Heavenly Kings and the Hengha Erjiang ("Two Roaring and Laughing Warriors") in the 100th chapter, resulting in a total of 371 gods.
The Shu version excludes the Four Heavenly Kings and the Hengha Erjiang because of their affiliation with the Buddha's Western Pure Land sect. These figures, who served as assistants to the Western Pure Land teaching and guardians of the Western Buddhist Mountain Gate, are not considered deities in the traditional sense.
Variations
In the original text of Newly Engraved Mr. Zhong Bojing's Critiqued Investiture of the Gods (新刻钟伯敬先生批评封神演义), preserved by the National Library of China, several names in the Investiture Roster differ from those found in later popular editions. The deity appointed as the "Moon Wandering Star" (月游星) is Liang Zongxian rather than Shiji Niangniang. Likewise, the "Canopy Star" (华盖星) is Zhang Ding instead of Ao Bing, the "Great Disaster Star" (大祸星) is Chen Meng instead of the sea-patrolling yaksha Li Gen, the "Nine Ugliness Star" (九丑星) is Yao Xuan instead of Longxuhu, and the "Four Wastes Star" (四废星) is Yuan Kun instead of Yuan Hong.
Missing names in the list
Two characters are stated in the novel to have been deified, but their names do not appear in either version of the list of gods. They are Caiyun Xianzi and the demons Gaoming and Gaojue. Caiyun Xianzi is a disciple of Sanxiao Shengmu (Zhao Yunxiao, Zhao Qiongxiao, and Zhao Bixiao). After the death of Zhao Gongming, she joined her teacher in supporting Wen Zhong's campaign against Xiqi. When the Nine-Curves Yellow River Formation (九曲黄河阵) was broken, Nezha killed Caiyun Xianzi with his spear. The novel states that her soul entered the Register of Deities, but her name does not appear in either version of the god list.
Gaoming and Gaojue are peach and willow spirits from Mount Qipan. After acquiring the spiritual power of the clay statues of the Thousand-Li Eye and the Wind-Hearing Ear, they gained supernatural sight and hearing. King Zhou appointed them as generals, and they later joined Yuan Hong in resisting the Zhou army at Mengjin. Following the advice of Yuding Zhenren, Jiang Ziya ordered Li Jing to destroy their original peach and willow trees, while Leizhenzi smashed the clay statues from which they drew their power. Jiang Ziya then killed them with his divine whip. Although the novel states that they were deified as Shentu and Yulei, their names are absent from both versions of the god list.
Influence
The gods and immortals from Fengshen Yanyi influenced Chinese folk religion. After the novel was published, many folk beliefs came to follow its depiction of the heavenly court, changing the traditional hierarchy of Chinese gods. The novel also merged many traditional deities with its fictional characters. For example, Emperor Dongyue came to be identified with the Shang general Huang Feihu. Likewise, Bi Gan became associated with Wenquxing, the constellation believed to influence literary talent, and was invoked by scholars seeking success in the imperial examinations.Zhao Gongming also came to be recognized as the God of Wealth, while his four lieutenants were believed to oversee the accumulation of wealth and treasure.
The roster of deities also illustrates the intensification of god-making (zao shen; 造神) during the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
According to local tradition, the ruins of the Platform of Gods (fengshentai; 封神台), where Jiang Ziya is said to have appointed the gods, are located near Shandi Village in Huangdui Township, Fufeng County, Baoji, Shaanxi. Local accounts state that the deities named in the Investiture of the Gods were once enshrined there, but the statues were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. A replica of the Platform of Gods has since been built on the site and is now a tourist attraction. Many statues of gods now stand before the site.
Analysis
In an analysis published by The Beijing News, Liu Bo notes that one of the unique ideas in the cosmology of Investiture of the Gods is the clear difference and hierarchy between an "Immortal" (仙, Xian) and a "God" (神, Shen). In the novel, becoming a "God" is not shown as a higher achievement, but rather as a lower status and a form of punishment. He explains that Immortals are beings who have reached enlightenment and achieved "meat-body sanctification" (肉身成圣). They keep their physical bodies, freedom, and independence from the heavenly bureaucracy. In contrast, Gods are those who failed to become Immortals, died in battle, and were later placed on the Investiture Roster. After becoming Gods, they serve as powerful spirits working as officials under the Haotian God. Because of this, the "Investiture of the Gods" is not seen as a reward by the characters, but as a fate that practitioners from both sects try to avoid.
Shi Jingjing, a senior reporter for South Reviews (南风窗), argues that Investiture of the Gods portrays Nüwa's revenge against King Zhou as the catalyst for the Shang dynasty's fall. She also contends that the novel's ending is morally ambiguous because its final list of deified figures does not distinguish between good and evil or between right and wrong.
List of gods
The 365 names of the righteous gods are listed below, though they might vary in two versions of the book.
God of Good Fortune
The Three Realms Leader of the Eight Divisions and Three Hundred Sixty-Five Qingfu Gods: Baijian
↑The translation of "清福神" as "Qingfu God" is a literal translation. It is also possible to translate it as "God of Tranquil Bliss" or "God of Serenity and Happiness."
↑Baijian is a god who is in charge of leading the souls of the dead to the Heavenly Court. He is the first god to be named in the Fengshen Bang.
↑In Chinese mythology, the Plague Department is often seen as a negative force. However, it is also important to remember that the Plague Department is also responsible for maintaining balance in the world. Without disease, the population would grow too large, and the world would become unsustainable.
↑In Chinese mythology, the 36 Stars of the Dipper are a group of celestial beings associated with the Big Dipper constellation. They are divided into two groups: the Heavenly Spears (天罡星, Tiānggāng Xīng) and the Heavenly Gourds (天魁星, Tiānkuí Xīng).
The Heavenly Spears are considered the more powerful of the two groups, led by Grand Marshal Huang Zhen (黃真, Huáng Zhēn), also known as the Great King of the Dipper (天罡大帝, Tiānggāng Dàdì). The Heavenly Gourds are considered the less powerful of the two groups, led by Grand Marshal Gao Yan (高衍, Gāo Yán), also known as the Great King of the Gourds (天魁大帝, Tiānkuí Dàdì).
↑In the Taoist mythology, the Five Elements Water Virtue Stars of the Northern Dipper are important subordinates of the Water God. They are ordered by the Great Emperor of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper to be responsible for governing water-related matters and protecting the world from natural disasters.
↑怪力亂神的民間信仰: 《封神榜》與《西遊記》角色神格化之 批叛[Folk Beliefs of Chaotic Gods: Critique and Rebellion in the Deification of Characters in 'The Investiture of the Gods' and 'Journey to the West] (in Chinese). 前衛出版社. 2002. ISBN978-957-801-346-9.
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