A RECORD OF ALL THINGS UNDER HEAVENAs gathered from the oldest accounts that remain
PROLOGUE — CHAPTER EIGHTOn the Matter of Xiwangmu — 西王母 — The Queen Mother of the West
She is called Xiwangmu — 西王母.
Xi — 西 — means west.
Wang — 王 — is an honorific title reserved for gods and emperors. It means sovereign. It means king.
Mu — 母 — means mother.
Together — 西王母 — the Sovereign Mother of the West. The Queen Mother of the West.
Wang Mu — 王母 — alone means grandmother. It also means deceased female relative. Some traditions read her name as the Spirit Mother of the West or the Ghost Mother of the West. These readings are noted. The most common translation is Queen Mother of the West.
She is also called Jinmu — 金母 — the Golden Mother.
She is also called Jinmu Yuanjun — 金母元君 — the Primordial Lady Golden Mother.
She is also called Yaochi Jinmu — 瑤池金母 — the Golden Mother of the Jade Pool.
She is also called Wangmu Niangniang — 王母娘娘 — Aunt Queen Mother. This is the name commoners use. This is the name said in households.
She is also called Wujimu — 無極母 — the Infinite Mother. This title connects her to Wuji — 無極 — the limitless void before all creation. It positions her as the absolute principle of reality. The creational origin of all things.
Nobody knows her beginning. Nobody knows her end. This was recorded by Zhuangzi — 莊子 — in the fourth century before the common era. It has not been contradicted since.
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On the oldest record.
The oldest surviving written mention of Xiwangmu predates organized Taoism.
Oracle bones — 甲骨文 — jiaguwen — from the Shang dynasty — 商朝 — Shang Chao — which ruled from approximately 1766 to 1122 before the common era — record a divination question. The question reads: if we make offering to the Eastern Mother — 東母 — Dong Mu — and the Western Mother — 西母 — Xi Mu — will there be approval?
The exact nature of these two Mother divinities in the Shang dynasty is not known. They were seen as powerful forces deserving of ritual. This much is recorded. The oracle bones do not explain further.
This means Xiwangmu was worshipped before any of the texts that describe her were written. She predates the Shanhaijing — 山海經. She predates the Zhuangzi — 莊子. She predates organized Taoism by at least a thousand years.
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On the four descriptions in the Shanhaijing — 山海經.
The Shanhaijing describes her four times in four different sections. The descriptions are not consistent. All four are recorded here.
The first description. From the Xishan Jing — 西山經 — Classic of the Western Mountains.
Three hundred and fifty li to the west is Jade Mountain — 玉山 — Yushan. This is where Xiwangmu dwells.
Her appearance resembles a human.
She has a leopard's tail — 豹尾 — bao wei.
She has the teeth of a tiger — 虎齒 — hu chi.
She is good at howling — 善嘯 — shan xiao.
Her hair is wild and tangled — 蓬髮 — peng fa.
She wears a crown of colorful bird feathers — 戴勝 — dai sheng — on her head.
She presides over the catastrophes of the sky — 天之厲 — tian zhi li — and the five destructive forces — 五殘 — wu can.
She is the one who sends down floods, famine, plague, and punishment.
This is the oldest physical description.
The second description. From the Dahuang Xi Jing — 大荒西經 — Classic of the Great Wilderness: The West.
Xiwangmu lives on Kunlun Mountain — 崑崙山 — Kunlun Shan. She lives between the Red River — 赤水 — Chi Shui — and the Black River — 黑水 — Hei Shui.
This description places her on Kunlun. The first description places her on Jade Mountain. These are different locations. Both are recorded.
The third description. From the Hainei Bei Jing — 海內北經 — Classic of the Regions Within the Seas: The North.
Xiwangmu sits on a raised stool — 倚几 — yi ji.
She holds a staff in her hand — 杖 — zhang.
She is attended by three green birds — 三青鳥 — san qing niao — who gather food for her.
These three green birds are her messengers. They fly between heaven and earth. They carry her communications. No message from her reaches the mortal world except through them.
The fourth description. From the Hai Nei Xi Jing — 海內西經 — Classic of the Regions Within the Seas: The West.
She sits on a raised stool.
She wears an ornament on her head.
She controls the Grindstone — 天之厲 — tian zhi li — and the Five Shards constellations of the heavens.
In the south there are three birds. From these three birds Xiwangmu takes her nourishment.
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On how she changed.
In the Shanhaijing she is terrifying. She has fangs. She has a leopard's tail. She sends down plague and destruction.
In the Zhuangzi — 莊子 — fourth century before the common era — she is described as one of the highest deities, seated at Shao Guang — 少廣. She has obtained the Tao. Nobody knows her beginning. Nobody knows her end.
The Tao is what she holds. Not destruction. Not plague.
The shift had begun.
By the Han dynasty — 漢朝 — Han Chao — she was depicted seated on a throne flanked by the Azure Dragon — 青龍 — Qinglong — and the White Tiger — 白虎 — Baihu. She was surrounded by three-legged birds — 三足烏 — san zu wu — rabbits — 兔 — tu — and nine-tailed foxes — 九尾狐 — jiu wei hu. She was associated with the moon and the elixir of immortality.
The rabbit beside her pounds medicine — 搗藥 — dao yao — in a mortar. The medicine is the elixir. She controls the elixir. She controls who receives immortality and who does not.
In the Tang dynasty — 唐朝 — Tang Chao — she became fully transformed. She was now depicted as a beautiful, graceful, sophisticated empress residing in a jade palace on Kunlun Mountain. Her wild hair was tamed. Her tiger's teeth were gone. She wore a headdress from which peaches of immortality were suspended.
The feral goddess had become a celestial queen.
The texts record both. This record records both.
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On her counterpart.
Her counterpart is Dongwanggong — 東王公 — the King Father of the East. Also called the Wood Sovereign — 木公 — Mu Gong.
He governs the Eastern paradise — 東華 — Donghua — as she governs the Western paradise — 西華 — Xihua. He oversees male immortals — 仙 — xian. She oversees female immortals.
Together they embody the principle of Yin and Yang — 陰陽 — Yin Yang. She is the supreme Yin — 最高陰 — zuigao yin. He is the supreme Yang — 最高陽 — zuigao yang. Together they maintain the cosmic balance.
In Han dynasty tomb murals, he appears on the eastern gate. She appears on the western gate. Between them: the passage through which the dead travel.
She is also recorded in some texts as the wife of the Jade Emperor. In other texts she is his mother. In the Mu Tianzi Zhuan — 穆天子傳 — Biography of King Mu, Son of Heaven — she is the daughter of the Jade Emperor.
These three relationships — wife, mother, daughter — are all recorded in different texts. The texts do not agree. All three are noted here.
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On King Mu of Zhou — 周穆王 — Zhou Mu Wang.
The Mu Tianzi Zhuan — 穆天子傳 — was written around 296 before the common era. It was buried in a tomb. It was rediscovered in 281 of the common era.
It records: King Mu of Zhou — who reigned from approximately 976 to 922 before the common era — undertook a great journey westward. He traveled more than seven thousand li — 七千里 — qi qian li. He traveled to the Kunlun Mountains. He reached the Jade Pool — 瑤池 — Yaochi.
There Xiwangmu received him.
She was graceful. Sophisticated. She resided in a palace on the mountain.
They exchanged poems.
She sang to him:
The white clouds are in the sky.
The hills and mounds stand forth.
The roads are far and long.
The mountains and rivers between us.
You will not die.
You will come again.
He responded with his own verse.
Then he returned to his earthly kingdom.
He did not come again.
The Tang dynasty poet Li Shangyin — 李商隱 — wrote of this: Why would King Mu give up the gift of immortality? This question has not been answered. Li Shangyin did not answer it. The Mu Tianzi Zhuan did not answer it. It is recorded here unanswered.
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On the Jade Pool — 瑤池 — Yaochi.
The Jade Pool is Xiwangmu's residence on Kunlun Mountain — 崑崙山.
Yaochi — 瑤池 — means Jade Pool. Also translated as Turquoise Pond.
It is surrounded by the garden in which the peach trees of immortality grow. The garden is hidden by high clouds. The trees are tended by Xiwangmu's jade maidens — 玉女 — yunü — celestials who serve her and guard the garden.
Three green birds — 三青鳥 — san qing niao — serve as her messengers. They fly from Kunlun to the mortal world and back. When a mortal is to receive her attention, the three green birds arrive first.
The Jade Pool has been identified by modern visitors as Tianchi — 天池 — Heavenly Lake — in the Tianshan — 天山 — mountains of Xinjiang — 新疆 — province. This identification is noted. Whether it is correct is not declared.
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On the peaches of immortality — 蟠桃 — Pantao.
Pantao — 蟠桃 — means flat peach. The peach of immortality is not a round peach. It is flat. This distinction is noted in all texts that describe it.
In the garden on Kunlun Mountain there are 3,600 peach trees — 三千六百棵蟠桃樹 — san qian liu bai ke pantao shu.
They are divided into three groups.
The first group. The trees at the front. They have small blossoms and small fruits. They ripen every three thousand years — 三千年 — san qian nian. Those who eat from this group become immortal and their bodies become light. They are capable of flight.
The second group. The trees in the middle. They have multiple blossoms and sweet fruits. They ripen every six thousand years — 六千年 — liu qian nian. Those who eat from this group ascend to heaven. Their bodies become eternal. They do not age.
The third group. The trees at the back. They have purple veins and deep cores. They ripen every nine thousand years — 九千年 — jiu qian nian. Those who eat from this group become equal in age to heaven and earth. They outlast the sun and moon.
When the peaches ripen, Xiwangmu hosts the Pantao Banquet — 蟠桃會 — Pantao Hui — the Flat Peach Assembly. All immortals are invited. They eat the peaches that confirm their immortality. Without the peaches, even immortals face eventual diminishment.
This banquet is also held on her birthday to celebrate her.
At this banquet, the food served includes: bear paws — 熊掌 — xiong zhang. Monkey lips — 猴唇 — hou chun. Dragon liver — 龍肝 — long gan. And finally the peaches.
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On Emperor Wu of Han — 漢武帝 — Han Wudi.
The Bowuzhi — 博物志 — Comprehensive Records of the Myriad Things — compiled by Zhang Hua — 張華 — during the Western Jin dynasty — 西晉 — Xi Jin — records:
Emperor Wu of Han — who reigned from 141 to 87 before the common era — was obsessed with immortality.
Xiwangmu sent an embassy to him presenting white deer — 白鹿 — bai lu.
On the seventh night of the seventh month — 七月初七 — qi yue chu qi — the night of the Qixi Festival — 七夕節 — Qixi Jie — Xiwangmu herself descended from heaven to meet the emperor.
She presented him with seven peaches — 七個蟠桃 — qi ge pantao. She gave five to the emperor. He ate them.
He asked if he could keep the seeds and grow his own peach trees.
Xiwangmu laughed.
She told him: the trees take more than three thousand years to produce fruit. The soil of China is not suitable. He could not grow them.
She gave him instead a set of instructions for achieving immortality. He was to follow them faithfully.
He did not follow them faithfully.
The Bowuzhi records no further visit.
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On the elixir of immortality — 不死藥 — Busi Yao.
Xiwangmu possesses the elixir of immortality — 不死藥 — busi yao — meaning the medicine of no-death.
This is recorded in the Huainanzi — 淮南子. The Huainanzi states: Yi — 羿 — the archer who shot down nine of the ten suns — obtained the elixir from Xiwangmu. It was his wife Chang'e — 嫦娥 — who stole it from him and swallowed it alone. She then flew to the moon. She has lived there since.
This is the connection between Xiwangmu and the myth of Chang'e. The elixir that sent Chang'e to the moon came from Xiwangmu. The elixir had been given to her husband Yi as a reward for shooting the nine suns. Xiwangmu is therefore the origin point of that myth.
Chang'e's chapter comes later in this record.
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On the Yellow Emperor — 黃帝 — Huangdi — and Xiwangmu.
When the Yellow Emperor prayed for divine guidance before the Battle of Zhuolu — 逐鹿之戰 — Zhuolu Zhi Zhan — against Chi You — 蚩尤 — Xiwangmu responded.
She sent the Lady of the Nine Heavens — 九天玄女 — Jiutian Xuannü — as her emissary.
The Lady of the Nine Heavens taught the Yellow Emperor how to craft a powerful jade talisman — 玉符 — yu fu. She taught him military strategy. She gave him the knowledge he needed to defeat Chi You.
Xiwangmu did not descend herself. She sent a representative. This is consistent with how she operates in most records: through intermediaries, through gifts, through the three green birds.
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On Qin Shi Huang — 秦始皇 — the first emperor of unified China.
The first emperor had the opportunity to meet Xiwangmu.
He did not take it.
The accounts vary on the details of what happened. They agree on the outcome: he wasted the opportunity. He did not receive what she could have given him.
He spent the treasury of a dynasty seeking immortality. His alchemists gave him pills of mercury — 汞 — gong. He drank them. The mercury accumulated in his body.
He died of mercury poisoning.
Xiwangmu was not consulted.
A ninth century poet wrote of him: His flourishing breath once departed, he never more will speak. His white bones buried deep, the evening mountains turn cyan.
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On her daughters.
She is recorded as the mother of several important goddesses.
Zhusheng Niangniang — 注生娘娘 — the Lady Who Registers Births — a fertility goddess who helps couples who need children.
Yanguang Niangniang — 眼光娘娘 — the Lady of Eyesight — protector of the blind, who could grant sight to those in need.
Zhinü — 織女 — the Weaver Girl — whose story with the Cowherd is one of the most told stories in the Chinese tradition. She is the daughter who fell in love with a mortal and was separated from him by the river of stars. She is the reason the magpie bridge forms once each year. Her chapter comes later in this record.
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On her position among women.
Du Guangting — 杜光庭 — a Taoist master and court chronicler of the Tang dynasty — wrote the most complete surviving account of her functions. He recorded:
In heaven, beneath heaven, in the three worlds, and in the ten directions — all women who ascend to transcendence and attain the Way are her dependents.
She is the patron of all female Taoists. She is the ruler of all female immortals. She is the highest-ranking female being in the entire celestial hierarchy.
All women who achieve transcendence report to her.
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On her birthday.
Her birthday is observed on the third day of the third lunar month — 三月初三 — san yue chu san.
Some traditions observe it on the eighteenth day of the seventh month — 七月十八 — qi yue shi ba. The accounts differ.
On her birthday the Pantao Banquet is held. All immortals attend. The Eight Immortals — 八仙 — Ba Xian — bring offerings. Music is played. Cloud songs — 雲歌 — yun ge — are performed in the celestial halls.
In Taiwan — 台灣 — Taiwan — nearly one thousand temples are dedicated to her. The tradition of her worship there traces back to the appearance of her holy spirit in Ji'an Village — 吉安村 — of Hualien County — 花蓮縣 — Hualian Xian. Her worshippers there call themselves Yaochidao — 瑤池道 — the Way of the Jade Pool.
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On what she controls.
The records list her domains across different texts. Combined, she controls:
Life — 生 — sheng.
Death — 死 — si.
Creation — 創造 — chuangzao.
Destruction — 毀滅 — huimie.
Immortality — 不朽 — buxiu.
The width and breadth of life for every living creature.
The weather — 天氣 — tianqi.
Natural disasters — 天災 — tianzai.
The stars — she weaves them into the sky each evening and folds them away each morning.
The fate of dynasties — through the Mandate of Heaven — 天命 — Tianming — which she grants and withholds.
She is second in rank only to the Three Pure Ones — 三清 — Sanqing.
Nobody knows her beginning.
Nobody knows her end.
END OF CHAPTER EIGHT