Thread by @CarlZha

Genshin Impact introduced Chinese Opera and culture elements in new char Yun Jin. But did you know her story of Shenhe was based on real Chinese legend?

I will do a thread on ancient legend of 李寄斩蛇 little girl who kills giant snake 🧵

Story of little girl Li Ji 李寄 killing giant snake was 1st recorded in East Jin Dynasty book Soushen Ji (In Search of the Supernatural 搜神记) written around 350 AD

It’s said there lived a giant snake in the mountains of Min (Fujian). It kills and maims people. Villagers offered cows and sheeps as sacrifice to appease it but to no avail

The giant snake visited dreams of local shaman demanding to eat 12-13 yr old girl every harvest time. Local officials would collect criminals’ daughters and raise them til harvest to feed the snake

Aft 9 yrs, 9 girls have lost their lives. Many family w daughters fled. Li family has 6 daughters no son. Youngest Li Ji 李寄 wants to volunteer herself. Her parents wouldn’t allow it.

Li Ji snuck out and went to volunteer herself as human sacrifice to the giant snake at local gov office. She demanded a sharp sword and snake hunting dog.

She took w her a sword, a hunting dog and rice balls 🍙 that she mixed w honey to lure the giant snake out

She waited inside the temple dedicated to the giant snake. The giant snake lured out by honey rice balls. She set the dog on the snake and slashed the snake’s body w her sword

The giant snake crawls to the back of the temple and die frm its injuries.

Li Ji followed and retrieved skulls of 9 girls who had been eaten in previous yrs. She sighed “Beacuse you’re weak and timid, you’re eaten by snake. Such a pity” She then went home to her family

After Communist victory in 1949, Chinese gov organized artists to produce illustrated comics to popularize traditional stories to the masses. I grew up reading them in 1980s. Images drawn by 项维仁 for the 1984 Manhua version of 李寄斩蛇