Classified Records of Strange Tales Ancient and Modern

施显卿Nanhai Publication Company · ChinaSep 2023

Rating 3.0
Word count
37K words
Chapters
166

Tags

Folk Literature Social ObservationPortrait GalleryHumanistic CareCuriosityPopular NarrativeFolk CustomsFolk Legend

Summary

This book is Gujin Qiwen Leiji (Classified Records of Strange Tales Ancient and Modern) by Shi Xianqing.

Editor's review

Gujin Qiwen Leiji is a notebook-style compilation edited by Shi Xianqing of the Ming dynasty, distinctive for gathering strange and unusual tales from ancient and modern times under classified categories; its contents largely concern hearsay, anomalies, and miscellaneous records of things seen and heard. Works of this kind are often placed in traditional catalogues under the xiaoshuojia (fiction writers) or zajia (miscellaneous schools) of the masters division. Their value lies, first, in preserving a great many scattered strange tales, offering a glimpse of the knowledge interests and narrative methods of people of the time; and second, in providing material for the study of Ming notebook compilation and the circulation of folk rumors. It should be read as a notebook collection valuable both as source material and for entertainment, not as reliable history. The 2023 Nanhai Publishing House edition makes the original work more accessible to readers, and is suitable for those interested in ancient notebook fiction, accounts of the strange, and Ming-dynasty documents; it can also supply material for writers and folklore researchers.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. Read by category, choosing the kinds of strange tales that interest you most; there is no need to read straight through.
  2. Keep a notebook to record story types and source clues for later reference.
  3. Read alongside collections such as Soushen Ji and Youyang Zazu to compare similarities and differences in similar narratives.
  4. Treat the tales as documentary material and verify sources and background before citing them.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 《古今奇闻类纪》
  3. 序
  4. 卷一·天文纪
  5. 宣德中天裂
  6. 天顺间天开
  7. 弘治中天开
  8. 正德间天开
  9. 国朝天鸣
  10. 天陨异石
  11. 天雨五谷
  12. 天陨泥丸
  13. 天堕草船
  14. 天降白物
  15. 国朝日变
  16. 星坠贼亡
  17. 星如粉浆
  18. 天坠异星
  19. 北十化豕救厄
  20. 大风走下马牌
  21. 风吹人驴堕水
  22. 大风水起火光
  23. 大风金山露脚
  24. 旋风撮楼转炮
  25. 风腾试卷
  26. 旋风吹叶
  27. 风吹女子升空
  28. 风吹小儿升空
  29. 皇明启运见西湖云气之祥
  30. 赤云如火
  31. 黑云如伞
  32. 黑云红云如斗
  33. 雷移楼地
  34. 平江雷 神异
  35. 鄞县雷震神异
  36. 上海雷震神异
  37. 宜兴建昌雷震神异
  38. 雷白衢州冤狱
  39. 雷击六安逆子
  40. 轰雷击盗救妇
  41. 雷谴延平悖妇
  42. 毛翊家雷火神异
  43. 善权殿雷书三柱
  44. 天雨血
  45. 雨色异常
  46. 雨雪非时
  47. 甘露
  48. 异雾
  49. 雨雹
  50. 河水僵立
  51. 卷二·地理纪
  52. 云南山裂分移
  53. 吴城山移悬旧址
  54. 宁乡山响裂塌
  55. 山中声响见异
  56. 雅州临安岩洞神奇
  57. 异石飞移
  58. 石自行动
  59. 石臼相斗
  60. 石马饮河
  61. 滚塘蛙池水斗
  62. 滦海水高如山
  63. 卷二·五行纪
  64. 水中有火
  65. 井彰神异
  66. 兵器火异
  67. 寺焚火异
  68. 庙焚火异
  69. 衣帛火异
  70. 神灯火异
  71. 火山神异
  72. 木显灵异
  73. 木生异实
  74. 钟显神奇
  75. 铜钱飞
  76. 钱化为蛇
  77. 釜锅自呜
  78. 小儿出地
  79. 卷二·神纪
  80. 萧王辅战
  81. 真武助阵
  82. 地涌神泉
  83. 御帐红光
  84. 神示兵机
  85. 税牍升空
  86. 天妃救病
  87. 天妃救厄
  88. 卷二·前知纪
  89. 长须道士测微知贵
  90. 异僧前知天命有归
  91. 刘伯温前知敌炮碎舟
  92. 周张二仙前知舟覆敌亡
  93. 青田山灵前知刘公破石
  94. 刘伯温前知子孙绝续
  95. 异僧前知刘太师险夷禄寿
  96. 白云和尚前知素帛有用
  97. 疯道士前知更楼改造库楼
  98. 九仙前知莆田黄公发解
  99. 紫姑仙前知刘瑾诛戮
  100. 辽阳美人前知宸濠败亡
  101. 卷三·奇遇纪
  102. 姜子奇夫妇重遇
  103. 刘尚书父子重遇
  104. 王游击夫妇父子重遇
  105. 张百户父子重遇
  106. 得柬掇魁
  107. 徐生夜寝佛阁得金
  108. 南台儒者获飞银
  109. 寺僧得返魂香
  110. 无赖子寝阁获财
  111. 程宰遇辽阳海神
  112. 张指挥得鬼妾生子
  113. 卷三·骁勇纪
  114. 张浩
  115. 沈江
  116. 郭兴
  117. 尤六十
  118. 王昌四
  119. 阮二
  120. 张成（山东人）
  121. 卷三·降龙纪 伏虎纪
  122. 于子仁焚牒致虎
  123. 上官骑虎至郭
  124. 卷三·禁虫纪
  125. 禁蜘蛛
  126. 禁蜈蚣
  127. 卷四·除妖纪
  128. 于谦辟桂花之妖
  129. 道士除妖
  130. 卷四·馘毒纪
  131. 昆山民父杖杀犬怪
  132. 冯汉除芭蕉怪
  133. 潘道士焚俑人之怪
  134. 葛棠裂画女之怪
  135. 王卖花除扫帚怪
  136. 卷四·物精纪
  137. 王全见虾蟆形
  138. 布政夫人见蝎形
  139. 卷四·仙佛纪 神鬼纪
  140. 龚元之遇岳神
  141. 胥教授遇阎王父子
  142. 龚弘遇赴任城隍神
  143. 张某遇铅山土神
  144. 归叔度遇萧公神
  145. 陈俞二公遇阴府官从
  146. 姚宗大遇五通神隶从
  147. 富民遇亡父还家
  148. 范文遇关山鬼隶
  149. 优人遇鬼召演戏
  150. 翁媪遇鬼请收生
  151. 黄村匠人遇冥卒
  152. 杨宽遇东岳从卒
  153. 陆容遇见鬼兵
  154. 丰都鬼市
  155. 夏杰执放鬼鸭
  156. 顾媪见煞鬼异状
  157. 贡院地中起声
  158. 众鬼泣声送葬
  159. 四鬼啾啾作声
  160. 鬼声呼胡先生
  161. 鬼声呼辣
  162. 墓鬼夜轿中嫁女
  163. 三鬼摄轿中嫁女
  164. 刘佥事遇鬼告状
  165. 张某梦节妇诉冤
  166. 沈御史遇鬼诉冤

FAQ

Are the strange tales in this book credible? They should not be taken as factual records. This book is a compilation of notebook material and mostly collects strange tales and anomalies, mingling oral transmission with the editor's selections. Read it for its documentary and narrative value rather than for truth; if you need to cite it, consult other reliable historical sources.
Is it suitable as an introductory reader for tales of the strange? It can serve as supplementary reading. It gathers strange tales by category, and the entries are relatively independent, suiting fragmentary reading. But the classical Chinese and the Ming notebook format require some adjustment; beginners may first read modern annotated selections or introductions, then return to this book for selected reading.
How can I read it without giving up halfway? Let go of the urge to read it straight through. Pick categories from the table of contents and read just three to five entries at a time. Jot down the stories that impress you most and any questions they raise, forming your own thread of reading; this is easier to sustain than plowing page by page.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

施显卿 Author

Shi Xianqing was a Ming-dynasty man of letters whose official career, dates of birth and death, and other biographical details are sparsely recorded in publicly available sources and thus difficult to describe in detail. Four works are extant under his name, the best known being Qiwu Leiji and Gujin Qiwu Leiji; the titles vary, and they may represent different names or editions of the same book. These works draw largely on earlier zhiguai tales, notebooks, and hearsay, and are often classified between classic works, Eastern philosophy, and folk literature, suggesting content that combines miscellaneous antiquarian knowledge with a mildly didactic purpose. In style they chiefly compile old anecdotes, listing stories in brief, restrained language with little elaboration or commentary, and they preserve many strange tales not otherwise transmitted to later ages. Such compilations reflect the interest of mid- and late-Ming literati in the zhiguai tradition and offer reference material for the study of folk belief and narrative transmission; their influence lies mainly in textual preservation and the field of folk literature.