Daji
Daji
A nine-tailed fox spirit who transformed herself into the concubine of King Zhou, the last ruler of the Shang dynasty (11th century BCE). A demonic figure in Chinese mythology, she embodies seductive evil and tyranny. Her legendary cruelty helped bring about the fall of the Shang dynasty, which was defeated by King Wu of Zhou.
Key Facts
- 11th century BCE: Daji possesses the body of a young woman to become the concubine of King Zhou of the Shang
- According to legend, she drives the king to acts of cruelty and debauchery that turn both the nobility and common people against him
- The fall of the Shang dynasty is partly attributed to her malevolent influence over the ruler
- She is an archetypal example of the fox spirit (huli jing) motif in Chinese mythology and literature
- Her story was popularized by the mythological novel 'Investiture of the Gods' (Fengshen Yanyi, 16th century CE)
Works & Achievements
The Records of the Grand Historian is the earliest major historical source to mention Daji by name and describe her influence over King Zhou. It established the image of Daji as the primary cause of the fall of the Shang dynasty.
One of the Five Confucian Classics, it contains chapters concerning King Wu's campaign against the Shang and the tyranny of King Zhou. It is cited as the moral justification for the change of dynasty.
A collection of biographies of exemplary and wicked women, compiled by the scholar Liu Xiang. Daji appears as the archetype of the 'pernicious woman' responsible for the ruin of a state, featured in the section on bad wives.
A mythological novel that codifies Daji as a nine-tailed fox spirit sent by deities to bring down the Shang. This is the work that has most profoundly shaped the popular image of Daji in Chinese culture to this day.
A historical novel recounting the kingdoms of the Warring States period, which includes references to the events at the end of the Shang dynasty as background context. It helped keep the memory of Daji alive in Chinese popular literature.
Anecdotes
In ancient texts such as Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Daji is described as the favorite consort of King Zhou, the last ruler of the Shang dynasty. Her beauty and influence over the king allegedly allowed her to sway every decision in the realm, including death sentences against nobles who dared criticize the sovereign.
The legend of the 'paolao' (炮烙) is attributed to her: a torture device consisting of making condemned prisoners walk across a bronze cylinder heated white-hot and suspended over a brazier. This instrument of torment has come to symbolize, in Chinese tradition, the extreme cruelty associated with the fall of the Shang dynasty.
The 'lake of wine and forest of meat' (酒池肉林, jiǔchí ròulín) is one of the most iconic images linked to King Zhou's reign under Daji's influence: a pond filled with wine and trees whose branches were said to be hung with meat — a symbol of the extravagance and excess that hastened the dynasty's downfall.
In the popular mythology codified in the 16th-century novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), Daji is a nine-tailed fox spirit sent by demonic forces to corrupt King Zhou and bring about the end of the Shang. She is ultimately executed by Jiang Ziya, strategist of King Wu of Zhou, following the Zhou victory at the Battle of Muye.
Daji has become in China the defining literary and moral archetype of the 'dynasty-toppling beauty' (傾國之色, qīngguó zhī sè): a femme fatale whose seductive power devastates an entire nation. This figure has left a lasting mark on Chinese literature and moral thought for centuries, serving as a cautionary symbol of the dangers of tyranny and vice.
Primary Sources
King Zhou was fond of wine, debauchery, and music. He was infatuated with Daji and obeyed her every word. He built pleasure gardens, emptied the public granaries to satisfy his desires, and increased taxes.
King Zhou seeks only to please a single woman. He has offended Heaven and Earth. He scorns his ancestors and no longer performs the sacrifices. This is why the Mandate of Heaven has been withdrawn from him.
Daji was King Zhou's favorite consort. Whatever she desired, the king granted her without restriction. Those who opposed her whims were put to death. The wise and the loyal scattered.
A nine-tailed fox spirit, sent by Nüwa to bring ruin to the Shang, took possession of Daji's body and seduced King Zhou. Through her sorcery and cruelty, she caused the deaths of countless innocents and hastened the fall of the dynasty.
In the twelfth year of King Zhou's reign, he took Daji as his chief consort. From that point on, the kingdom's rites were abandoned and punishments against loyal vassals multiplied.
Key Places
Capital of the Shang kingdom under King Zhou's reign, in present-day Qi County (Henan). This is where Daji resided at the royal court, and where the scenes of tyranny and debauchery described in historical sources took place.
Site of the decisive battle of 1046 BCE, where King Wu of Zhou's armies crushed the Shang, bringing the dynasty to an end. Near the present-day city of Xinxiang (Henan), this site marks the end of King Zhou's reign and of Daji.
A major archaeological site in Henan, uncovered in the 20th century, where thousands of oracle bones and Shang royal tombs were discovered. These excavations provided historical validation for the existence of the Shang dynasty and several of its rulers.
A region of Shaanxi from which the Zhou originated — vassals of the Shang who eventually overthrew them. According to tradition, this is the cradle of the civilization that put an end to the tyranny of Daji and King Zhou.
Territory of the You Su clan, in present-day Henan, whose lands were conquered by King Zhou, who brought Daji back as a prisoner of war before making her his favorite consort. This place symbolizes the beginning of the myth.
Gallery
French: Claude Monet peignant à la lisière d'un bois Claude Monet Painting by the Edge of a Woodtitle QS:P1476,fr:"Claude Monet peignant à la lisière d'un bois "label QS:Lfr,"Claude Monet peignant à
Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — John Singer Sargent
German: Mädchen mit Ziege im Gebirgstal IGirl with Goattitle QS:P1476,de:"Mädchen mit Ziege im Gebirgstal I"label QS:Lde,"Mädchen mit Ziege im Gebirgstal I"
Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — Carl Spitzweg
Swedish: Prinsessan och trollen (En kväll vid midsommartid gingo de med Bianca Maria djupt in i skogen)title QS:P1476,sv:"Prinsessan och trollen (En kväll vid midsommartid gingo de med Bianca Maria
Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — John Bauer
Princess Tuvstarr gazing down into the dark waters of the forest tarn.title QS:P1476,en:"Princess Tuvstarr gazing down into the dark waters of the forest tarn."label QS:Len,"Princess Tuvstarr gazing
Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — John Bauer
Piłsudski on Kasztanka label QS:Len,"Marshal Józef Piłsudski on "Kasztanka"."label QS:Lpl,"Marszałek Józef Piłsudski na "Kasztance"."
Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — Wojciech Kossak
Angela Conner 'Renaissance' water sculpture, Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, England 1
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Acabashi
Wandelen over de Planken Wambuis vanuit Mossel 069 A
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Agnes Monkelbaan
Paulinzella abbey church, 2022-05-28, 01
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Radomianin
Half-timbered mansion, Zirkel, East view
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Radomianin
Wooden elephant sculptures
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — AlvinDulle
