@Article{JAS-1-1,
author = {SHAUGHNESSY, L., Edward},
title = {The Mu Tianzi Zhuan and King Mu Bronzes},
journal = {饒宗頤國學院院刊},
year = {2014},
volume = {1},
number = {1},
pages = {55--75},
abstract = {<p style="text-align: justify;">The Mu tianzi zhuan was unearthed in A.D. 279 from an ancient tomb (said
to be that of King Xiang [Ai] of Wei) in Ji Commandery (present-day Jixian,
Henan). It recounts the western travels of King Mu of Zhou and of his meeting
with the Western Queen Mother, and counts as one of the most famous and
important of all of China&#39;s unearthed texts. There has long been a debate as to
the date and nature of the Mu tianzi zhuan&#39;s composition: whether it was an
annalistic account from the time of King Mu or a later recounting. Although in
the twentieth century there was a general consensus that the text was written
in the Warring States period and should count as the earliest short story in
Chinese literature, nevertheless paleographers pointed out occasional contacts
between the content of the text and bronze inscriptions from the time of King
Mu. The clearest of these is the mention of Mao Ban, a figure known from the
Western Zhou bronze inscription Ban gui. In this study, I examine three or four
other names that appear in the text: Jing Li, Zhai Gong, Bi Ju and Feng Li, and
argue that all of them also appear as important ministers to the king in recently
discovered King Mu-period bronze inscriptions. Based on this, I suggest that
the source of the Mu tianzi zhuan can be traced back to the Western Zhou
period. How this source was transmitted to the Warring States period is still
unclear and requires further study.</p>},
issn = {},
doi = {https://doi.org/2014-JAS-16986},
url = {https://global-sci.com/article/84049/the-mu-tianzi-zhuan-and-king-mu-bronzes}
}