大浑王

A certain place had an unorthodox shrine淫祀 yín sìSacrifices outside official ritual standards — folk deity worship unrecognized by the state. "淫" here isn't pejorative but means "excessive" or "unorthodox." Song-dynasty folk religion was extraordinarily developed, with countless local deities outside the official sacrificial system, yet devoutly worshiped by common people. Hong Mai maintains a "record without judgment" attitude toward such beliefs. dedicated to "The Great King of Hun." His origins were unclear — some said he was an ancient general, others a mountain god; none could say for certain.

When villagers fell ill, prayers to him brought recovery. In drought, rain prayers祈雨 qí yǔPraying to deities for rain. Rain-prayer was one of the most important religious activities in agricultural China — drought directly threatened survival, making "effective rain gods" the most popular folk deities. The Great King's rain-bringing ability was his core appeal to worshippers. were answered. Merchants who divined before traveling found safety. His reputation for efficacy gradually spread; people came from far and near to pray.

One day, the Great King of Hun suddenly possessed巫 wūA shaman or spirit medium. "Wu" is China's oldest religious profession, traceable to the Shang dynasty. Song-dynasty shamans served as intermediaries between gods and people — deities spoke through the shaman's mouth. "Possession" means the deity's spirit enters the shaman's body to deliver messages. a local medium and spoke: "I am the Great King of Hun, long resident here. Now there is an injustice I must inform you of."

The villagers asked what matter. The Great King said: "Recently a wicked man intends to destroy my temple to build a private residence. Though I am not an orthodox deity, I have received incense from this land for ages — how can I allow scoundrels to bully me!" Having spoken, the medium collapsed; only after a long while did she awaken, remembering nothing of what was said.

Upon investigation, indeed a powerful landlord sought to seize the temple grounds. The villagers united to stop him, and he desisted. From then on, worship of the Great King of Hun flourished even more.

A Microscopic Record of Song Folk Religion

"The Great King of Hun" is a typical example of folk religion recording in Yijian Zhi. Hong Mai documents how an obscure, unofficially recognized local deity gained worshippers through "efficacy" and protected his interests through "manifestation." Such "unorthodox gods" existed in great numbers during the Song, forming a folk belief network parallel to Buddhism and Daoism.

Notably, the Great King's self-positioning: "Though I am not an orthodox deity" — he admits lacking official recognition but emphasizes "receiving incense from this land for ages." This logic of "proving legitimacy through popular consensus rather than official enfeoffment" is the core feature of Song folk religion, reflecting a deeper social reality: at the grassroots level, power comes from popular agreement, not official appointment.

Hong Mai's Recording Attitude

Hong Mai maintained a principle of "comprehensive collection" in Yijian Zhi, not distinguishing between orthodox and unorthodox worship, reality and illusion. This makes Yijian Zhi a precious document for studying Song commoner society — it records not elite belief but how ordinary people interacted with the supernatural in daily life.