An Investigation into the Evolution of the Concept of Zhiguai

Abstract

The emergence of zhiguai (tales of the strange) as a specialized literary term in the category of xiaoshuo (minor talk) was the result of a gradual evolutionary process. First found in the Zhuangzi, the phrase pointed to knowledge elements about the strange and anomalous and had no connection with the concept of xiaoshuo. During the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, zhiguai began to appear in titles of writings that centered on supernatural creatures and spirits. As titular designations, zhiguai and xiaoshuo thus achieved a degree of equivalency. From the Tang through the Ming and Qing dynasties, writings about strange tales of the supernatural were extracted from various bibliographic categories, forming an organic knowledge module. This knowledge module gradually became associated with the term zhiguai. During this process, the conceptual relationship between zhiguai and xiaoshuo transitioned from parallel to intersecting, then to overlapping, and ultimately settled into a taxonomic structure where the former is a subset of the latter. Zhiguai became a specialized term designating a subsystem within the broader knowledge system of xiaoshuo. By the turn of the 20th century, zhiguai had solidified as a literary term designating a specific subset within the broader category of xiaoshuo.

Keywords

zhiguai / xiaoshuo / conceptual evolution

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Higher Education Press