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Updated Monday, January 19, 2009 9:48 am TWN, By Joe Hung, The China Post

Nezha IV

Nezha was an enfant terrible in every sense of that name. He took a forbidden dip in the East Sea to offend the Dragon King. In a fight with an East Sea army that ensued, he killed Prince Aoping (敖丙) of the Dragon King. Moreover, Nezha used his father's Zhentian gong (震天弓) Heaven-Shaking Bow to shoot to death with a divine arrow a son of Empress Shiji (石磯). She was the empress of all the demons with her palace located in the White Bone Cave or Baiku shandong (白骨山洞) on Mount Skull (顝髏山). Both the Dragon King and Empress Shiji wanted to avenge the death of their sons, of course. They managed to kidnap Nezha's parents and threatened to kill the couple. Nezha had to do something to save his parents. So he killed himself, returning all his flesh to his mother and his bones to his father.

Nezha's immortal mentor, True Man of Primordial Unity, took pity on his disciple. He took hold of the soul and spirit of the enfant terrible and gave them human shape again. The immortal used lotus leaves and stems, which became flesh and bones of the reborn baby. Then his teacher gave Nezha a purple-flame serpent-fang spear, wheels of wind and fire, a sack made of leopard skin that could bring peace to the world, and red satin that would bring prosperity to the people. Nezha was ordered to help Wu Wang of the Zhou Dynasty (1122-256 B.C.) in a revolution to topple Zhou Xin of the Shang (商紂辛) who reigned from 1154 to 1122 B.C. Nezha served under Jiang Shang (姜商) or Jiang Ziya (姜子牙), who was Wu Wang's chief of staff as Marshall of Zhong-yin (中營) or Middle Brigade. That is why Nezha has been known as Middle Altar Marshall or Zhongdan Yuanshuai (中壇元帥). After the Zhou Dynasty, which is the longest-lasting dynasty in China and was in control of the country for 900 years, Nezha was given the post of commander-in-chief of the Jade Emperor's Thirty-six Divine Generals (三十六天神).

At any rate, the popular life story of Nezha is made up by Taoist mythologists who stretched their imagination to flesh up the scanty legend their Buddhist counterparts had created. Some of them even traced Nezha's origins to the Vedic god Nalakuvara, who was an Indian deity not well known in China.

Most of Nezha-images depict the enfant terrible as a seven-year-old. He wears a suit of armor. He raises his empty right hand but carries a divine spear with two hands. Another hand holds the hoop of heaven and earth. His feet are on a pair of wheels of wind and fire, hinting at his flying over the sky aboard a small bank of cloud and mist.

He ties his waist with a magic band, which gives him the power of flight. He always appears standing. His face is round, radiating his infantile temperament and kindness to all. Generals used to be his worshippers. Parents also worship Nezha as the guardian angel of their offspring.

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