Su Quanzhong

Su Quanzhong (Chinese: 苏全忠; pinyin: Sū Quánzhōng) is a Chinese mythological figure and character in the classic 16th-century Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi. He was a general with high martial arts skills.^[1] Quanzhong was the brother of Su Daji, a favorite concubine of King Zhou of Shang.

Su Quanzhong

Although Su Daji is a historical figure, the existence of Su Hu and Su Quanzhong has been questioned, and they are believed to be semi-fictional characters. There is no mention of their names in ancient historical records or inscriptions. According to historical records such as the Guoyu and the Records of the Grand Historian, it is only stated that Daji was the daughter of a noble from the Su clan [zh]. After King Zhou of Shang conquered the Su clan, they married her off to King Zhou as a concubine. There is no mention of the names of Daji's father and brother. However, due to the rich and evolving folklore and oral legends in China, these characters can be considered mythical figures, and their tombs can be found in real life.^[2]

Legend

In Fengshen Yanyi, Su Quanzhong is the son of Su Hu, a high-ranking official and general of the Shang dynasty. In appearance, Su Quanzhong had a face like a full moon with red lips, which seemed as if painted. With his hair tied behind his head with a large golden ring, two large bird feathers would be seen protruding. Following the coalition against Su Hu led by Chong Houhu, Su would be known as a renowned protector of Ji province. Once Chong had arrived at the borders of Ji Province and unleashed his right-hand general, Mei Wu, Su would spur his horse forward and duel it out with him. Following twenty rounds of spear clashes, Su would find an opening and cut Mei Wu down. Following Chong's second retreat during the night from the burning forest, Su would descend down the mountaintop upon Chong while shining through the full moon's light.^[3][4][5]

During his charge, he would elaborate on his prowess by striking down both of Chong's head generals and even wounding Chong through his left arm. Once the moon was blotted out by the clouds and Chong retreated for the third time, Su found the situation to be too dangerous and decided it was best to head back to his father. In time, the great Chong Heihu came to support Chong Houhu. Soon enough, Su, even when told not to by his father, would charge out of Ji province and duel it out against Heihu. During their battle, their spears clashed like lightning through darkness-stricken clouds. In time, Heihu would unleash his magical gourd and capture Su. Following the end of the Su Hu arc, Su Quanzhong would pay his respects to the first man who ever defeated him, Heihu, and continue to prosper with his respected father.^[4][6]

In the end, Jiang Ziya appointed him as the deity in Beidou Xinggong (北斗星宫).^[7][8][9]

There is a poem chanting that the origin of Su Quanzhong's silver halberd came from Laojun's furnace,^[10]

(In Chinese): "怎见好戟:能工巧匠费经营,老君炉里炼成兵,造出一根银尖载,安邦定国正乾坤"

(Translation): "A good spear is not easily seen: Skilled craftsmen invest their efforts, refined in the furnace of the Supreme Lord, forging a silver-tipped weapon, securing the nation and establishing order in the world."

— A poem in Fensgen Yanyi, ^[11]

According to researchers from the book Chinese Folk Gods, both Zhu Bajie's nail palladium in Journey to the West and Su Quanzhong's silver-pointed halberd in Fengshen Yanyi are said to have been cast in Laojun's furnace.^[12]

Tomb

In Jiaozuo, the Lianzhu Tomb is identified as the burial site of Su Hu and Su Quanzhong. According to the old county annals and folklore, after Su Hu and his son were forced to sacrifice Su Daji, they turned against the Yin dynasty and sided with Zhou. They were subsequently killed in the ensuing war and laid to rest in this tomb. Located in the northeast of Xiaonanzhang Village, 3 kilometers north of Wen County, the tomb gained attention in August 1968 when a collection of 23 bronze artifacts was unearthed from a pit over half a meter deep below the surface. A hundred meters to the west of Lianzhu Tomb is Yuntuan Tomb, which is the tomb of Zheng Lun, the general of Su Hu.^[13][14]

Worship

Su Quanzhong is worshipped in Chinese folk religion and known as the Pojun Xingjun (The Lord of the Army Breaking Star, 破军星君).^[15] Pojun is a star in the constellation of Ursa Major. It is the most eastern (leftmost) star in the Big Dipper (or Plough) asterism. Star worship holds significance within Taoist culture, with the prominent position of the Big Dipper in the northern sky serving as its focal point. In the realm of astronomy, the Big Dipper is also known as the Great Bear constellation, but Taoism venerates it as the Big Dipper Nine Star Gods. These deities govern the Palace of the Seven Stars, overseeing matters of misfortune, life, and death in the world. Among the nine stars, Pojun Xingjun presides as the eastern god of the Big Dipper. Most of the statues of the Big Dipper gods are enshrined in Taiwan, where there are temples dedicated to the Lords of the Big Dipper. These temples typically involve the joint worship of the Big Dipper gods and Lord Nandou, and can be found in places such as Tiangong Temple, Xuantian God Temple, or larger Lingxiao Temple. It is believed that the Big Dipper Gods protect individuals and are associated with prayers for longevity and safe journeys after death.^[16] He is also enshrined in the Shandong Temple as one of the nine gods of the east, alongside Huang Tianhua, Tu Xingsun, Wuji, Han Dulong, Yin Hong, Hong Jin, Fang Xiang, Heng Jiang, and Wei Li.^[17][18][19]

In popular culture

Further information: List of media adaptations of the Investiture of the Gods

His story is widely portrayed in Chinese operas and other forms of art, especially in Peking opera.^{[20][21][22][23]}

References

1. 让艺术的精灵腾飞 (in Chinese). 黃河文艺出版社 and the University of Michigan. 1986. 《封神演义》第三回,写苏全忠武艺高强,手执银尖戟,熟惯九九八十一进步,七十二开门,腾、挪、闪、让、迟、速、收、放,样样精当。但遇着崇黑虎施用异术,放出铁嘴神鹰,把苏全忠座骑的眼啄了,因此,苏全忠撞下马来,当场被擒。但"强中更有强中手" [In the third chapter of "Fengshen Yanyi," it is depicted that Su Quanzhong possessed exceptional martial arts skills. With a silver-pointed halberd in hand, he demonstrated mastery over ninety-nine and eighty-one techniques, including seventy-two different opening moves. His movements encompassed jumping, shifting, evading, striking, delaying, accelerating, and concluding, all executed with precision and accuracy. However, Chong Heihu employed a peculiar magic technique, summoning an iron-billed eagle that swiftly pecked out the eyes of Su Quanzhong's mount. As a result, Su Quanzhong was dismounted and captured on the spot.]
2. 《史记·殷本纪》：殷帝辛「好酒淫乐，嬖于妇人。爱妲己，妲己之言是从。」
3. 中国古代小说大全集 (in Chinese). Beijing Book Co. Inc. 1 January 2019. ISBN 978-7-999008-08-8. 苏护之子苏全忠领兵叫阵。崇黑虎出来迎战,二将大战冀州城下。苏全忠不知崇黑虎幼拜截教真人为师,秘授一个葫芦,背在脊背上,有无限神通。全忠只倚平生勇猛,又见黑虎用的是短斧,不把黑虎放在心上,眼底无人,自逞己能,欲要擒获黑虎,遂把平日所习武艺尽行使出. [Su Quanzhong, the son of Su Hu, took command of the army and called for the formation. Chong Heihu emerged to engage in battle, and the two generals clashed fiercely near the city of Jizhou. Unbeknownst to Su Quanzhong, when he was a young black tiger, he revered Jujiao Zhenren as his teacher, who had secretly imparted to him the knowledge of a magical gourd, which he carried on his back, granting him limitless supernatural powers. However, Quan Zhong relied solely on his courage and underestimated the abilities of the black tiger, who wielded a short axe. With unwavering determination, Quan Zhong disregarded the black tiger's prowess and utilized all the martial arts he had learned throughout his life in an attempt to capture him.]
4. 封神演义 (in Chinese). Beijing Book Co. Inc. 1 August 2020. ISBN 978-7-999160-89-2.
5. 傳世藏書: 西游记, 封神演义, 平妖传, 绿野仙踪 (in Chinese). 海南国际新闻出版中心. 1996.
6. 紂王與妲己: 新封神榜 [King Zhou and Daji: New List of Gods] (in Chinese). 九歌出版社有限公司. 2001. ISBN 978-957-560-782-1.
7. "此将勇冠三军，一照面斩两将，战败崇侯虎父子，神秘失踪后被封神_苏全忠". 搜狐 (in Chinese). 27 March 2019.
8. Fengshen Yanyi Chapter 99.
9. 中国神话人物辞典 [Dictionary of Chinese Mythological Characters] (in Chinese). 陝西人民出版社. 1998. ISBN 978-7-224-04279-5. 【苏全忠)神话小说《封神演义》中的人物。乃冀州侯苏护之子,随父归周,在子牙军前效力。周兵进攻潼关,余兆杀死其父苏护后,苏全忠出马请战欲替父报仇,正遇余化龙三子余光,被余光以梅花操打败回营。后双方在乱战中,苏全忠被余达所害。"封神榜"上,苏全忠位列 ... [Su Quanzhong is a character in the mythological novel "Fengshen Yanyi." He is the son of Hou Suhu from Jizhou. After returning to Zhou alongside his father, he served in the Ziya Army, positioned at the forefront. During Zhou Bing's attack on Tongguan, Su Quanzhong, seeking revenge for his father's death at the hands of Yu Zhao, willingly joined the battle. He encountered Yu Guang, the third son of Yu Hualong, but was defeated. Despite his defeat, Su Quanzhong demonstrated his resilience by returning to the camp with a plum blossom drill. Tragically, he met his demise during the chaotic conflict between the two sides when he was killed by Yu Da. Su Quanzhong holds the esteemed title of the god of Beidou Xinggong on the "Fengshen Deity List."]
10. 中国行业神崇拜 (in Chinese). 中国华侨出版公司. 1990. ISBN 978-7-80074-193-7. Page 126 stated 有诗咏苏全忠的银尖戟出自老君炉: "怎见好戟:能工巧匠费经营,老君炉里炼成兵,造出一根银尖戟,安邦定国正乾坤。"这些描写很可能也成为铁匠等业奉老君为祖师的出典。铁匠中还流传着老君"拳头打铁嘴吹风"的传说 [There is a poem that chants about Su Quanzhong's remarkable silver-pointed halberd, which is said to have originated from Laojun's stove. The poem emphasizes the craftsmanship required to create a superior halberd, highlighting the investment of skilled artisans and the transformative power of Laojun's furnace. It is believed that these vivid descriptions have led blacksmiths and other industries to revere Laojun as their ancestral figure, recognizing his significance in their craft. Additionally, a legend persists among blacksmiths, recounting Laojun's extraordinary ability to shape metal with his fist and even control the wind.]
11. 民間文学論壇 [Folk Literature Forum] (in Chinese). 中国民间文艺出版社. 1987. 一是神魔小说《封神演义》第三回有苏全忠的银尖载出自老君炉的描写,其中有诗道: "怎见好戟:能工巧匠费经营,老君炉里炼成兵,造出一根银尖载,安邦定国正乾坤"。这段描写,既可看作是实际生活中工匠尊奉老君的反映,也可看作是工匠据以奉老君为祖师的出典。
12. 中國民間的神 (in Chinese). 湖南文艺出版社. 1992. ISBN 978-7-5404-1008-7. 《西游记》中猪八戒的钉钯,和《封神演义》中苏全忠用的银尖戟,就是"老君炉里炼成兵"。据说,老君为报答鲁班,还给鲁班打造过铁锅。以后,似乎就没听说老君还有过其他铁制品问世,可能是被玉皇大帝指定为专门炼制神仙们需要的金丹,成为"金丹生产专业户"了吧。[Both Zhu Bajie's nail palladium in "Journey to the West" and Su Quanzhong's silver-pointed halberd in "Fengshen Yanyi" are said to have been cast in Laojun's furnace. According to legends, Laojun went as far as building an iron pot for Lu Ban as a token of gratitude, and since then, no other iron products were ever known to have emerged from his furnace. It is believed that Laojun was perhaps appointed by the Jade Emperor to specialize in refining the golden elixir required by the gods, becoming a "professional producer of golden elixir." This suggests that his focus shifted to the divine realm and the production of sacred substances rather than ordinary ironworks.]
13. 焦作市文物志 [Jiaozuo Cultural Relics] (in Chinese). 中州古籍出版社. 2005. ISBN 978-7-5348-2578-1. 据旧县志与民间传说,此家为殷商名臣苏护、苏全忠父子墓。苏护父子被迫献出苏妲己后,反殷投周,伐战争中皆阵亡,葬于此。【小南张商墓】位于温县城北 3 公里小南张村东北。 1968 年 8 月在距地表半米多深的土坑内出土一批青铜器,共 23 件。[According to the old county annals and folklore, the Xiaonanzhang Shang Tomb is the resting place of Su Hu and Su Quanzhong, father and son, who were renowned officials during the Yin and Shang Dynasties. After being compelled to sacrifice Su Daji, they turned against the Yin dynasty and aligned themselves with the Zhou. Unfortunately, they met their demise in the ensuing war and were laid to rest in this tomb. Situated in the northeast of Xiaonanzhang Village, 3 kilometers north of Wen County, in August 1968, a batch of 23 bronze wares were unearthed from a pit more than half a meter deep below the surface.]
14. 中外歷史美人之謎: 德威文化371 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 德威國際文化事業. 1 May 2009. ISBN 978-986-6498-22-0. 溫縣城內有蘇護、蘇全忠父子墓,即聯珠塚,今尚存大部。聯珠塚西百米有雲團塚,爲蘇護大將鄭倫之墓,在今實驗小學院內,已不沒。縣北的蘇王村,傳說爲蘇護的家。 [In Wen County, there are the tombs of Su Hu and Su Quanzhong, the father and son, namely Lianzhu Tomb, most of which still exist today. A hundred meters to the west of Lianzhu Tomb is Yuntuan Tomb, which is the tomb of Zheng Lun, the general of Su Hu. Suwang Village in the north of the county is said to be the home of Su Hu.
15. 台灣信仰傳奇 [Legend of Faith in Taiwan] (in Chinese). 臺原出版社. 1989. ISBN 978-957-9261-43-2.
16. "【神祕花園】〈台灣神明點點名〉道教大神 北斗星君管很大 - 自由藝文網". Liberty Times (in Chinese). 7 September 2021.
17. 山东寺庙塔窟 (in Chinese). 齐鲁书社. 2002. ISBN 978-7-5333-1038-7.
18. "七星燈". Encyclopedia of Taiwan.
19. "天人感应:中国文化视域中的北斗星(下)的论文_当代中国论文_中国论文网". www.11665.com.
20. 沪滨閑影 [Hubin Xianying] (in Chinese). 上海辞书出版社. 2004. ISBN 978-7-5326-1551-3.
21. 泽州戏曲史稿 [Draft History of Zezhou Opera] (in Chinese). 山西人民出版社. 1989. ISBN 978-7-203-01231-3. 苏全忠急欲反商,就把纣王的差官杀死,与其父进到宫中,去杀纣王。纣王力大武艺高,把苏全忠举起。苏妲己劝说,纣王命苏护父子出征。《点炮杀宫》是该剧中的一折。"杀宫"一场表演火暴 的叫彩戏。宫调泰斗赵清海, 292 《岐山脚》取材于《封神演义》第四 ...
22. 湖南戏曲传统剧本: 湘剧 [Hunan Opera Traditional Scripts: Hunan Opera] (in Chinese). 湖南省戏剧研究所. 1980. 崇黑虎小弟叨扰。(众下)〔崇黑虎独上。崇黑虎苏护出营受死!〔苏全忠杀上与黑虎对打,崇黑虎败下,复上。崇黑虎苏全忠杀法利害,再若追来,使起乌鸦兵擒他!〔苏全忠上对仗,崇黑虎放乌鸦兵擒苏全忠下。 郑伦〔郑伦内唱导板。(唱 63 崇黑免,到此何事?
23. 劇壇 (in Chinese). 《劇壇》编辑部. 1985. 主要剧目有全本《乌龙院》(《刘唐下书》中我的刘唐,信芳的宋江),《四进士》(他的宋士杰,我的顾读),《封神榜》(他的姜子牙,我的苏全忠),《战长沙》周信芳《扫松下书》剧照。李相心供稿等等。[The main repertoires include the complete version of 'Wolongyuan' (Liu Tang in 'Liu Tang Xia Shu', Xinfang's Song Jiang), 'Four Scholars' (Song Shijie, Gu Du), 'Fengshen Bang' (Jiang Ziya, Su Quanzhong), and stills from 'Battle of Changsha' (Zhou Xinfang).]