Cao Guojiu
The newest of the Eight Immortals, Royal Uncle Cao or Cao Guojiu (曹國舅 in pinyin: cáo guó jiù) or Wade-Giles, Ts'ao Kuo-ch'iu, is named one of the following:
- Cao Yi (曹佾 cáo yì) (courtesy name Gongbo (公伯 gōng bó))
- Cao Jing (曹景 cáo jǐng)
- Cao Jingxiu (曹景休 cáo jǐng xiū)
- Cao You (曹友 cáo yǒu).
He was said to be the uncle of the Emperor of the Song Empire, being the younger brother of Empress Dowager Cao (曹太后 cáo tàihòu).
Member of the Eight Immortals
Cao Guojiu is one of the illustrious Eight Immortals (Ba Xian), a group of Daoist/folk deities who play an important role in Chinese religion and culture. While they are famed for espousing and teaching Daoist philosophy and cultivation practices, they are also figures of popular myth and legend that are known for their devotion to the downtrodden and their collective lifestyle of “free and easy wandering.” Though they are most often depicted and described in the context of their group, each has their own particular set of tales, iconography, and areas of patronage. Each of these three elements will be elaborated on below.
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In historic records, there were several Emperor-consorts Caos in the Song Empire, but only one became empress: Cishengguangxian Empress (慈聖光獻皇后 cí shèng guāng xiàn huáng hoù) (1015 - 1079), the wife of the fourth Song emperor, Rénzōng (仁宗), none of whose children became an emperor.
However, this therefore does not render the historical existence of the "Royal Uncle Cao" impossible as in pre-modern China, the address "uncle" also meant "brother-in-law". Sometimes specified as "Wife-uncle" (妻舅 qī jiù) or as a respect, "Uncle zi" (舅子 jiù zǐ) (parallel to Lao Zi). Císhèngguāngxiàn Empress did have a younger brother named Cao Yi in historical record. But the given name of Royal Uncle Cao being Yi as well could be a post hoc.
Cao Guojiu's younger brother Cao Jingzhi (曹景植 cáo jǐng zhí) was a bully, but no one dared prosecute him because of his powerful connections, not even after he killed a person. Royal Uncle Cao was so overwhelmed by sadness and shame that he resigned his office and left home.
Depiction
He is shown in the official's court dress with a jade tablet. Sometimes he holds castanets.
His jade tablet can purify the environment.
Notes
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- The Eight Immortals of Taoism. Translated and edited by Kwok Man Ho and Joanne O'Brien, with an introduction by Martin Palmer. New York: Meridian, 1990. ISBN 0-452-01070-5.
- Fowler, Jeaneane. An Introduction to the Philosophy and Religion of Taoism. Portland, OR: Sussex *Academic Press, 2005. ISBN 1-84519-085-8.
- Goodrich, Anne S. Peking Paper Gods: A Look at Home Worship. Monumenta Serica Monograph Series XXIII. Nettetal: Steyler-Verlag, 1991. ISBN 3-8050-0284-X.
- Kohn, Livia. Daoism and Chinese Culture. Cambridge, MA: Three Pines Press, 2001. ISBN 1-931483-00-0.
- Ling, Peter C. "The Eight Immortals of the Taoist Religion." Journal of the North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society XLIX (1918). 58-75.
- Pas, Julian F. in cooperation with Man Kam Leung. “Ts’ao Kuo-chiu/Cao Guojiu.” Historical Dictionary of Taoism. Lanham, M.D. & London: The Scarecrow Press, 1998. 348. ISBN 0-8108-3369-7.
- Schipper, Kristofer. The Taoist Body. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1993. ISBN 0-520-05488-1.
- Werner, E.T.C. "Pa-Hsien" in A Dictionary of Chinese Mythology. Wakefield, NH: Longwood Academic, 1990. 341-352. ISBN 0-89341-034-9.
- Wong, Eva. Tales of the Taoist Immortals. Boston & London: Shambala, 2001. ISBN 1-57062-809-2.
- Yetts, W. Perceval. "The Eight Immortals." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Britain and Ireland for 1916 (1916). 773-806. Accessed online at: http://www.sacred-texts.com/journals/jras/1916-21.htm.
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