A bitch in need is a bitch indeed.
I need your help. (No, I’m not soliciting for money, lol).
I don’t know zilch about the legends of the Monkey King and I’m requesting some intel, the 411, and/or background info on his character. I’ve never heard of the Monkey King before 
so he’s a totally alien creature to me.
Is he somebody worshipped or venerated? Is he something like the cow that’s considered a sacred animal in Hinduism?
Are his legends part of a religious book? Or are they part of a children’s story?
Is the Monkey King’s story like “The Frog King” which is one story out of many legends and fables COMPILED and collected by the Brothers Grimm or is like “The Little Mermaid,” a story actually WRITTEN by Hans Christian Anderson.
Where can I read a summary of the story (that’s not from Wikipedia, lol)? Or watch a shortened version with just the highlights?
What are the moral lessons of the legends – if there’s any?
Please share what you know. Even a simple tale that you can recall from childhood will do. Lovebangwon remembers him from a Chinese drama, and Oppa’s Goddess remembers him “Journey to the West.”
All posts welcome.
Thanks!
Basically Sun Go Kong/Sun Wu Kong/other derivatives names are taken from classic Chinese literature, Journey To the West (Wikipedia can give you more detail info about the author etc. yes this classic literature has been translated to English (I think), but I personally haven’t read the actual book. I’m familiar with the story because as Asian, this story is so popular and adapted to many movies, Drama etc.
For brief explanation about the story this article describes more clearly and easier to understand than Wikipedia
http://www.shenyunperformingarts.org/learn/article/read/item/y3sCsCFkRu4/journey-to-the-west-classic-chinese-literarature.html
Additional info:
– the title “journey to the west” means Tang Monk and his students’ journey from China to India/ 9r maybe Tibet (located west from China)
– in many part of Asia, especially those where many are practicing Hindu, monkey is considered sacred (god/deity). Although Journey to the West is about story about Buddhist monk, but it’s said SunGoKong were inspired by monkey god (Hindu) Anoman/Anuman/Hanoman from classic India literature, Ramayana
I will add more if I can remember or find any additional/related thing about the story. Or other bitches may add/help you more. Now I’m sleepy (it’s late at my part of the world) bitches need beauty sleep to maintain our look right? 😉
Monkey king well known as sun go kong in my country, for summary: He was a king for all monkey, and one day he realized that even if he was the strongest one amongst all monkey, he still can die. So he follow the monk and asked the monk to help him, to be immortal. And the monk teach him to be a good person, teaching him manners and be a good human. And the monk recruite few student include pig and ox.
Also in his journey he found his stick, something like sewing needle that he save on his ear. But the sewing needle can became bigger like stick, and having some power.
I think there is a few version of sun wu kong. Monkey king was myth.
The korean version little bit different, but its still feel the same lol.
Thanks, @lovebangwon. I also asked a friend in soompi, angelangie, about the Monkey King and this is what she told me.
MK and his gang is on an expedition or journey westward to obtain the sutra.
They know they’re going to encounter obstacles.
Each obstacle is created by a monster.
The monster is actually a pet of God.
The monster has been given some power for staying behind in the human realm.
By foul or fair means, MK and his gang find ways to subdue the monster.
At the end of the obstacle, the original God comes down from the heavens and takes the pet back home in its original, non-monster form.
But there also exist some wild animals who’ve managed to survive longer than their natural life expectancy.
These wild animals have unique powers, derived from their natural abilities, which enable them to turn into human forms.
I checked out that site. You’re right. That is well-written. Thanks! I liked how the MK had pissed on the five pillars, not knowing that that they were actually the five fingers of Buddha. He was caught in the palm of Buddha and Buddha trapped him under the mountains.
I wonder then if the five candles that he had asked the young girl SunMi were representations of the fingers of Buddha that had captured him. lol.
My friend also shared this.
their intention was to save the worlds and also to bring the Holy Sutra to the world so that everyone can learn on it….however it was lost when the Turtle who carried them down the fast streams of the river overturn on purpose….
which is why you can see when monk / nuns reciting sutra during praying always knock on a turtle shelves like red box, as a punishment on the turtle…
It could be that. Each candle represents cuffs/chains/whatever that bind OhGong right? 2 for hands 2 for legs and for neck… you are so detail.. 👏🏻👏🏻
Original story has so many chapter, plus with so many adaptation/productions inspired by this story you can find hundreds or millions versions of Sun Go Kong cs. As long as the adapted story is about good defeats bad, with Sun Go Kong as hero, you can do no wrong.
That is why I find it interesting that Hong upgraded Mawang, who are not part of the main team in original story, and make him as one of the crucial role in Hwayugi.
Oh this is only one probable theory of mine, after further thought, I think Hong Sister create SunMi not only as twist-version of Tang Monk (flesh/blood attract demon because it can give superpower ability or immortality in original story) but SunMi is a merged character of both Tang Monk and GuanYin Goddess (goddess of mercy). It’s GuanYin who free Go Kong (SunMi did on Hwayugi) and GuanYin Goddess is also associated with Lotus (lotus sutra) (SunMi’s blood —> lotus scent?!?) Coincidence?
ooooh I see. Good one. I like that. SunMi can be an amalgam of so many characters: the Tang Monk, the goddess of Mercy like you said, and perhaps purity, too, and patroness of the human realm or something like that.
As for Mawang, why is he a bull instead of a horse? Isn’t the white horse one of the four companions of the Monk on his journey?
I think in the first few episodes the demons that they’ll encounter will be mostly written as a plot device, i.e., to show the motivations and allegiances of the main characters and to move the story along. Just like what the Hong Sisters did in the Master’s Sun. There’s bound to be a separation or death (most likely SunMi’s because she’s mortal) so she can return as an improved/purified being. I haven’t watched today’s episode. Have you?
Packmule.. I reply here instead your last comment, because if I reply there, it’s getting narrow and narrow.. hahahahaha -me and my random though- 😅
Look what I found..
Bull King was originally a demon that Sun Wukong befriended to the point of being sworn-brothers with in the original Journey to the West story, though later on in the tale they end up on opposing sides. Princess Iron Fan is his wife, though adaptations of the tale state that he has a bad habit of going for other women.
Fit description right? Bull King is one less (but still) important role in the story. He is being upgraded in Hwayugi.
No I haven’t watched ep3.. maybe tomorrow, I want to watch ep 3 and 4 simultaneously
Yes, I read that too. Princess Iron Fan is the Bull King’s wife. And coincidentally enough, wasn’t the item that the Bull King wanted the child SunMi to retrieve from the MK’s magical house in the forest also called the “Pretty Iron Fan”?
I thought back then that the BK (or Mawang) wanted to rescue his wife who was trapped in the fan’s body or something. But I’m only relying on the translation because I know squat about Chinese/Korean mythology.
Exactly. Hong Sisters elaborate elements from original story to their version here and there. Hwayugi is really their own story but they still give shoutouts and credit to the original. So Lee “should I kill him/her” El is the “pretty iron fan” in Hwayugi, I think..
Agree that demons here are tools just like in Master’s Sun. But we have to wait for time jump/death of main lead plot.. it still is very early stage of the show
Same. It would make sense for Lee El to be the pretty iron fan. I find it darkly funny that she has a deadpan face when she’s offering to kill of anybody who displeases Mawang. It’s as if she was offering to take out the trash or to pick up the drycleaning.
But SunMi is SunGong’s bride. He already claimed her as his bride when he rescued her from the Horny Demon. There were witnesses present. Then, he wore her wristlet (similar to the exchange of rings in wedding) and then the sealed the ceremony with a kiss. lol.
By Ep 4 they tell us that Lee El is the dog companion of Mawang. Mawang’s wife is shown in the ep 5 preview. I believe it is her he has been trying to rescue all this while.
I am clueless about the Monkey King legend. Perhaps Gerry Tan (whom I know only from My Sassy Girl thread) might help understanding it a bit more.
Yes! I was thinking of pm’ing Gerrytan, too! So, Lee El (haha, I love how her name is a palindrome: read it backwards or forwards, it’s the same either way) is a dog. Then what happened to that fan? Who did it transform into?
Hmmm…Mawang’s wife had better NOT be reincarnated as SunMi. That would be bizarre and creepy.