| Race
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Description / Examples
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| 1. Deva (天)
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- The Deva, also known as ‘Heaven’ in Chinese, is a holy being which dwells in the heavens. It enjoys the highest bliss among all living creatures. Higher Devas live for millions of years, even Kalpas. With the ability to morph into whatever form they desire, they can travel at will within any realm. The holiest of Devas are Bodhisattvas (菩薩), while others are known as Guardians of Dharma (護法). The unholy ones are called Deva-Maras (天魔) who turn away from Buddha. They may postpone their fates of reincarnation into hell by turning into pure Maras, who establish their own dominions in any realm of existence. Devas or Maras may also be born in the Realm of Forms or Formlessness.
- Xiao Feng (蕭峰) is a representation of the Deva. He gives reader the impression of a heavenly being as he fits its description in any form, whether in appearance, build, character or martial arts. His status in the novel as the first main protagonist further enhances his position as the leader of the Devas, called ‘Di Shi Tian’ (帝釋天). The Deva is no exception to death, regardless of how powerful it is, just like Xiao Feng, who died at an early age. His tragic end is different from that of the Deva but yet one of those which touched readers deeply. He has ‘luxuries’ in the form of his martial arts prowess and his status as a noble of the Kingdom of Liao (遼國), but no beautiful maidens to accompany him; he killed his love interest A Zhu by mistake in a tragedy caused by confusion, he did not like A Zi (阿紫) for her cruel and sadistic nature although she was desperately trying to win his heart and he took care of her only to fulfill a promise he made to A Zhu (阿朱) before her death.
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| 2. Naga (龍)
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- The Naga, also known as ‘Dragon’ in Chinese, assumes the form of a scaled and limbless serpent which can fly, swim and burrow. They can be classified by four ways of birth. Some hatch dry eggs on land or spawn wet eggs in water. Others are germinated from embryos or simply dead bodies. The sizes of Nagas range from very small to very large. They enjoy long slumbers and hoarding treasure. Some can change their facial appearances or torsos but not their entire bodies. They can become invisible except when they are born, dying, having sex, being infuriated, and sleeping. They can harm humans by roars, gazes, breaths, or mere touches. On the contrary, they suffer from scorching of hot wind or sandstorms, loss of property due to sudden hurricanes, and frequent devouring by Garudas. Older Nagas can summon rainstorms by will.
- Duan Yu (段譽) represents the Naga. Of the Eight Races, Deva and Naga are the most important ones, so Duan Yu being the second main protagonist, obviously represents the Naga. Duan Yu is born of noble blood and a future ruler of the Kingdom of Dali (大理國). The Chinese see their emperor as a dragon, while the ancient Indians too hold the dragon in high regard, which shows their respect for Duan Yu as a prince. The dragon king in Chinese mythology has an affinity for Buddhism since young, just like Duan Yu who has been largely influenced by Buddhism before his rise to prominence. Besides, the rulers of Dali have a tradition for taking the tonsure at Tian Long Monastery (天龍寺) or ‘Heavenly Dragon Monastery’, which hints that Duan Yu represents the Naga of the Eight Races.
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| 3. Yaksha (夜叉)
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- The Yaksha (夜叉), also known as ‘Ye Cha’ in Chinese, is a fierce, agile and cannibalistic devil which can devour other devils. It seldom morphs into other forms but can shift its visibility to that of human eyes easily by will. Moreover, Yakshas can hide themselves or conceal objects by camouflaging them into the surroundings superbly even if they cannot make things invisible to the sharp eyes. Based on speeds of air travel, they can be further separated into three classes, namely, Heavenly Yakshas, Void Yakshas, and Earthly Yakshas, in ranking of the fastest to the slowest.
- The Yaksha had been said to be represented by the third main protagonist, Xuzhu (虛竹). Xuzhu, originating from Shaolin Monastery (少林寺), found himself caught in between several feuds, which eventually led to him becoming a powerful martial artist despite going against his own will. He was also the leader of several unorthodox sects, yet managed to lead them from their ‘evil’ origins towards good, fitting the description of the Yaksha, which is the deity in charge of subduing devils and evil spirits, yet itself is a devil.
- The Yaksha is also said to be collectively represented by the ‘Four Evils’ (天下四惡). They have evil appearances and engage in all forms of evil doings, just like the common interpretation of the Yaksha as an evil being. However, each of these Four Evils has a good side behind them. Duan Yanqing (段延慶) was originally the crown prince of the Kingdom of Dali (大理國), who lost his status and sought revenge on those who stole his rightful place as ruler. Eventually, he left for good after realising that Duan Yu (段譽) was his real son and that his struggle to become ruler of Dali had ended with his son becoming the ruler unexpectedly. Ye Er Niang (葉二娘), who was infamous for kidnapping babies and killing them after she had finished playing with them, became a changed person after she realized that Xuzhu was her long-lost son. Nan Hai E Shen (南海鱷神), the most comical of the Four Evils, had still some good in him compared to the other three. He was often seeking to make Duan Yu his disciple, but ended up with him being Duan’s disciple instead. He sacrificed himself to save Duan Yu eventually, whom he still regarded as his master. Yun Zhonghe (雲中鶴), a lecherous fiend, also once saved Wang Yuyan (王語嫣). The Four Evils were just like the Yaksha, hard to define whether it is good or evil.
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| 4. Asura (阿修罗)
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- The Asura (阿修罗), or ‘A Xiu Luo’ in Chinese, is an anti-Deva. Generally, females are beautiful while males on the contrary are ugly in appearance. They have heavenly powers but no saintly merit. They resolve disputes with violence, which they consider to be an honour, before in peaceful manners. As such, they often equip themselves with the most advanced fighting techniques. As they usually dwell beneath the heavens, they constantly wage war against the Devas for the supremacy of ruling the heavens. Asuras are jealous of human beings who enjoy more earthly pleasures than them, but above all they hate the Devas the most. They can be classified into Heavenly Asuras, Devilish Asuras, and Bestial Asuras. Heavenly ones have the best magical powers while bestial ones are experts in fighting.
- Murong Fu (慕容復) is said to be a representation of the Asura due to its characteristics; it is often defeated by the Deva, it has a fiery temper, it is resentful and jealous, it wields great power, it has high capabilities yet longs for a chaotic world, it is suspicious by nature and often suspects that Buddha sides with the Devas. Murong Fu’s characteristics are very much similar; he is Xiao Feng’s (蕭峰) arch-nemesis by being the ‘Southern Murong’(南慕容) in ‘Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong’ (北喬峰南慕容), he is defeated by Xiao Feng, he is full of jealousy and contempt, he is the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Yan (燕國), he is well-known for his trademark move ‘returning you with your own way’ (以彼之道, 還施彼身) by killing others with their own trademark martial arts techniques, he fears the world would not be chaotic enough for the time to restoring his kingdom, he is suspicious of his own followers who eventually died at his own hands. Also, he has the beautiful Wang Yuyan (王語嫣), his cousin, who tries vainly to win his heart, but he has no feelings for her, just like the Asura who has beautiful maidens but lusts for luxuries instead.
- Another representation of the Asura is Wang Yuyan, as its female version. Wang Yuyan is naturally beautiful and spent her life in an isolated manor away from human society until she met Duan Yu (段譽). She was just like a ‘fairy sister’ (神仙姐姐) to Duan Yu, who fell head over heels in love with her on first sight. However, she was only desperately trying to win the heart of her unfeeling cousin Murong Fu, until when she realized that Duan Yu was the one who truly loved her when he showed that he was willing to die for her. Together with Duan Yu, they seemed like a ‘heavenly couple’ in the novel.
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| 5. Garuda (迦楼罗)
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- The Garuda (迦楼罗) or ‘Jia Lou Luo’ in Chinese, is a rare gigantic golden bird which preys on Nagas. They can soar to the highest heaven and sink to the deepest abyss. They were so powerful such that even the Asura Kings did not dare to trifle with them. They do not die due to old age but the accumulation of many different types of venoms and poisons from Naga blood. When the moment comes, all the venoms and poisons it accumulates in its body will cause the Garuda to self-incinerate, leaving behind its heart in the form of a crystal seed among the ashes. From this crystal, a new Garuda will be born. Yue Fei (岳飛) had been said to be a reincarnation of the Garuda.
- Jiu Mozhi (鳩摩智) is said to represent the Garuda. He was the royal advisor of Tubo and an accomplished martial artist. He was at odds with the other monasteries such as Shaolin and Tian Long. Duan Yu (段譽), the Naga or dragon, is his prey, as Duan Yu holds the key to mastering the ‘’Liu Mai Shen Jian’ (六脈神劍). He seeks to ‘devour’ all kinds of martial arts (poison) and emerge as the most powerful martial artist. Eventually, he went into a state of having lost his mind after practicing the martial arts wrongly as he sought to master them quickly, and was on the verge of death. His suffering was as though like he was on fire. However, Jiu Mozhi was spared death unlike the Garuda as he managed to pass his inner energy (poison) to Duan Yu, henceforth losing his martial arts prowess. He finally became enlightened after his close encounter with death and repented from his past wrongdoings, becoming a ‘gigantic golden bird’ like Yue Fei.
- Another representation of the Garuda is Murong Fu (慕容復). Murong Fu was an unscrupulous and evil individual who used all means to restore his kingdom, ranging from killing his own followers to acknowledging the evil Duan Yanqing (段延慶) as his godfather. He had accumulated much ‘venom’ in him from his evil doings, but too was spared death like Jiu Mozhi, but was forever in suffering yet oblivious to it when he eventually became insane.
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| 6. Kinnara (紧那罗)
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- The Kinnara (紧那罗) or ‘Jin Na Luo’ in Chinese, resembles a human being but has a horn on its forehead. They are music deities who serve the Devas, in which the males excel in singing while the females are good dancers. While they apparently seem to be enjoying life, most of suffer from slavery by Asuras.
- The Kinnara is said to be represented by A Zi (阿紫). A Zi was one of the two closest women to Xiao Feng (蕭峰), with the other being her sister A Zhu (阿朱), so if Xiao Feng represents the Deva, then she is obviously the Kinnara. A Zi grew up in a harsh environment as being a member of the evil Xing Su Sect (星宿派). She had frequent mood swings and had an unpredictable temperament. She was apparently human as she had two sides; a side of her showing her sadism, cruelty and cunning, while the other side showing her naïve and strong desire to win Xiao Feng’s heart. No one could ever understand her, even when she leapt off the cliff to her death clutching on to Xiao Feng’s dead body.
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| 7. Gandharva (乾达婆)
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- The Gandharva (乾达婆) or ‘Gan Da Po’ in Chinese, is a deity of scents. Those who inhale fragrance sparkle like jewels while those who inhale stench loom like monsters. It does not feed on wine or meat, and seeks fragrant scents as nourishment and may also be attracted by incense or fresh blood. It is also one of the Deva’s music deities in charge of playing earthly music, with fragrant scents issuing from its body. The evil ones serve the Asuras as guards. Its meaning in Sanskrit is ‘interchanging and unpredictable’.
- A Zhu (阿朱) is said to represent the Gandharva. If Xiao Feng (蕭峰) is the Deva, then A Zhu is obviously the Gandharva, one of the Deva’s music deities, as she is one of two closest women to Xiao Feng, with the other being her sister A Zi (阿紫). A Zhu is an expert in disguise, fitting the description of being ‘interchanging and unpredictable’, and was first introduced in the novel as being in disguise. Duan Yu (段譽) had discovered that she was a woman in disguise due to the fragrant scent from her body.
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| 8. Mahoraga (摩喉罗迦)
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- The Mahoraga (摩喉罗迦) or ‘Mo Hou Luo Jia’ in Chinese, is a giant earthly serpent deity. It moves by gliding on its torso unlike the Nagas. It has a human torso and the head of a python. In a sutra, the Mahoraga is said to be deaf and dumb, completely oblivious to all kinds of worldly temptations. Hence it attains enlightenment more easily, salvage its past and become a totally changed being. Mahoragas who do not accept the role of an enlightened being usually form cults for other lesser beings on earth.
- Xuzhu (虛竹) is said to represent the Mahoraga as he was just like a belly-gliding earthly serpent due to his status as an ordinary monk from Shaolin Monastery (少林寺). However, he was also kind-hearted, honest and naïve by nature, which made him oblivious to all kinds of ‘earthly temptations’, thus allowing him to attain ‘enlightenment’ more easily by becoming a powerful martial artist. He managed to ‘salvage his past’ when he was reunited for the first and last time with his parents. He also became an ‘Earthly Serpent Deity’ or Earthly Dragon of equal status as the Naga or Heavenly Dragon represented by Duan Yu (段譽), as he became the master of Lingjiu Palace (灵鹫宫) with several minor sects under his command and also the prince consort of the Kingdom of Western Xia (西夏國) when he married the princess.
- A Zi (阿紫) is also said to be a representation of the Mahoraga. She was cruel, sadistic and cunning by nature, just like a venomous snake in human form.
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