Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Composition_Sketch



Recycle from an old Painting

Daji and King Zhou of Shang in 1047 BC_妲己與殷紂

[Temporary remove the painting, put it back on until next version]
There is much Chinese folklore which includes songs, and tales, and it tells stories of historical, human nature, events, or love. Here is a story about Daji and King Zhou of Shang in 1047 BC. Daji was a favorite concuibine of King Zho of Shang. She is a classic example of how beauty causes the downfall of an empire/dynasty in Chinese culture. She is portrayed as an evil fox spirit in Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi which is translated as The Investiture of the Gods or The Creation of the Gods, also known as Fengshen Bang.


妲己,殷紂之妃也。紂伐有蘇,有蘇女以妲己,美而辯,用心邪僻,夸比於禮,戚施於貌。紂好酒淫樂,不離妲己,其言是從,所譽者貴之,憎者誅之。

乃使師延作朝歌北鄙之音,北里之舞,靡靡之樂。造鹿臺為瓊室玉門,其大三里,高千尺,七年乃成。厚賦稅,以實鹿臺之財,盈鉅橋之粟,燎焚天下之財,罷苦萬民之力。故狗馬奇物,充牣宮室,以人食獸,廣沙丘苑臺,以酒為池,懸肉為林,男女裸相逐於其間。宮中九市,為長夜之飲。百姓怨望,諸侯有叛者。妲己以為罰輕誅薄,故威不立,乃重為刑辟,為熨斗,以火燒燃,使人舉之手爛,更為銅柱以膏塗之,加於炭火之上,使有罪緣之。紂與妲己,以為大樂,名曰炮烙之刑。