. The mythology of all races. Fig. 44. Four of the Eight ImmortalsLan Tsai-ho, Li Tieh-kuaj, Lu Tung-pin, Chung-jli Chuan Among the Immortals the most famous is the group knownas the Eight Immortals. The Chinese name for these is PaHsien. The number of them, eight, is probably copied fromthe eight oflicers of state during the reign of Wu Ti of theChin dynasty, 265—290 , who were known as the EightGentlemen (Pa Kung). According to the Hsiao Hsueh( Instruction of Youth ), written by Chu Hsi in the eleventhcentury , there were also during the Sung dynasty eight SUPERNATURAL BEINGS 119 gen
. The mythology of all races. Fig. 44. Four of the Eight ImmortalsLan Tsai-ho, Li Tieh-kuaj, Lu Tung-pin, Chung-jli Chuan Among the Immortals the most famous is the group knownas the Eight Immortals. The Chinese name for these is PaHsien. The number of them, eight, is probably copied fromthe eight oflicers of state during the reign of Wu Ti of theChin dynasty, 265—290 , who were known as the EightGentlemen (Pa Kung). According to the Hsiao Hsueh( Instruction of Youth ), written by Chu Hsi in the eleventhcentury , there were also during the Sung dynasty eight SUPERNATURAL BEINGS 119 gentlemen who were known as Pa Kung on account of theirscholarship. As the Eight Immortals are not mentioned inChinese books before the Yuan dynasty, it is probable that theterm was chosen after the model either of these eight officersof state or of these eight scholars. There are several differing lists of the Eight Immortals, butthe most commonly accepted one is that which is here followed:. Fig. 45. Li Tieh-kuai (i) Li Tieh-kuai was originally a man of good stature andfine appearance. From early youth he devoted himself to anascetic life, living in the mountains for more than forty sat on a reed mat and often forgot to eat or sleep. Beingof the same surname, Li, as Lao Tzu, he besought the GreatMaster to descend to earth in order to teach him the mysteriesof life. From time to time Lao Tzii appeared to LI and 120 CHINESE MYTHOLOGY taught him the vanity of all earthly things. Sometimes LaoTzu also summoned Li to interviews in his heavenly abode. Itwas when Li was on one of these trips with Lao Tzu to thecountries of Hsi-yii that he left his material body in charge ofhis disciple, Lang Ling, with instructions to cremate it if he didnot return within seven days. On the sixth day the disciple
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