#Trickster gods full#

When Wukong opened his eyes, golden beams of light shot forth from his pupils, piercing the clouds and startling the Jade Emperor (玉皇). Despite having just been born, the young monkey was already able to walk and speak. One day, a stiff breeze blew upon the rock and caused a fully formed monkey to burst forth from its stone face. In ancient times, a magical rock rested on top of Mount Huagou. After being released from the mountain he was trapped under for 500 years, Wukong serves as the monk's bodyguard throughout his journey. The book follows the story of a humble Buddhist monk named Tang Sanzang who travels from his home in Southern China to India in order to bring back holy texts and enlighten his countrymen. The legend of Sun Wukong first appeared in the Song Dynasty-era adventure novel Journey to the West. Prior to joining the Jade Emperor’s court, he lorded over a group of wandering monkeys who took care of him and regarded him as their leader. Sun Wukong does not have any blood relatives, as he was born from a magical rock.

#Trickster gods full#

After devoting himself to the Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang, Wukong is generally shown in full warrior gear with special items such as a golden chainmail shirt, a phoenix feathered cap, cloud-walking boots, and an eight ton staff that can shrink to the size of a needle. Prior to his enlightenment, Wukong is usually depicted as a naked macaque. Attributesīeing a monkey, Sun Wukong has a very distinct appearance that sets him apart from the other gods. His name literally translates as the “monkey awakened by the emptiness.” Wukong’s name is meant to represent his spiritual journey from an ignorant, short-tempered monkey to a benevolent, enlightened being. Though the character sūn (孫) usually refers to grandsons, in this context it refers to monkeys.

Sūn Wùkōng’s name is comprised of the characters for “grandson” (孫), “awakened” (悟) and “space”(空).