The Madman of the Chu State

By Chen Long

There is a special genre of Chinese intellectuals, nicknamed the “madmen” in the ancient Chu State. They were politically ambitious, socially unconventional and full of criticism towards the society. They left us a rich cultural legacy of independent spirits in Chinese history.

One particular spirit was born in Hubei, which was called the State of Chu in ancient times.

When Confucius was trying to promote his ideology of benevolence statewide, hoping to help the declining Zhou Dynasty re-glorify its rules and rites, he traveled around the country and engaged in lobbying activities. When he came to the Chu State, an old man working in the field saw his carriage and began singing to him, the song lyrics were as follows: Phoenix, Phoenix, how come you became unwise. The past cannot be retrieved while the future can still be changed. Stop, stop! How dangerous it is to be a politician in times of chaos.

When hearing it Confucius couldn’t help chasing after him, asking him about strategies for governing a country. Yet the old man walked away very quickly. Confucius appreciated the old man’s talents and insights, and jokingly called him “the madman of Chu.”

More than 1200 years later in the Tang Dynasty, the famous poet Li Bai settled in Hubei, where he got married, had children, and stayed there for ten years. He identified himself a Chu man, with Chu people’s personality, for which he wrote this famous verse: I’ve always been the madman of Chu/ Singing freely to satire Confucian ideals. (I am a free madman of Chu, and I dare to sing a song laughing at the orthodox Confucius).

In 740 BC, Xiong Tong became the king of Chu, known as King Wu. He renounced the rule of Zhou Dynasty over his territory. Afterwards the State of Chu unified more than 60 tribes in southern China, expanding itself from a small country of only a few square kilometres to a large country with a territory of 2,500 kilometers and a population of several million. With its territory covering the southern half of what is now China, the State of Chu became a center of national integration in the south.

The rules and rites established by the Zhou Dynasty were regarded as moral standards at the time. Sacrifice and godworshiping were carried out in a manner of discreetness and prudence, demanding solemn appearances and respectful conduct. But some people in the State of Chu “defied” the regime of Zhou. They worshiped ghosts and witches. They sang and danced in their sacrifice ceremonies, embodying passionate mountain ghosts in cloaks and ethereal fairies with streaming sleeves—all of which made lively scenes. These differences were a way for Chu people to show their liberal spirit against the rule of Zhou Dynasty.

People of Zhou honored the south, while people of Chu honored the east; people of Zhou honored the right while people of Chu honored the left. These behaviors were not in accordance with the rules and rituals of the time, hence, they were considered mad and wild. (Translation: Lu Qiongyao)

楚狂人

文/陈龙

中国知识分子中有一个另类的群体，被称作狂士。他们志向高远，特立独行，对社会充满批判，在中国思想文化史上留下一种独立的人格精神。

这种狂士精神最早起源于湖北。

当时孔子在中国各地传播他的仁爱思想，希望通过游说让衰落的周朝重新建立起国家的礼仪与秩序。他来到楚国，一位在地里劳作的老者看到他的马车，对他唱了起来，大意是：凤凰啊，凤凰啊，你怎么变得不聪明了，过去的事情无法挽回，未来的事情还可以改变，你还是停止吧，停止吧！混乱时代做一名政客多么危险。

孔子追赶他，想向他请教治理国家的办法，老农却快步而去。孔子赞叹老农的思想见地，并称老农为“楚狂人”。

1200多年后的中国唐朝年间，诗人李白来到湖北，在此娶妻生子，在湖北居住了十年。他认为自己已经有了楚人的秉性，把自己当成了湖北人，并写下诗句：我本楚狂人，凤歌笑孔丘（我就是那个自由的楚国狂人，我也敢于唱一首歌来嘲笑执迷不悟的孔子）。

公元前740年，一个叫熊通的人做了楚国国君，号称楚武王。他诏告天下，不再接受周朝统治。楚国进而统一中国南部60多个部落后，从一个方圆仅数十里的小国，变成了土地五千里，人口几百万的大国，疆域覆盖当时中国的南半部，成了南方民族融合的一个中心。

周朝创立的礼法制度在当时被奉为正统，他们对待祭祀十分慎重，要求容貌举止端正肃穆（相维辟公，天子穆穆）。但是楚国人“不服周”，他们信巫鬼，祭祀时喜爱载歌载舞，有时扮演披萝带荔的多情山鬼，有时扮演仙袂飘飘的云中神仙，场面十分热闹。楚国人通过生活细节的逆反，达到对抗周朝的精神释放。

周人尚南，楚人尚东，周人尚右，楚人尚左。这些不合“礼法”的行为，被认为是狂放。