Chivalry (II): Dreams of Martial Arts Magic

The xia that possess martial arts skills are called wuxia, “wu” meaning “martial arts”. These fictional figures first appeared in a unique genre of literature from the Tang dynasty called “legend novels”. They usually feature youxia. Similar to the later ronin of feudal Japan, youxia are wandering warriors that travel the world and live by their own moral code. However, unlike the ronin, many possessed magical kungfu abilities. Some were immortal swordsmen. These novels featured legendary figures and storylines based in mythology.   Wuxia's  jianghu world took shape in Ming and Qing literature. Readers are more attracted to the jianghu world for the way wuxia use their magic kungfu to mete out vigilante justice, their sense of brotherhood and other actions that are otherwise impossible for people in regular society. Jianghu figures sometimes reject mainstream values. Some wuxia figures find pride in not following social norms. Traditional cultural elements attenuate the thrill of fights and weapons, but accentuate the ethereal taste of the stories.