History and Evolution
The Wenshen, also known as the Five Commissioners of Pestilence, are a group of deities within Chinese culture and religion that are often associated with the management of diseases, plagues, and epidemics. The Wenshen’s origins can be traced back Ancient China, particularly the Zhou dynasty, when ceremonies were used to address cosmic disharmony during epidemics. This would lead to the deification of the Wenshen (Katz 1987, 200, 204).
Over a span of centuries, their mythology would end up growing, especially when it came to their origins, such as the story of how they were originally a group of scholars who sacrificed themselves to save a village from being poisoned by a demon, signifying ideas of self-sacrifice (Stevens, 16–20). Their influence would especially skyrocket during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE), as it was believed that rituals such as the “Pacification of Plagues” were integral to the survival of a community during outbreaks of diseases. This was especially important during a series of outbreaks that decimated settlements in South China and Taiwan. The Wenshen (aka Commissioners) were believed to patrol the mortal realm so they could inspect human behavior and administer divine justice through the spread of plagues as punishment for moral imbalance (Katz 1987, 200). This belief developed following their integration into Daoist and Buddhist texts such as the Taishang dongyuan shenzhou (Li), which lead to them integrating more Daoist and Buddhist elements into their mythology (Capitanio).
Cultural and Ritualistic Roles
In mythology, the primary function of the Wenshen was to manage epidemics and moral order, with rituals with them featuring practices such as offerings of incense, meat, and wine, and public ceremonies designed to appease or expel the spirits, helping people recover (Li). These public ceremonies would include spirit boat burning, the invocation of talismans, and burning effigies during the Double Fifth Festival (Katz 1987, 209; Stevens, 6–10). In local belief, the Wenshen might also address communal crises through practices such as consecration, sacrifices, confession of sins, and eventual purification (Katz 1995, 59).
In Daoist cosmology the Wenshen are often depicted as a group of five bureaucratic figures, which correlates with the Five Phases theory that ties health and illness to elemental cycles. The Wenshen carry implements like vases, swords, jugs or fire, or clubs, signifying their ability to maintain the cosmic order (Li). They were also shown to be tied to the Five Phases in that each one used a symbolic tool like a fan or jar to manage diseases associated with their corresponding elements (Li).
According to one legend, the Wenshen were once five scholars who sacrificed themselves to prevent a deadly epidemic (Katz 1987, 200). However, additional texts also propose different narratives, such as them having been 360 scholars who died at sea in a powerful typhoon. Their souls remained on the ship and they refused to ascend to heaven, so they posthumously received the title wangye (Katz 1987, 201).
Images
In several depictions, the Wenshen are described as being seated, with their feet often resting on stylized animals such as lions. Their postures, and their connections to animals associated with power and royalty, emphasize their own divine status and authority (Stevens, 6–10). This animal connection is interesting as ritual imagery often depicts them having qualities of different animals such as tiger heads and bird wings, ikely as a way of symbolizing both their strength and connection to nature (Li).
In several Qing narratives, they are also regularly described as having very fearsome and demonic traits such as red hair, blue skin, and a multitude of eyes, which further highlights their supernatural power, yet also how they can be portrayed as dangerous and something to be feared despite their ability to protect from epidemics (Katz 1987, 209). Not only that, but the plagues and remedies each one is connected to, in accordance with Five Phases Theory, can be seen in their symbolic implements such as fans, jugs, and hammers (Li). In addition, their colors and attributes align with not only the Five Elements, but also the Five Directions in Daoist belief (Katz 1995, 20–24).
Connections to Society and Culture
The Wenshen play significant roles in Chinese culture and religious life. They are cultural anchors for worshippers among Fukienese migrants, helping maintain traditions and identity in communities like Singapore and Malaysia. This is clear from numerous festivals, such as the “Dispatch of Disease,” which blend disease-prevention rituals with events such as operas and feasts (Stevens, 6–10; 21–26).
Meanwhile, in Zhejiang and Taiwan, the different naming conventions for the Wenshen tend to reflect societal fears and respect for how they hold power over diseases, with the spirit boat burning at the Double Fifth Festival exemplifying this respect (Katz 1987, 197; 209). There are also community-wide rituals like the Pacification of Plagues, which foster social cohesion and address crises, both spiritual and physical.
Finally, the Wenshen are often depicted as bureaucratic officials in the Plague Bureau, which can very much reflect China’s hierarchal and bureaucratic structure. This structure has already been shown in how the Wenshen represent divinity within a hierarchical organization that blends governance and authority (Capitanio).
Bibliography
Capitanio, Joshua. “Epidemics and Plague in Premodern Chinese Buddhism.” Asian Medicine, vol. 16, no. 1, 13 Aug. 2021, pp. 177–192, https://doi.org/10.1163/15734218-12341489.
Katz, Paul. “Demons or Deities? The “Wangye” of Taiwan.” Asian Folklore Studies, vol. 46, no. 2, 1987, p. 197 – 215, https://doi.org/10.2307/1178584.
Katz, Paul R. “The Pacification of Plagues: A Chinese Rite of Affliction.” Journal of Ritual Studies, vol. 9, no. 1, 1995, pp. 55–100. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44398662.
Li, Ying. “The Transformation of Chinese Cultural Images of the Plague through Chinese Characters, Legends and Folkways 1.” Journal of Analytical Psychology, vol. 68, no. 2, 28 Mar. 2023, pp. 376–389, https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12900.
Stevens, Keith. “Fukienese Wang Yeh (王爺) (Ong Ya [Hokkien]).” Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 29, 1989, pp. 34–60. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23890812.
Yi, Bao, et al. “The Implantation and Transmission of Plague Culture by the Five Plague Gods in Shuilu Murals.” Chinese Medicine and Culture, vol. 7, no. 3, Jul. 2024, pp. 185-91, journals.lww.com/cmc/fulltext/2024/09000/the_implantation_and_transmission_of_plague.2.aspx, https://doi.org/10.1097/mc9.0000000000000110.
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