How famous Chinese folktale ‘Legend of the White Snake’ portrayed women negatively for centuries in China
- Great folktale has acted as warning that reinforces negative stereotypes about women
Among the thousands of folktales that have graced Chinese history over the millennia, a handful, dubbed “the four great folktales” stand apart as having significant cultural importance.
One of them, The Legend of the White Snake, tells the story of a man, Xu Xian, who falls in love with a female snake spirit, Bai Suzhen.
According to a paper published in June by Dean and Francis Press, the tale has been used throughout the centuries to reinforce negative stereotypes about women.
“In China’s feudal society, capable women — the White Snake — were seen as negative images. Although their human nature continued to strengthen, they still could not escape the oppression of patriarchal society, which fully symbolised the low status and lack of discourse power of Chinese women in traditional society,” wrote Tang Meng, the author.
The earliest versions of the folktale often depict women as treacherous, even homicidal. While newer tellings of The Legend of the White Snake have softened the characters, the plot always ends with the female snake imprisoned inside a pagoda for decades or centuries.
The folktale first emerged during the Tang dynasty (618-907), and various forms of the legend were told for centuries until Emperor Qianlong (r.1735-1796) finalised an official version during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).
