Lady White Snake

Madame White Snake ~ Madam White Snake ~ Bai She Chuan ~ Bai She Zhuan ~ 白蛇传 ~ 白蛇傳 ~ Madame Serpent Blanc ~ Weiße Schlange

Lady White Snake -- The Battle

Illustration by Song Nan Zhang, from Lady White Snake


The old tales of China tell us that all things may grow and change. A stone may become a plant. A plant may become an animal. An animal may become a human. A human may become a god.

Just so, a snake may become a woman. And we are told of one who did.

Who can say for sure how it began? Yet after centuries of ceaseless effort—meditating, disciplining herself, mastering the energies of the universe—this white snake took human form. Immortal now and with great powers, she longed for one thing more.

Human love.

—From Lady White Snake, retold by Aaron Shepard


Links

Lady White Snake

Lady White Snake: A Tale From Chinese Opera

About the Story

About Chinese Opera

Legend of the White Snake

Poster: Lady White, and Blue

Poster: The Battle

A Lady White Snake Bookshelf

Films About Lady White Snake

Madame White Snake


Beijing opera artist Yang Yang as Lady White Snake
Beijing opera artist Yang Yang as Lady White Snake

Posted by permission of the artist



Web site powered by Aaron Shepard

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