Jiangshi

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Jiangshi (Kyonshī)
Name	Jiangshi (Kyonshī)
Kanji	殭屍 (trad. Chinese) キョンシー (Japanese)
English	"Stiff Corpse"
Additional Information
Primary Power	Reishi Absorption
Notable Members	Unknown

Jiangshi (殭屍, “Stiff Corpse” ), also known as Chinese “hopping vampires” or “zombies,” are Human corpses that have been reanimated after a portion of a person's soul fails to leave the deceased body. They hop around, killing the living and absorbing their life essence (Reishi). A Jiangshi is typically depicted as a stiff corpse, and moves in a rather mechanical motion by lurching forwards (or “hopping”) with its arms outstretched. They are normally only active during the night, as exposure to warm sunlight speeds the effects of decay.

Appearance

Traditionally, Jiangshi were believed to wear only old fashioned, Qin era garb because it was said that after death, a Jiangshi would not awaken for a hundred years. However, this theory has been proven false, and modern Jiangshi are seen wearing whatever clothes its human body had on before their death. Generally, a Jiangshi's appearance can range from the unremarkable (as in the case of a recently deceased person) to horrifying (rotting flesh, etc.). One peculiar feature common to all Jiangshi is their pale-green or grayish skin. They also have strengthened teeth and fingernails in order to tear into the flesh of their prey.

The name “Jiangshi” derives from the Chinese character “僵” (Jiang), meaning “stiff,” as the effects of rigor mortis determine the way in which a Jiangshi moves. Although not true for all cases, Jiangshi are usually too stiff to bend their limbs, so they are forced to walk by taking lurching or hopping steps while keeping their arms outstretched for mobility.

General Characteristics

Jiangshi are created when the soul of a deceased person fails to exit the body completely, leaving a part of the spirit behind. This could be due to an improper death, suicide, or an attack by a Hollow. Generally, the part that remains behind to reanimate the corpse is the primal or “animal” instincts found in a Human soul. As a result, they have no higher consciousness, such as independent thought. According to Yuan Mei, a Qin era scholar, the reason that only the basest instincts remain after death is due to the hun and po (the separate good and evil aspects within a soul) that govern a human’s body. "A person's hun is good but his po is evil, his hun is intelligent but his po is [unintelligent]." The hun is thus the part of the soul that leaves the body after death but the po remains and takes control of the body, transforming the deceased into a Jiangshi.

An uncharacteristic gathering of Jiangshi.

Similar to a vampire or a Bount, even though Jiangshi are undead they must absorb the reishi of a living creature’s soul in order to sustain their strength. Normally, a Jiangshi must feed at least once a month, although some Jiangshi have been known to last for years without feeding by lying dormant in reishi-rich soil. People who have been attacked by a Jiangshi are more susceptible to becoming one themselves after death, although the causes for this are unknown. Reishi that a Jiangshi consumes serves as a preservative to their physical body, and without absorbing it they quickly begin to succumb to decay. Also, the more Reishi a Jiangshi absorbs, the more powerful it becomes in both its absorption and physical abilities.

Because exposure to sunlight increases the rate of decay, Jiangshi are typically nocturnal creatures, instinctively avoiding the day. Jiangshi, unlike the Western zombie, are usually solitary creatures. They avoid grouping together, for reasons that remain largely unknown. It is speculated, however, that they prefer solitude because they are largely territorial, haunting a specific location for long periods of time. Because of this, Jiangshi do not associate well with members of the same species, and cannibalistic fights have been documented in the past.

Subtypes

Animal Jiangshi: Similar to human Jiangshi, the body of an animal is reanimated due to a part of its soul remaining in the body after death. They normally prey upon other animals, but are known to have attacked humans as well.

Meteor Jiangshi: (Also known as "Lunar" Jiangshi.) In special cases throughout history, some Jiangshi have been created due to the fluctuations of Reishi in the Human World as a result of catastrophic astronomic phenomena. These Jiangshi are affected by the cycle of the moon or planets, and occasionally by orbiting comets. Because of the unique circumstances of their “awakening,” these Jiangshi are only active during these astronomical cycles. Most famously, the remains of the Heike Clan have been known to revive as Jiangshi when large meteors are about to impact the earth.

Dorota-bō: (泥田坊, Dorota-bō) The risen corpse of a farmer or other land worker, who haunts his own land. These Jiangshi only awaken when the land that they formerly owned or worked is abused or violated by the living.

The faceless Noppera-bō.

Noppera-bō: (のっぺら坊, Noppera-bō) Creatures that were once Jiangshi who became sentient after consuming the Reishi of one thousand souls. Also known as "faceless ghosts," they appear to be ordinary Jiangshi with the exception of their blank, featureless faces. They must absorb Reishi for sustenance like the original Jiangshi, but their bodies do not decay. They do this by placing their hand on the forehead of their victim, as opposed to biting into the flesh of their prey. This kind of Jiangshi have also reportedly been created through the use of Dark Magic.

Jiangshi in the Soul Society: As a Jiangshi typically requires a corpse, there are certain conditions that must be met to create them without a physical body. Almost exclusively artificial when encountered in the Soul Society, Jianghi are created there when the soul in question is corrupted, their Hun being purged and leaving only the Po behind, which is typically done with a curse. They appear to be far more “human” than ordinary Jiangshi, and for a while remain sentient beings, although ones without any trace of humanity. As their spirit is imbalanced, they are still required to feast on other souls in order to maintain their life force. Gradually this results in a regression, as an unsound soul leads to an unsound mind and, eventually, an unsound body. In the final stage of their existence, these Jiangshi are little more than cannibalistic shells, their only purpose the consumption of Reishi.

History

The first instances of Jiangshi appeared in ancient China. The relatives of a person who died far away from home could not afford vehicles to have the deceased person's body transported home for burial, so they would hire an innate Kidō user (people with abilities similar to Orihime Inoue) more commonly known as “sorcerer-priests” or “witch doctors” to conduct a ritual to reanimate the dead person and teach them to "hop" their way home. The priests would transport the corpses only at night, and would ring bells to notify others in the vicinity of their presence, because it was considered bad luck for a living person to set eyes upon a Jiangshi. Upon reaching the burial grounds, the sorcerer-priest would perform a complete excorcism upon the Jiangshi, thus cleansing the corpse of the remaining soul particles. However, the technique for this was risky and frequently failed, and Jiangshi often attacked the priests and escaped, fleeing into the night to wreak havoc on other living beings.

The occurrence of Jiangshi, however, have remained rather uncommon, especially in modern times, due to the rare circumstances needed to generate their resurections. However, there have been a few instances in history where hordes of Jiangshi were created by reviving the bodies of dead warriors. These “undead armies” were gathered in masse to do the bidding of their summonor. (It should also be noted that these are the only circumstances where Jiangshi have been known to group together.)

In more modern times, Jiangshi, or at least sightings of Jiangshi, have become more prevalent due to the population increase. This has in many ways had an indirect effect on the “zombie” sub-culture in popular media, and many people mistakenly confuse Jiangshi with zombies, despite the distinct differences. (Namely that zombies are purely fictional creatures, unlike the Jiangshi.)

Powers and Abilities

Reishi Absorption: Jiangshi have the ability to absorb the reishi from a living being’s soul. Usually, this results in the death of their prey, although beings with significantly high reiatsu are able to withstand the attack.

Enhanced Stamina and Durability: Because Jiangshi are essentially walking corpses, they do not experience pain or exhaustion the way normal humans do. As a result, Jiangshi are able to withstand debilitating attacks from an opponent while still possessing the strength to fight back. It is worth noting that the more reishi a Jiangshi absorbs, the greater their strength and the higher their stamina. In this regard, Noppera-bō (see "subtyps") are among the most dangerous of the Jiangshi, as the possess incredible speed as well as endurance.

Limited Regeneration: A Jiangshi has the ability to reconnect portions of its body that have become separated. However, the ability to regenerate is only possible if the disconnected portions are in close contact with one another. This allows the Jiangshi to reconnect the severed parts through manipulating their physical bodies with the use of reishi. The limitation of this ability is the rather lengthy amount of time it takes to form a connection. (A few hours to a few days, depending on how much reishi a Jiangshi has absorbed in the recent past. Noppero-bōo are considerably more skilled in this ability, able to reconnect severed body portions in mere seconds.)

Means of Warding off Jiangshi

Fortunately, there are several means to ward off a Jiangshi if an individual should ever happen to encounter one. The most effective means are, if possible, to decapitate or dismember a Jiangshi in a manner so that they are incapable of movement. The severed remains should then be left far apart (to prevent reconnection and regeneration) until the Jiangshi eventually dies of starvation. Historically, Jiangshi were exorcized by inscribing a special spell (reminiscent of a kidō incantation) on a thin, reishi-infused paper with blood as ink, and attatching the spell to the Jiangshi’s forehead. While this technique may still be used effectively, it is largely impractical for several reasons. (The fact that one must come into close contact with a Jiangshi in order to apply the spell being one of them.) Shinigami are also capable of exorcising a Jiangshi by performing a konsō.

Historical methods: (It should be noted that the methods listed below have been based on much speculation, and as such may be unreliable in practice.)

• Mirrors: It is rumored that Jiangshi are terrified of their own reflections.
• Peach Tree Wood: It has been said that any object made from the wood of a peach tree is toxic to a Jiangshi, as “Peach is the essence of the Five Elements. It can subjugate evil auras and deter malign spirits.”
• Fire: According to the Zi Bu Yu, "When set on fire, the sound of crackling flames, blood rushes forth and bones cry." Jiangshi are particular susceptible to fire, perhaps due to the significant lack of normal bodily fluids.
• Black Blood: Many legends and books on exorcism have cited that the use of black blood, whether it be blood mixed with ink, oxidized chicken’s blood mixed with lye and coal, a thread stained with blackened blood, or the blood of a black dog, is an effective method for warding off Jiangshi.

Notable Jiangshi

Legend of the Dorota-bō: It is said that once long ago a poor, hard-working farmer succeeded in tilling a piece of uncultivated land into a productive rice field. He earned a good living, but when he became sick and died, his lazy, dishonest son neglected the fields and spent his days drinking and carousing. Eventually the derelict property was sold to a new owner. But the old man’s spirit was unable to rest peacefully when he saw his land in ruins. One night, his body rose up from the mud, crying out that his field to be returned. Rumors say he can still be heard wailing in the night, demanding the return of his property.

Qin Shi Huang’s Dead Army: Towards the end of his reign, Qi Shi Huang (known for his unification of an empire and the construction of the Great Wall of China) became obsessed with death. He had begun work on his extensive mausoleum at the young age of thirteen, including a vast army of terracotta warriors; and in his later years he began a frantic search for an Elixir of Life. According to legend, when the emperor’s most loyal general defied his wishes to send a company of soldiers into the distant mountains to search for a potion of immortality, Qi Shi Huang had the man buried alive. He ordered that the soldiers who had served under the general all be put to death as well. As it happened, the soldiers had been the very ones who had been the patterns for the clay warriors. Because the number of the dead was so great, their bodies were buried dishonorably in a pit next to Qin Shi Huang’s tomb. The emperor died shortly afterwards. It is said that the general, come back from the dead as a Jiangshi and hungry for revenge against the emperor, dug into the tomb to free his comrades. Night after night he clawed at the dirt until all the flesh wore away from his arms. He was finally able to uncover the buried army, who had all become Jiangshi by that time as well. For years afterwards an army of undead, with the faces of the emperor’s tomb warriors and led by a man with skeleton hands, terrorized the country.

Heike Clan: The Heike (平氏, Heike) were a prominent Japanese clan of samurai in early medieval Japan. After decades of long conflict between their rival clan, the Minamoto, over the dominance of the imperial court, the clan was destroyed at the end of the momentous Genpai wars. The fall of the Heike was precipitated by the seeds of their own destruction, as it was their acts of arrogance and pride that led to their defeat. It is said that many of the Heike warriors were so consumed by the fires of hatred that even in death their feverish bodies did not cool. In reality this was due to a curse placed on them by a powerful sorcerer who sympathized with the Minamoto clan. He had prophesied the fall of the Heike due to a meteor that had predicted to arrive at that time. When the remnants of the Heike were destroyed, the sorcerer cursed their buried remains to awaken upon the arrival of the meteor. It is rumored that the Heike warriors return to haunt the world of the living whenever astronomical phenomena takes place, returning to their graves as soon as the spectacle has passed.

Trivia

• Jiangshi cannot see, think or speak, but instead locate their prey either with their sense of smell or by detecting their breathing. According to Japanese legend, if you hold your breath you may be able to escape these monster's detection.
• It has been rumored that the only physical substance a Jiangshi is capable of consuming is wild wasabi root, known for its perservative properties.