Shan Lai Ching
| Religion in NetHack |
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In NetHack, Shan Lai Ching is the lawful god of the Monk pantheon.
Origin
The Classic of Mountains and Seas, also known as Shanhai jing and formerly romanized as the Shan-hai Ching, is a Chinese classical text that is a compilation of mythological locations and creatures, and is considered by some to be the earliest surviving work of ancient Chinese mythology. The Classic of Mountains and Seas is divided into eighteen sections, and describes over 550 mountains and 300 channels among many other geographical features and animals. Early versions of the text may have existed since the 4th century BCE, with the latest revision originating from the early Han dynasty; copies of the book have been found in Japan dating back to the late 9th century CE, and the book not only influenced many literary works of the Edo period, but various Japanese editions have been published and used as material for plays.
The encyclopedia entry is an excerpt from Spectrum Atlas van de Mythologie, where the title of the book is erroneously thought to also be the name of a deity of the mountains and seas. This is likely the origin of the god in NetHack, since there is no indication of such a deity existing anywhere else in Chinese mythology.
Variants
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, Shan Lai Ching is replaced by Prince Nezha.
Encyclopedia entry
The Chinese god of Mountains and Seas, also the name of an
old book (also Shan Hai Tjing), the book of mountains and
seas - which deals with the monster Kung Kung trying to
seize power from Yao, the fourth emperor.
