This Monday, the 4th, Globo will broadcast the live-action of ‘Mulan’, from 2020; Check out the true ancient legend of the Chinese warrior!
This Monday, the 4th, TV Globo will show, during the Afternoon Session, at 3:25 pm, the live-action of ‘Mulan’. Released in 2020, the film is an updated version of Disney’s classic and much-loved 1998 animation, which follows a young Chinese woman who decides to fight in the army by disguising herself as a man, in her father’s place.
“Hua Mulan is the spirited and determined eldest daughter of an honorable warrior. When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man from each family must serve in the imperial army, Mulan decides to take the place of his father, who is ill. Assuming the identity of Hua Junshe disguises herself as a man to fight the invaders who are attacking her nation, proving herself to be a great warrior”, highlights the live-action synopsis.
Although the film is best known for being a live-action version of the 1998 animation, the truth is that Mulan’s story has already resonated in China for centuries, with her being a warrior mentioned in ancient legends. Check out the origins and true legend of Mulan below:
+ The truth behind the legend of Mulan, China’s greatest warrior
Origins of the legend
According to the Ancient Originssome details about Mulan’s original story are not known, however, it is known that she originates from the 4th or 5th century AD It is also worth mentioning that the name Hua Mulan can be understood as “magnolia flower” (“Huā” means “flower”, and “Mùlán” means “magnolia”), an important symbol of China since the past.
The original source of Mulan’s story is a folk song called ‘The Ballad of Mulan’, dating from the Northern Wei Dynasty (which took place between the years 286 and 557), and its oldest known transcription is from the 6th century. However, This text was lost over time, and currently the reference is the ‘Music Bureau’ collection, an anthology of lyrics, songs and poems compiled by Guo Maoqian between the 11th and 12th centuries.
After that, Mulan would also be mentioned in legends at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), when, in 1593, the artist Xu Wei dramatized the legend ‘The Woman Mulan’, or ‘The Heroine Mulan Goes to War in Her Father’s Place’, a play divided into two acts.
The last memorable version was eventually incorporated into the Sui-Tang Romance, written by Chu Renhuo in the 17th century. As you can see, for more than a millennium, the legend of Hua Mulan was retold and remained alive in China’s memory.
Hua Mulan in 18th century illustration / Credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
The End of Mulan
The oldest known ‘Ballad of Mulan’ consists of 31 couplets — stanzas of just two verses —, composed mainly of five-character phrases. Although the legend has undergone a series of changes over time, its basis is always the same.
While washing clothes, the young woman Mulan discovers that the army was recruiting new soldiers to fight against invading people. To save your father, Huan Huan old and sick man who would certainly die when entering battle, she decided to disguise herself as a man to enlist in his place.
Right away, Mulan he would leave for the battlefield taking with him the sword of his family’s ancestors. And she would remain fighting for about ten or twelve years, achieving great merits and even being promoted to the position of general, over time.
During the war, she met an officer, usually called Jin Yong in legends, with whom he fell in love. Some legends say that after he discovered that Mulan It was a woman, the two became attached and even dreamed of getting married. And eventually, the other combatants would also discover the true identity of Mulan.
Illustration of the legend of Hua Mulan / Credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Once, before a very difficult battle, she would have decided to take the field wearing women’s clothes, so that finally all her soldiers would realize who she really was. In this situation, her soldiers were inspired, and Mulan gained great respect and admiration for her bravery, grace and wisdom. Thus, she led her army to yet another victory.
After yet another heroic triumph, the Emperor of China himself decided that he wanted to reward Mulan, and was extremely surprised to notice that the bravest of his soldiers was a woman. However, she asked him for nothing more than a horse, so that he could finally return home.
However, unlike the happy ending that new versions adopt, many variations of the story say that when she returned, she discovered her father had passed away. Furthermore, it is also often said that she was haunted by her battlefield experiences and, feeling lonely and misunderstood, committed suicide. As expected, this did not make it into the story adapted by Disney.
Dynasties
Traditionally, Mulan’s story is set in the time of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 – 534); however, many details of its history were only added in the Tang Dynasty, around the year 620. In 621, the founder of this dynasty would have defeated two other monarchs, Wang Shichong e Dou Jiandeand, at this time, the story of a female warrior would also have spread.
It is worth mentioning that, between the 4th and 5th centuries, China suffered from a series of invasions by a nomadic group. In this context, the war was terrible and devastated people across the empire, and the figure of a female warrior would have inspired the soldiers to go into battle.
Statue of Mulan in Shangqiu, a city in the eastern province of Henan, Central China / Credit: Photo by Gary Todd via Wikimedia Commons
Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that in the region where today’s Mongolia, Inner Mongolia and northeastern China are located, the Xianbei people lived. In archaeological discoveries, three skeletons of women related to these people were found, of which at least two may have been warriors, who probably frequently rode horses and used bows and arrows, as well as being highly trained in martial arts and war crafts. .
In any case, it is not known whether or not Mulan’s story is actually inspired by a real figure, even though a good part of the Chinese people think so; however, that doesn’t matter. Today she is immortalized in Chinese culture as a symbol of bravery and honor, and whether real or just a legend, she will always be an image of inspiration.