''Ten Brothers'' () is a

Chinese legend Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural tradit ...

known to be written around the time of the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

(1368 to 1644). It has been told and spun off in various adaptations and remains popular since it is one of the oldest Chinese legends to feature characters in a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

fashion.

Story

The more modern version of the story has a married couple finding ten magical

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...

s; the wife swallows all ten pearls in one gulp and gives birth to decuplet sons. Each one of the ten brothers possesses a different supernatural power, though they develop their gifts as the story progresses. At the end, the brothers battle some form of an antagonist and they only win by working together. However, if the ten brothers come into contact with limestone, their powers disappear and they become helpless.

Characters

The number of brothers varies among Chinese ethnicities: the

Yi people The Yi or Nuosu people (Nuosu language, Nuosu: , ; see also #Names and subgroups, § Names and subgroups) are an ethnic group in South China, southern China. Numbering nine million people, they are the seventh largest of the 55 Ethnic minorit ...

have nine brothers; the

Zhuang people The Zhuang (; ; , , Sawndip: 佈獞) are a Tai-speaking ethnic group who mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. Some also live in the Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou, and Hunan provinces. They form one of the 56 ...

have eight brothers; the

Han people The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 17.5% of the worl ...

have five brothers; and the

Li people The Hlai, also known as Li or Lizu, are a Kra–Dai-speaking ethnic group, one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. The vast majority live off the southern coast of China on Hainan Island, where th ...

have 10 brothers. * ''1st and Oldest Brother Ah Dai'' - Capable of seeing miles away with his binocular eyes, sometimes identified as

Mazu Mazu or Matsu is a sea goddess in Chinese folk religion, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. She is also known by several other names and titles. Mazu is the deified form of Lin Moniang (), a shamaness from Fujian who is said to ...

guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...

Qianliyan Qianliyan is a Chinese folk religion, Chinese sea god, sea and door god. He usually appears with Shunfeng'er as a guardian of the list of Mazu temples, temples of the sea goddess Mazu (goddess), Mazu. Name The name "Qianliyan" literally means ...

. * ''2nd Brother Ah Yi'' - Capable of hearing miles away, sometimes identified as Mazu's guardian

Shunfeng'er Shunfeng'er is a Chinese folk religion, Chinese sea god, sea and door god. He usually appears with Qianliyan as a guardian of the list of Mazu temples, temples of the sea goddess Mazu (goddess), Mazu. Name The name "Shunfeng'er" literally means ...

* ''3rd Brother Ah Sam'' - Has Herculean strength. * ''4th Brother Ah See'' - Has the ability to stretch and is invincible. * ''5th Brother Ah Ng'' - Capable of flying. * ''6th Brother Ah Luk'' - Has a solid impenetrable head and is the smartest. * ''7th Brother Ah Chi'' - Can grow in height. * ''8th Brother Ah Ba'' - Capable of tunneling underground. * ''9th Brother Ah Kow'' - Has a huge mouth that can blow wind and shout loudly. * ''10th and Youngest Brother Ah Sup'' - Can cry a river; also can heal any illnesses if he cries on people.

Adaptations

Film

The story has been adapted many times in Asian films and TV series, most notably in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

: *'' The Liu Brothers'', 1953 Soviet cartoon *''Ten Brothers'', 1959 Hong Kong black and white film by director Wui Ng *''Ten Brothers vs. the Sea Monster'' (十兄弟怒海除魔), 1960 film *''

Ten Brothers ''Ten Brothers'' () is a Chinese legend known to be written around the time of the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644). It has been told and spun off in various adaptations and remains popular since it is one of the oldest Chinese legends to feature chara ...

'', 1985 series by ATV *''Ten Brothers'', 1995 Hong Kong film by director Lee Lik-Chi *''

'', 2007 series by TVB

Literary

*''

The Five Chinese Brothers ''The Five Chinese Brothers'' is an American children's book written by Claire Huchet Bishop and illustrated by Kurt Wiese. It was originally published in 1938 by Coward-McCann. The book is a retelling of a Chinese folk tale, '' Ten Brothers''. ...

'', 1938 American book by

Claire Huchet Bishop Claire Huchet Bishop (30 December 1898 – 13 March 1993) was a Swiss children's writer and librarian. She wrote two Newbery Medal runners-up, '' Pancakes-Paris'' (1947) and '' All Alone'' (1953), and she won the Josette Frank Award for '' Twe ...

, illustrated by

Kurt Wiese Kurt Wiese (April 22, 1887 – May 27, 1974) was a German-born book illustrator, who wrote and illustrated 20 children's books and illustrated another 300 for other authors. Background Kurt Wiese was born on April 22, 1887, in Minden, Germa ...

*''Seven Chinese Brothers'', 1990 children's picture book by

Margaret Mahy Margaret Mahy (21 March 1936 – 23 July 2012) was a New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. Many of her story plots have strong supernatural elements but her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growi ...

, illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng *''The Five Queer Brothers''.Fielde, Adele Marion. ''Chinese nights' entertainment''. New York; London: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1893. pp. 5-9. a transcription of a Chinese version by Western missionary Adele M. Fielde

References

{{Reflist

External links

Ten Brothers at Library thinkquest
Chinese folklore Superheroes Fairy tales about magic Fictional Chinese people Fictional families Fairy tales about brothers