Judge Bao

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Richter Bao (different spelling (Wade-Giles): Pao Cheng; in the German translation Richter Blauhimmel) is a character from Chinese folk literature . It comes from the 700-year tradition of so-called judges' stories. The role model for the ideal literary judge is the civil servant Bao Zheng .

The Richter Bao stories are folk and entertainment literature; originated around the 14th century, mostly presented in a strongly emotionalizing manner; with disreputable, highly sexualized and violent content. These stories were created from written works by storytellers who began to recount scandalous crimes from their surroundings - in a heavily decorated manner. Source material from the legal staff manuals was later used as the basis for these stories. The judges' stories are very popular throughout East Asia and - with the exception of a brief interlude during the Cultural Revolution - represent a literary tradition of Asia, especially China. Judge Bao is one of the longest-lived and most popular characters who has played a leading or supporting role for over 700 years Novels, comics, children's series and films leads.

It is very difficult to compare the Chinese judges' stories with the Western crime story tradition. In addition to the figure of the judge, who is prosecutor, judge and detective at the same time, the Eastern crime stories of the Middle Ages are based above all on an uncritical Confucian ideal world and a teaching concept of the 'common people'. They can be understood much more as adventure stories in which the simple magistrate (sometimes prefect or commissioner) Bao Zheng defends the suffering people from the evil machinations of corrupt, high-ranking officials or from the violence of bandits and demons.

Since these are principally adventure stories that deal with the struggle between good and evil, the cosmological dimension of the stories must be taken into account. According to Chinese popular belief, a crime always represents a shaking of the cosmic equilibrium. In order to establish the harmonious equilibrium or to prevent a catastrophe, the otherworldly forces intervene in the event and support the judge in his work. The alliance between the heavenly powers and the judge is one of the most important elements of the judges 'stories, especially with Judge Bao, whose judge seat, the "Tribunal of Kaifeng", with the' Halls of King Yama 'or the' Crystal Halls of Mount Tai (shan) 'is equated. The mortal judge here becomes the avatar of all-ruling justice and acts in the name of all righteous powers to restore the cosmological balance by punishing the criminal. The character Liang Tianlai from the story of the same name briefly summarizes this principle in her monologue: "A debt of blood must be repaid with blood."

In addition to Judge Bao Zheng, Judges Di Renjie (629–700) and Hai Rui (1513–1587) also became immortal in a similar manner.

literature

  • Farmer Wolfgang: Chinese comics. Ghosts. Killer. Class enemies. Cologne, Düsseldorf, 1976, pp. 1-20, pp. 36-43
  • Schmoller Bernd: Bao Zheng (999-1062) as an official and statesman. The historical model of the 'wise judge' of folk literature. Bochum, 1982, pp. 8-21
  • Hayden A. George: Crime and punishment in medieval chinese drama. Three judge pao plays. London, England, 1978
  • Schlommer Sabine: Judge Bao. The Chinese Sherlock Holmes. In: China Topics. Volume 85, Bochum 1994
  • Ocko K. Jonathan: I'll take all the way to Beijing: Capital Appeals in the Qing. In: Journal of Asian Studies. 47: 2 (1988 May), p. 291