The Legend of the Condor Heroes items

The Legend of the Condor Heroes items

Contents

The items of The Legend of the Condor Heroes: the weapons, tokens, manuals, medicines and animals of the novel, and the everyday things its translation names. The Nine Yin Manual is the treatise the whole jianghu fights over.

Weapons

Weapons of named fighters

  • Dog-Beating Staff (打狗棒 — Dǎgǒu Bàng); also bamboo staff (竹棒) — The jade-green bamboo staff carried by the Guild Chief of the Beggars’ Guild as the token of his office.
  • Golden dao (金刀 — Jīndāo); also tiger-head golden dao (虎头金刀) — The golden dao Genghis Khan bestows on Guo Jing.
  • Short jian (短剑 — Duǎnjiàn) — One of the pair of short jian Qiu Chuji gives Guo Xiaotian and Yang Tiexin, engraved with the names of their unborn sons.
  • Snake Staff (蛇杖 — Shézhàng) — Ouyang Feng’s staff, with live venomous snakes coiled in its head.
  • Jade flute (玉箫 — Yù Xiāo) — Huang Yaoshi’s jade xiao, a vertical flute he plays and fights with.
  • Golden Dragon Whip (金龙鞭 — Jīnlóng Biān) — Han Baoju’s whip.
  • Iron staff (铁杖 — Tiě Zhàng) — Ke Zhen’e’s iron staff, which doubles as his walking stick.
  • Iron carrying pole (铁扁担 — Tiě Biǎndan); also pure-steel carrying pole (纯钢扁担) — Nan Xiren’s weapon, the woodcutter’s carrying pole made of iron.
  • Steelyard (秤杆 — Chènggān) — The iron beam of a merchant’s steelyard, Quan Jinfa’s weapon.
  • Iron fan (铁扇 — Tiěshàn) — A fan with iron ribs, carried by Zhu Cong and by Ouyang Ke.
  • Folding fan (折扇 — Zhéshàn) — Ouyang Ke’s folding fan, used for striking acupoints.
  • Water-Parting Emei Piercer (分水蛾眉刺 — Fēnshuǐ Éméi Cì) — A pair of short stabbing weapons with crescent guards.
  • Emei piercer (蛾眉刺 — Éméi Cì) — A short stabbing weapon with a crescent guard, usually carried in pairs.
  • White Python Whip (白蟒鞭 — Báimǎng Biān) — Mei Chaofeng’s extremely long whip. 1st and 2nd editions: 毒龙银鞭 (Poison Dragon Silver Whip).
  • Iron spear (铁枪 — Tiě Qiāng); also iron spearhead (铁枪头) — Yang Tiexin’s iron spear, the Yang family’s hereditary weapon.
  • Iron oar (铁桨 — Tiějiǎng) — A heavy iron boat oar wielded as a weapon.

Hidden weapons

  • Hidden weapons (暗器 — Ànqì) — Darts, needles, pellets and other projectiles thrown or launched unseen.
  • Poisoned caltrop (毒菱 — Dú Líng) — Ke Zhen’e’s hidden weapon, a small iron caltrop coated with poison.
  • Iron caltrops (铁菱 — Tiělíng) — Small spiked iron pieces thrown as hidden weapons.
  • Bone-Penetrating Nail (透骨钉 — Tòugǔ Dīng); also Midnight Bone-Penetrating Nail (子午透骨钉) — A small iron nail flung with neili, named for how deep it bites.
  • Bone-Piercing Awl (透骨锥 — Tòugǔ Zhuī) — A hidden weapon.
  • Poison Needle Ring (毒针环 — Dúzhēn Huán) — A ring set with poisoned needles, worn on the hand. Peng Lianhu’s secret weapon.
  • Gilded steel needles (镀金钢针 — Dùjīn Gāngzhēn) — Huang Rong’s hidden weapon, steel needles thrown by the handful.
  • Coin-bolts (连珠钱镖 — Liánzhū Qiánbiāo) — Coin-shaped darts loosed in rapid succession.
  • Flying Swallow Silver Shuttles (飞燕银梭 — Fēiyàn Yínsuō); also silver shuttles (银梭) — Shuttle-shaped silver darts thrown as hidden weapons.
  • Sleeve-arrows (袖箭 — Xiùjiàn) — A small bolt concealed in the sleeve and released by a spring, a common hidden weapon.
  • Throwing dart (甩手箭 — Shuǎishǒujiàn) — A small dart thrown with a flick of the hand.

Weapon types

  • Jian (剑 — Jiàn) — A straight, double-edged blade.
  • Dao (刀 — Dāo) — A single-edged blade, usually curved and broad.
  • Iron flute (箫 — Xiāo) — An end-blown vertical flute.
  • Waist dao (腰刀 — Yāodāo) — A short dao worn at the waist, the standard sidearm of soldiers and guards.
  • Serrated dao (锯齿刀 — Jù Chǐ Dāo) — A dao with a serrated edge.
  • Ji (戟 — Jǐ) — A halberd combining a spear point with a dagger-axe blade.
  • Flower-spear (花枪 — Huāqiāng) — A spear with a red tassel tied below the blade.
  • Iron staff (铁棍 — Tiě Gùn) — An iron staff.
  • Wolf-tooth club (狼牙棒 — Lángyábàng) — A heavy war club, usually long-hafted, its head studded with iron spikes; commonly mistranslated as “mace”.
  • Judge’s Brushes (判官笔 — Pànguānbǐ) — A short stabbing weapon shaped like a writing brush, usually carried in pairs.
  • Emei Steel Piercers (峨嵋钢刺 — Éméi Gāngcì) — A pair of short, sharp steel spikes.
  • Dagger (匕首 — Bǐshǒu) — A short dagger or stiletto.
  • Copper cymbals (铜钹 — Tóngbó) — A pair of copper or brass cymbals wielded as a weapon.
  • Fly-whisk (拂尘 — Fúchén) — A fly-whisk of horsehair on a handle, a traditional implement of Daoist priests.

Armour, tokens and treasures

  • Soft Hedgehog Armour (软猬甲 — Ruǎnwèijiǎ); also Hedgehog Armour (猬甲) — A vest set with tiny barbs, proof against blades and fists, treasured on Peach Blossom Island.
  • Iron Eight Trigrams (铁八卦 — Tiě Bāguà) — An iron disc cast with the Eight Trigrams.
  • Iron Palm Token (铁掌 — Tiězhǎng) — A palm cast in iron, Qiu Qianren’s token of authority.
  • Mandarin-duck brocade (鸳鸯锦帕 — Yuānyāng Jǐn Pà)
  • Brocade handkerchief (锦帕 — Jǐnpà) — A handkerchief of brocade.
  • Brocade pouches (锦囊 — Jǐnnáng) — A small silk pouch for secret orders or stratagems, recalling Zhuge Liang’s brocade bags in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Manuals

  • Nine Yin Manual (九阴真经 — Jiǔyīn Zhēnjīng)
    • Lower volume of the Nine Yin Manual (九阴真经下卷 — Jiǔyīn Zhēnjīng Xiàjuàn) — The second of the manual’s two volumes.
    • General Principles of the Nine Yin Manual (九阴真经总旨 — Jiǔyīn Zhēnjīng Zǒngzhǐ)
    • Mohe boluo (摩诃波罗 — Móhē Bōluó) — The opening of the passage of the Nine Yin Manual written in Chinese characters chosen only for their sound.
    • Sha cha yi tui, ai mo qin er (沙察以推，爱末琴儿 — Shā Chá Yǐ Tuī, Ài Mò Qín Ér) — A phrase from the passage of the Nine Yin Manual written in Chinese characters used for their sound alone.
    • False Nine Yin Manual (九阴假经 — Jiǔyīn Jiǎjīng)
  • Wumu’s Art of War (武穆遗书 — Wǔmù Yíshū); also Essentials for Defeating the Jin (破金要诀) — The military treatise left by Yue Fei (1103—1142), the Song general posthumously titled Wumu.

Medicines and poisons

  • Nine Flower Jade Dew Pill (九花玉露丸 — Jiǔhuā Yùlù Wán) — Huang Yaoshi’s elixir, compounded with the dew of nine kinds of flower and hard to make.
  • Tongxi Dilong Pill (通犀地龙丸 — Tōngxī Dìlóng Wán) — Ouyang Feng’s antidote to all poisons.
  • Tianqi Shark-Gall Powder (田七鲨胆散 — Tiánqī Shādǎn Sǎn) — A wound medicine compounded by Huang Yaoshi.
  • Golden-wound salve (金创药 — Jīnchuāng Yào) — A powder or paste for wounds dealt by blades, applied to staunch bleeding and promote healing.
  • Arsenic (砒霜 — Pīshuāng) — Arsenic trioxide, a deadly poison.

Animals

  • Little red horse (小红马 — Xiǎo Hóng Mǎ) — The red horse Guo Jing tames on the steppe, a sweat-blood steed.
  • Sweat-blood horse (汗血宝马 — Hànxuè Bǎomǎ) — A legendary breed of the Western Regions, said to sweat blood at the gallop.
  • Wind-Chasing Yellow (追风黄 — Zhuīfēng Huáng) — Han Baoju’s horse, named for its speed.
  • White eagles (白雕 — Bái Diāo) — The pair of white eagles Guo Jing raises on the steppe. 雕 is eagle in prose; the book title keeps Condor.
  • Vermilion python (朱红蟒蛇 — Zhūhóng Mǎngshé) — Liang Ziweng’s great python, reared on medicinal herbs.
  • Vipers (蝮蛇 — Fùshé) — A highly venomous pit viper found throughout China.

Banners, signals and arms of war

  • Great streaming standard (大纛 — Dàdào) — The great standard of an army’s commander.
  • Nine-tailed great banner (九旄大纛 — Jiǔmáo Dàdào) — The supreme standard of the Mongol Khan, hung with nine yak-tail pennants.
  • Tufts of white hair (白毛大纛 — Bái Máo Dàdào) — A banner of supreme command, hung with tufts of white horsehair.
  • Signal cannon (号炮 — Hào Pào) — A signal cannon, fired to coordinate troop movements.
  • Wolf-tooth arrow fletched with eagle feathers (狼牙雕翎 — Lángyá Diāo Líng) — An arrow with a wolf-tooth head, fletched with eagle feathers.

Everyday objects, food and drink

  • Beggar’s chicken (叫化鸡 — Jiàohuā Jī) — A chicken wrapped in leaves and clay and roasted.
  • Yuanyang Wuzhen Kuai (鸳鸯五珍脍 — Yuānyāng Wǔzhēn Kuài)
  • Daughter Red (女儿红 — Nǚ’ér Hóng) — A celebrated Shaoxing rice wine, traditionally brewed when a daughter was born and opened at her wedding.
  • Fenjiu (汾酒 — Fénjiǔ) — A famous clear grain spirit of Shanxi.
  • Horse-milk wine (马乳酒 — Mǎrǔjiǔ) — Fermented mare’s milk, the kumis or airag of the steppe peoples.
  • Da Afu (大阿福 — Dà Āfú) — The plump clay figurines of Wuxi.
  • Dudou (肚兜 — Dùdōu) — An undergarment covering the chest and belly, tied with strings at the neck and waist, often worn by children.
  • Eight Immortals table (八仙桌 — Bāxiānzhuō) — A large square table seating eight, named after the Eight Immortals of Daoist legend.
  • Kang (炕 — Kàng) — A heated platform of brick or clay used as a bed in northern China, warmed by a fire beneath.
  • Yurt (蒙古包 — Měnggǔ Bāo) — A portable felt tent of the nomadic Mongol peoples.
  • Kasaya (袈裟 — Jiāshā) — The kasaya, the outer robe worn by Buddhist monks.
  • Leather bag (革囊 — Génáng) — A leather bag or sack.
  • Mutton-fat candle (羊脂蜡烛 — Yángzhī Làzhú) — A candle made from mutton fat.
  • Tinder tube (火折子 — Huǒzhézi) — A tinder tube: rolled paper or fibre treated with saltpetre, kept smouldering in a tube and revived with a puff of breath.
  • Fire oil (火油 — Huǒyóu) — Petroleum from natural deposits, burned as fuel.
  • Iron sand (铁沙 — Tiěshā) — Iron grit heated and struck in palm training to harden the hands.
  • Jade-plate paper (玉版纸 — Yùbǎn Zhǐ) — A fine paper named for its smooth, jade-like surface.
  • Spirit tablets (神主牌位 — Shénzhǔ Páiwèi) — Tablets inscribed with the names of the dead, enshrined in an ancestral hall for worship.
  • Wooden cangue (木枷 — Mù Jiā) — A heavy wooden board locked about the neck as a punishment, pinning the head and arms.
  • Sampan (舢板 — Shānbǎn) — A small flat-bottomed boat, often the tender of a larger vessel.
  • Flower ship (花船 — Huāchuán) — The painted ship Huang Yaoshi keeps at Peach Blossom Island.
  • Dongxiao (洞箫 — Dòngxiāo) — An end-blown vertical bamboo flute with a deep, mellow tone.
  • Zither (筝 — Zhēng) — A Chinese zither with movable bridges, played by plucking the strings.

See also

Follow the archive routes

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