In Search of the Supernatural (traditional Chinese: 搜神記; simplified Chinese: 搜神记; pinyin: Sōushén Jì; Wade–Giles: Sou-shên Chi; Jyutping: sau2 san4 gei3; lit. 'Record(s) of Searching for the Spirits'), is a 4th-century Chinese compilation of legends, short stories, and hearsay concerning Chinese gods, ghosts, and other supernatural phenomena. Although the authorship of the book is not made explicit in the text, it is believed to have been written and compiled by Gan Bao, a historian at the court of Emperor Yuan of the Jin dynasty around AD 350. It was reissued in numerous editions, including in 1593. The book usually consists of 464 stories.
The English translation by Kenneth J. DeWoskin and J. I. Crump, Jr. was published in 1996. The book is also known as In Search of the Sacred and Anecdotes about Spirits and Immortals.
Notable stories include:
The collection also contains a variant of the story of a Swan Maiden (or Heavenly/Celestial Bride) who marries a mortal man.[6]
Pu Songling cites Gan Bao's work as a far greater work than his own, the now famous Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.
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